Carl
Level 15

Deductions & credits

I just want to throw this out there, as far as the two basic requirements to qualify claiming a home office.

Home office (Also my room)

The two requirements (very basic) are

1) Regular and exclusive use

2) Your principle place of business

Your "also my room" indicates that you use the room or space for other things too. Therefore that would not be regular and *exclusive* use by/for the business.  Here's where wording is important.

- Percentage of time this room is used for business --- Must be 100% (one hundred percent). You may only be in that room 1 hour a week, or 80 hours a week. But every time you use that room its 100% business use. Period. Not used for anything else. E.e.; the kids playroom, kids to their homework in there, you take care of persoanl matters and/or personal finances in there, etc. etc. etc.

- Percentage of business conducted in the room ---- May be anywhere from 100% to anything less than that. For example, if you are a hairdresser and have a room in your house set up as a hair salon, then you conduct 100% of your business in that home office. No question about it. But if you're like me (A computer tech) must of my "work" is done on site at the client location or where ever they computers are that I need to work on. From my home office I do all book keeping, product ordering, invoicing, bill paying, and all that other stuff related to managing a business.

So depending on how much business I have in a given year, anywhere from 40% to 60% of my business is physically conducted in the home office. But when I'm in that office, it's "ONLY" for business and that makes the HO 100% business use.