You should be able to take a tax deduction for 100 percent of costs directly related to your home office, such as the purchase of a work computer or printer toner.
The other kind of tax-deductible home office expenses are “indirect” ones that are prorated, based on the size of your home and office. These are things like your mortgage or rent, insurance and utility bills. Many people with home offices skip the tax break because they’re concerned the write-offs will trigger a tax audit. That’s unlikely.
In general, to get the deduction, the area must be used for work exclusively and on a regular basis, either as your main place of business or a location to meet with clients or to do paperwork, such as billing and ordering supplies. That means your kids can’t play games on your work computer when you’re away, and your spouse can’t set up the new elliptical machine in the home office space.
To get the deduction, you must file Form 8829, "Expenses for Business Use of Your Home." For full details, go to IRS Publication 587.
Generally speaking, if the square footage of your home office equals 10 percent of your home's total, you can claim 10 percent of its expenses. The IRS also has a “simplified option” rule, which allows you to deduct $5 per square foot of your home office on your return, with a maximum write-off of $1,500 (based on a maximum of 300 square feet). It’s a good idea to take a picture of the space so that you have a record, in case the IRS does scrutinize your return.
No comments:
Post a Comment