The home office deduction Form 8829 is available to both homeowners and renters. There are certain expenses taxpayers can deduct. They include mortgage interest, insurance, utilities, repairs, maintenance, depreciation and rent.
Property Taxes
As a homeowner, you'll face property taxes at a state and local level. You can deduct up to $10,000 of property taxes as a married couple filing jointly – or $5,000 if you are single or married filing separately.
Instead of keeping records of all of your expenses, you can deduct $5 per square foot of your home office, up to 300 square feet, for a maximum deduction of $1,500. As long as your home office qualifies, you can take this tax break without having to keep records of the specific expenses.
Since an Internet connection is technically a necessity if you work at home, you can deduct some or even all of the expense when it comes time for taxes. You'll enter the deductible expense as part of your home office expenses. Your Internet expenses are only deductible if you use them specifically for work purposes.
Home Office Deduction Simplified Method
With the simplified method, a self-employed worker can deduct $5 per square foot of home used for business. If the home office is 200 square feet, for example, the deduction would be $1,000. The maximum is 300 square feet, with a $1,500 deduction.
Simplified square footage method
This new method uses a prescribed rate multiplied by the allowable square footage used in the home. For 2021, the prescribed rate is $5 per square foot with a maximum of 300 square feet. If the office measures 150 square feet, for example, then the deduction would be $750 (150 x $5).
If your home office is used exclusively and regularly for business purposes, you may be able to deduct a portion of your home-related expenses, such as mortgage interest, property taxes, homeowners insurance and some utilities.
While cable use in general is rarely deductible, you might be able to deduct certain specific channels or programming packages from your bill … provided you can show them to be directly and solely tied to your business.
Can you write off your car payment as a business expense? Typically, no. If you finance a car or buy one, you are not eligible to deduct your monthly expenses on your federal taxes. This rule applies if you're a sole proprietor and use your car for business and personal reasons.
How much can you write off for a vehicle purchase? If the vehicle is for personal use, you could write off car sales and property tax up to the federal or state maximum. The federal maximum allows you to deduct up to $10,000 total in sales, income and property tax deductions ($5,000 total if married filing separately).