Home based business

[golam-kibrya]

What is the difference between business office and home office? I have a business which I conduct from my principal home. If I want to deduct some of the expenses for the home (e.g. utility, maintenance, etc.) where do I enter them. How do they get deducted from the business income?

[IreneS]

In your case your business office is the same as your home office since you do not have another office offsite.

To enter the expenses for a home office for your business, please follow these steps:

Go back into your Schedule C business information:

1. Click on the Business tab > Continue > I'll choose what to work on
2. On the Let’s gather your business info screen, in the Business Income and Expenses section, click the Start/Update button.  [See Screenshot #1, below.)
3. If you have already started adding information about your business, you will see the Here's the business info we have so far screen.  Click on the Edit box next to the business.  [Screenshot #2.)
4. If you haven't already started adding business information, continue through the screens to enter the needed information.
5. You will now be on the Your [XX] Business screen.  

Enter the home office information:

1. Scroll down to the Business Expenses section and click on the Start/Update box next to Home Office Expense. [Screenshot #3]
2. If you haven't yet started entering information on your home office, you will see the screen, Do you have a home office?  Mark the Yes radio button and click Continue.
3. Continue through the screens, entering the requested information.
4. If you have entered some information on a home office, you will see the Home office summary.  Click on Edit next to the home office.  Continue through the screens, entering the requested information.  If you had more than one home office during the year (for example because you moved), click on the Add a Home Office link to enter this information.  [Screenshot #4]