Q: Harold P. asks, “I have a reverse home mortgage. I understand that I cannot deduct interest on my home mortgage on my income tax return until I actually pay the interest. (Interest on a reverse mortgage is added to the loan balance each year but is not paid until the loan is repaid, usually at maturity or when the home is sold.)

“I will be paying approximately $20,000 per year interest on paper until I sell my home. If I sell my home in five or 10 years, I will have paid $100,000 to $200,000 in interest. I can’t believe the government will allow me to deduct that amount when I sell my home. Isn’t there some way I can deduct that interest while the interest is accumulating before I sell my home?”