New changes in the tax laws have made it easier than ever to claim home office deductions and keep more of what you earn. If your home is a place of business, many of your personal expenses can be deducted as business expenses resulting in lower taxes. You may be thinking, "I have an accountant/CPA/tax preparer/tax software who knows all about tax deductions, so I don't have to know anything about them."
There are several reasons why that thinking could be costing you thousands of tax dollars. Some of those reasons are:
- Most accountants/CPA's/tax preparers do not "specialize" in Home-Based Businesses and do not keep up with the ever-changing laws pertaining to them.
- You are ultimately responsible for knowing what you can and cannot deduct as business expenses. Why? YOU are accountable to the IRS for your deductions, not the tax preparer.
- If you pay someone to do your taxes you still need to know what you can deduct so that you can gather all relevant paperwork.
- The most compelling reason is to get the greatest benefit from your deductions.
To qualify for these deductions you must meet two conditions, which most, if not all, home businesses meet.
Condition 1: Do you regularly work out of your home?
To qualify for deducting expenses related to using a workspace for business in your home:
- Your home must be your "principal place of business" or,
- You must use the space only to earn your business income.
Condition 2: Are you in business to make a profit?
Whether you made a profit or not is immaterial. Even if you lost money, but intended to make a profit, these deductions are still available to you.
If you answered yes to both of these questions then you do own a home-based business and as such you are qualified to deduct business assets, direct and indirect expenses.
Business Assets
Business assets include business equipment such as computer, fax machines, business furniture such as desk (your dining room table for instance), desk chair and filing cabinets. These are 100% deductible if they are used "exclusively" for business purposes.
If these assets are not used "exclusively” for business the amount you can deduct is proportionally related to how much these things are used in your business.
Direct Expenses
Direct expenses are those directly related to conducting your business. This would include office supplies, telephone service, cellular phones, ISP service, hosting, advertising, etc. Direct expenses are generally 100% deductible.
Indirect Expenses
Indirect expenses include such things as rent on your home, utilities including heating and air conditioning and general repairs such as replacing a roof or repainting the exterior of your home.
These are authorized legal deductions passed into law specifically for home-based businesses by congress.
If you use your home for business purposes, many of your personal expenses can legally be converted into deductible business expenses including utilities such as heat and electricity, cleaning materials, house insurance and property taxes.
Learn all you can about what you can deduct and you will consistently save thousands on your income tax each year.
"I'm proud to pay taxes in the United States; the only thing is, I could be just as proud for half the money." -Arthur Godfrey
©2004 By Karin Workman, a 30-year veteran Home-Based Business Owner who specializes in Income Tax Reduction and Preparation, and accounting for other Home-Based Business Owners.
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