This method is straightforward.
Home office tax deduction safe harbor. Individual taxpayers who elect this method can determine the deduction by multiplying the allowable square footage by 5. This new safe harbor option allows taxpayers with a qualified home office to deduct 5 00 per square foot up to a maximum of 1 500 so the maximum allowable area of the home office is 300 square. A taxpayer who itemizes deductions and uses the safe harbor for a tax year may deduct to the extent allowable any expense related to the home that is deductible without regard to whether there is a qualified business use of the home for that tax year e g deductions for qualified residence interest property taxes and casualty losses. I need help figuring out if internet is already included in simplified home office deduction.
The simplified method doesn t change who can claim it but it does simplify your calculations and records. Beginning in tax year 2013 returns filed in 2014 taxpayers may use a simplified option when figuring the deduction for business use of their home. This simplified option does not change the criteria for who may claim a home office deduction. It s often called the safe harbor method.
For a full explanation of tax deductions for your home office refer to publication 587 business use of your home. This question has been asked before but there are multiple different answers. So the maximum deduction using this safe harbor method is 1 500 300 square feet maximum 5. 280a effective for tax years beginning in 2013.
Money taxes business taxes new safe harbor for claiming the home office deduction. If you choose to use this method you cannot claim home office expenses using the regular method explained above. However if you re self employed you can still claim the home office deduction on schedule c if your home office meets certain requirements. It merely simplifies the calculation and recordkeeping requirements of the allowable deduction.
2013 13 issued in january the irs gave taxpayers an optional safe harbor method to calculate a deduction for expenses of a business use of a residence under sec. What are the requirements to claim my home office. After taxpayers have met the same initial tests they don t have to do much more than multiply the square footage of the office by 5. A turbotax lead said.
When you go to utilities in other common expenses it says not to put anything there if you are claiming a home office deduction. How to figure the deduction including. Safe harbor home office deduction simplified method this is a simplified method for figuring your home office deduction. T he t ax cuts and jobs act tcja of 2017 eliminated th e miscellaneous deduction for home office expenses for tax years 2018 2025.
2020 01 09 starting for tax years 2013 and afterwards taxpayers will be able to use a simplified form which the irs has not published yet for claiming the home office deduction where the irs will simply allow the business owner to claim a safe harbor amount equal to 5 multiplied by the number of. How the safe harbor calculation works. Types of expenses you can deduct. The irs has criteria to help you determine if your space qualifies.