Offsetting Mortgage Interest and Life Insurance as Expenses for Tithing in Another Business
This question and answer were automatically translated using our trained AI and have not yet been reviewed by a qualified rabbi. Please treat this translation with caution.
go to original →
Question
Regarding an investment apartment, I know that mortgage payments, principal, and interest are not considered expenses for calculating tithes, as they are considered payments for purchasing the apartment. My question is: suppose I took a mortgage of 100,000 shekels and simultaneously invested 100,000 shekels in another business. It turns out I have 100,000 shekels to invest because of the mortgage I took. Therefore, I want to consider the mortgage interest as an expense of the other business. Is that so? And if so, what about the life insurance of the mortgage, is it also considered an expense for the other business? After all, without it, it is impossible to get a mortgage.
Answer
Hello Rabbi,
There is no logic to permit considering a loan for oneself as a loan for the business.
[Additionally, I will briefly note that there is no real profit here, only temporary. After all, profit in a business is also subject to tithing, but as long as the business is in the investment stage, there is no tithing, but in the annual balance, when it is seen that the business is profitable, one must give tithes on everything].