So if you use a whole room or part of a room for conducting your business you need to figure out the percentage of your home devoted to your business activities.
How to deduct home office space. Here s what you need to know. If your office space is in a rented house or apartment where you live deduct the percentage of the rent and any maintenance costs you paid that relate to the work space. Indirect expenses are those paid for running your home which can be deducted based on the percentage of the home used for business see calculating your home office space deduction. And the passage of the 2018 tax cuts and jobs act has made things even more complicated.
If you run a home based business you may be eligible to expense the use of home office space and reduce your tax burden. Whether you qualify for this deduction is determined each year. Requirements to claim the home office deduction. Of all the tax breaks available the home office tax deduction is among the murkiest and most misunderstood.
To avoid confusion your home office space should look like an office or workspace. Typical indirect expenses include rent mortgage interest utilities insurance and general home repairs. The simplified method can make it easier for you to claim the deduction but might not provide you with biggest deduction. The amount you can deduct for work space in the home expenses is limited to the amount of employment income remaining after all other employment expenses have been deducted.
Deducting a home office is treated differently depending on your business type. Since you can deduct up to 300 square feet it is a wise idea to expand your work from home space up to 300 square feet to get full advantage of the deduction under this method. The home office deduction is not a red flag for an irs audit. It would be harder to claim your kitchen table as your home office compared to even a desk in the middle of the.
Generally when using the regular method deductions for a home office are based on the percentage of your home devoted to business use. Depending on whether you own or lease your office space you can deduct your rent or mortgage interest costs. If you operate from home these costs are part of a home office deduction.