Interest certificate (potvrzení o zaplacených úrocích)
A document from a bank or building savings bank (stavební spořitelna) stating the interest a client paid in a given year on a housing loan. It is used to claim the interest deduction from the tax base under § 15(3) of Act No. 586/1992 Coll. A maximum of CZK 150,000 a year can be deducted for loans taken out from 1 January 2021 (CZK 300,000 for older ones), and only for owner-occupied housing.
Example
For the first full year of a CZK 4,000,000 mortgage at 5.00 % over 25 years, the borrower pays roughly CZK 198,000 in interest. The certificate shows the full amount, but at most CZK 150,000 may be deducted. At a 15 % tax rate this saves up to CZK 22,500, refunded through the employer's annual tax reconciliation or a tax return.
In practice
Banks usually send the certificate in January or February, often only to internet banking. The first time, also attach the title sheet (list vlastnictví) or other proof of residence and a copy of the loan agreement. Two co-borrowers in one household share a single limit for their interest. The deduction does not apply to a flat you rent out: there, interest belongs among expenses under § 9.
How it differs
The certificate is just the supporting document; the interest deduction is the reduction of the tax base itself. Don't send the annual loan account statement instead. It also includes repaid principal and fees, and neither the tax office nor the employer accepts it in place of the certificate.
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