Can an S Corp claim business use of home?

Asked by: Brain Russel Sr.  |  Last update: February 9, 2025
Score: 4.4/5 (66 votes)

Yes, there is a way to claim a home office deduction with an S Corp. Prior to the IRS making a recommendation to use the Accountable Plan and subsequent reimbursements to the employee (or shareholders), taxpayers would charge their corporation rent and declare the rent as income on Schedule E.

Who can deduct business use of home?

The home office deduction allows qualified taxpayers to deduct certain home expenses when they file taxes. To claim the home office deduction on their 2021 tax return, taxpayers generally must exclusively and regularly use part of their home or a separate structure on their property as their primary place of business.

Can I live in a house owned by my S Corp?

Having the S corp own your residence may sound like a great way to get free housing, but it's likely to attract attention from the IRS. Whether you are the only shareholder or one of many (up to the limit of 100 allowed) living in a house owned by the company is reasonably construed as income.

Can my S Corp pay my mortgage?

The direct answer to whether an S Corp can pay a shareholder's mortgage is no. Personal expenses, including mortgage payments, cannot be directly paid by the corporation without significant tax implications and potential violations of IRS regulations.

What expenses are reimbursed by S Corp?

The typical reimbursed expenses through an Accountable Plan are home office use including depreciation, mileage or business-use portion of automobile expenses, cell phone and internet. All these expenses have one thing in common- they are mixed used, both personally and business.

How to Deduct Home Office - S Corporation

25 related questions found

Can you deduct business use of home on S Corp?

Yes, there is a way to claim a home office deduction with an S Corp. Prior to the IRS making a recommendation to use the Accountable Plan and subsequent reimbursements to the employee (or shareholders), taxpayers would charge their corporation rent and declare the rent as income on Schedule E.

Can my S Corp pay for my cell phone?

You use the phone for business purposes 70% of the time and for personal reasons 30% of the time. You can use an accountable plan to reimburse yourself for 70% of the cost. This means getting $70 out of your company, tax-free, to pay for your phone bill each month. Your business can then write that off as an expense.

Can my S Corp pay my car payment?

To deduct the expenses of a vehicle that is owed personally by the business owner, the S-Corp can reimburse the employee expenses under an accountable plan or a non-accountable plan. The expenses are deductible under either methodology, but the rules are different.

Can I take money out of my S Corp for personal use?

If you want to take money out of your S Corp, you have three options: Take a distribution. Pay yourself a salary. Give yourself a loan.

What is the 60 40 rule for S Corp?

The 60/40 rule is a simple approach that helps S corporation owners determine a reasonable salary for themselves. Using this formula, they divide their business income into two parts, with 60% designated as salary and 40% paid as shareholder distributions.

Why not to put real property in S-Corp?

S-corps must make distributions at the end of each year to all of their shareholders who then must pay taxes on the distribution. Basically, S-corps are a bad option for real estate because when an asset is placed in an S-corp, it is stuck there and cannot be taken out without paying capital gains tax.

Can I pay my rent through my S-Corp?

The S corporation can pay you rent for the home office. The S corporation can pay you for the costs of a home office under an “accountable” plan for employee business expense reimbursement.

What two forms of income can an owner of an S-Corp take?

An S Corp owner has to receive what the IRS deems a “reasonable salary” — basically, a paycheck comparable to what other employers would pay for similar services. If there's additional profit in the business, you can take those as distributions, which come with a lower tax bill.

How much of my house can I claim for business?

Instead of calculating actual expenses, you can use a standard deduction based on the square footage of your home office. As of the last update in 2022, the rate is $5 per square foot, up to a maximum of 300 square feet. Calculating office space for taxes requires careful consideration and adherence to IRS guidelines.

Can I write off a portion of my rent if I work from home?

What is the home office deduction? Small-business owners and freelancers who regularly and exclusively use part of their home for work and business-related activities may be able to write off rent, utilities, real estate taxes, repairs, maintenance and other related expenses.

How much of my cell phone can I deduct for business?

What can I deduct for cell phone use? You can 30% of the data, messaging, and talk costs related to business. ¹ To deduct the expense, you would need to calculate the business-use percentage of the cell phone on a month-by-month basis.

Can you take business use of home on S Corp?

Business owners may qualify to claim the home office deduction if they have their own business and use a portion of their home as their principle place of business. The S corporation can pay you rent for the home office.

How can S Corp avoid paying taxes?

As a pass-through entity, one of the biggest tax advantages of the S corp business structure is that it avoids double-taxation, which means S corps don't have to pay taxes at the federal level the way C corps do. Instead, S corp profits are only taxed once, on the personal tax returns of individual shareholders.

What is it called when an owner takes money out of an S Corp?

S-Corp: Owners must take income through a salary. Since the corporation is a separate legal entity, owners can only take distributions, not owner's draws; distributions must be limited in scope and not in lieu of a regular salary. C Corp: Owners must take income through a salary.

Can I deduct mileage as an S Corp owner?

To write off your S Corp mileage, your company should reimburse you for the business use of your personal car. The vehicle is registered under your name and you pay all expenses such as gas, repairs, and insurance from your personal account.

Can S Corp owners pay their kids?

Remember, if you're an S Corp or C Corp owner, you will need to pay payroll taxes on your child wages, which significantly reduces any tax benefit. Some parents may be nervous to hire their child because they've heard of the Kiddie Tax, but this tax only applies to unearned income.

What happens if I don't pay myself as an S Corp?

And if the IRS and/or the courts find that your S corporation did not pay you reasonable compensation, you can experience a new surprise salary, payroll taxes, and penalties. This will make your bad year worse.

Can I transfer money from my S Corp to my personal account?

A shareholder distribution is a way to take funds out of your business without incurring payroll taxes. For a solely owned S Corporation, this is achieved by transferring funds from your business checking account to your personal bank account.

Can I deduct my home internet as a business expense?

Internet bills are one of the work from home tax deductions self-employed individuals can take. Utilities are considered a home business tax deduction.

Can an owner of an S Corp owner get reimbursed expenses?

An accountable plan allows S Corp owners to reimburse themselves from the business for business-use or mixed-use purchases made using personal funds.