Since the epidemic, it has changed a radically diminishing dimension of our vision of the “office”. The Pew Research Center estimates that 14 % of all employees are more than 18 years old, or nearly 22 million people It currently works from the house All the time.
However, if you are a worker away from offering your taxes, you may still be able to demand the discount of the home office. The Ministry of Interior’s opponent allows qualified taxpayers to reduce their tax commitment by removing their work area as legal work expenditures. In most cases, the home office discount only applies to the contractors working for their own and independent account, and not those who suffer from traditional contracts classified as remote employees.
This story is part of Tax 2025CNET coverage for the best tax programs, tax advice and everything you need to provide your return and track your money recovery.
All this depends on how to classify your job by the Tax Authority and if your office is used only for business. Reading to learn more about how the home office discount works in 2025.
Who qualifies to deduct the Ministry of Interior?
Although Telework has become widespread for traditional W-2 employees, the home office discount applies specifically to people who work for their own account or independent contractors who use a business area for business on a regular and/or exclusive basis. This means that you may be eligible if you work for yourself or have a small company and allocate a portion of your home as a main work space.
Are W2 employees work full time of qualified home?
If you are an employee of W-2 he was appointed for a while to complete the continuous work on the company’s salaries, then you may not be able to claim the home office discount.* So even if your boss gives you the green light to deal with enlargement meetings in the guest room or the kitchen, then The only real benefit you get is that you can work in pajamas.
However, there are some warnings. For example, if you are using your home office as a space for commercial work for independent side bustle – that is, within hours outside your regular job – you may be able to benefit from the opponent, according to Lisa Green, CPA and expert in Turbotax.
In this case, you can demand a portion of expenses such as the benefit of mortgage, real estate taxes, rent and facilities based on the percentage of the house used in the hustle and bustle of your side.
It is not easy to estimate the exact expenses of allocated side work. If you are trying to balance your W-2 income on the free job, it is intelligent to consult a tax specialist.
*Note that this applies to employees from home under the 2017 tax discounts and jobs law, which is in place until 2025. Watch the possible changes in the future.
What kind of space eligible for the home office deduction?
To claim a opponent, your home office must be dedicated to the work you do to earn a living, not just an accidental or accidental work.
“The space should be a dedicated space as it does commercial business,” said Green Lewis. “You cannot be in the same area where you and your family consume dinner and your children do a homework.”
According to the Tax Authority, it does not meet the requirements if the area is used both of them Commercial and personal purposes. To qualify, your home office should be used “exclusively and regularly as a major place for your work” or somewhere “you meet or deal with patients, customers or clients in the context of trade or your normal work.”
This applies regardless of whether you live in a house, apartment or apartment, or if you rent or own. The space should not be inside your home either. For example, if you are a musician, he prepared a studio in the garage, you may be able to take advantage of the home office discount.
There are some exceptions to the “exclusive use” guidelines, including storing inventory or using your home as a daytime care facility. If you are wondering if your work space meets the standards, then the Tax Authority has Useful page With examples of qualified arrangements.
What should you do to demand the discount of the Ministry of Interior?
The Tax Authority may want to verify that you are actually qualified to deduct the Ministry of Interior. Plan to keep copies of all your expenses (such as buying a new office and chair, for example) and any records that show the office space exclusively for commercial use.
“It is important for taxpayers to maintain good records and ensure policy analysis at the Tax Corporation,” said Garrett Watson, Director of the Tax Authority in Correspondence, or if the taxpayer has ended in the account.
Show your home office is the real deal, you can use the Tax Authority.Simplified methodOr the regular method of your account. The simplified method depends on a specific amount, allowing you to claim $ 5 for the square foot until a total of 300 square feet, without the need to deduct specific expenses for the commercial use of your home.
You may want to look at the most difficult way to calculate expenses, whose fruits can get a greater discount. For example, if you are running a licensed center for daytime care from your home, you will need to determine the amount of space used at work and the company’s operating time.
What are the tax department discounts or other work expenses that I can claim as a remote factor?
If you work remotely as a W-2 employee, there are not many options for detailing the discounts for work expenses.
If you work for your own account and work from home, your potential discounts list is very long. Anything you spend on the money to provide your business (a new computer, a new program to manage your bills, can be ink cartridges for your printer and more) than work expenses that will reduce your tax bill.
Can I compensate for work expenses from the employer?
Compensation for work expenditures depends on those who work for him, where you live and the arrangement you enjoy with the employer. If your company has implemented the state of Odeh to the office, you require you to be in the office for several days a week, so do not expect a payment.
However, some sites should be legally assisted by employees who cover business costs at home. According to Paycor, 11 states (along with Washington, DC, and Sayattle) have laws that require payment of part of certain expenses, such as internet and cell phone service.
Read more: The best tax program 2025: 7 services that can help you provide your taxes properly
What should I know about taxes this year?
Regardless of the tax category in which it is located, there is one date you need for the department on your calendar: Tuesday, April 15, the deadline for taxes 2025.
If you are worried about having your square models completely by that time, you can request an extension for six months. Just be sure to pay the estimated tax bill before that. Otherwise, you will finish paying a late penalty kick.
Taxes are not easy to move. The more complicated your personal status, the more likely to benefit from finding expert help. From contracting with a tax specialist for your return to benefit from assistance from programs such as Turbotax and other well -known tax preparation services, you can benefit from understanding the nuances of discounts.