Does the total sq footage for calculating home office deductions only include heated areas? Or would unheated areas, eg-basement, enclosed

Forum|Forum|5 years ago
March 16, 2021
1 reply
4 views

Also, I am in an apartment, but I don't think that matters.

TurboTax Online

Best answer by ToddL99

Use the "habitable" square footage for your total square footage, i.e. those areas of the home that you are able to live and work in.

Areas that cannot be used for "living and working" are not relevant to determining the pro-rata costs of a home office. These would include areas that are not heated or air conditioned, or lack electricity and water.

LenaH

Employee Tax Expert

No, the home office deduction does not only include heated areas.

If you're self-employed, housing-related expenses such as rent, utilities, and repairs for the portion of your home or rental that you use to run your business are allowable expenses under the home office deduction.

You may be able to claim the home office deduction if your office is:

Used regularly and exclusively for your business, and
Is your principal place of business (both conditions must apply).

When you enter your home office information in TurboTax, you will be prompted to answer questions to determine if you can claim the deduction and how much the deduction is worth. You’ll need information like the square footage of your residence and the rooms you worked in.

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J888Author

Level 2

Hi there,

I'm sorry if my question wasn't clear--I'm asking what portions of my apartment do I include in the calculation of the total square footage when I am calculating a home office deduction--eg. do I include the square footage of the unheated basement, unheated enclosed porch, open porch? thank you