I offer classes as a self-employed instructor. Up until 2020, I always rented studio space for teaching, but claimed a home office deduction for a room in my home where I do all other work related to my business — promotion, record-keeping, communications, etc.
During 2020, and even more so in 2021, I started offering classes over Zoom from a second space in my home. That space has been exclusively dedicated to my teaching (I no longer use it for personal use). I want to add the square footage for the second space to the area I was already claiming for my office space. Using the second space for my business activity, and exclusively so, makes it seem like a legitimate part of my home office space, but I'm unsure about the rule regarding "meeting with clients" because I'm not meeting them in person, and I've read that this is a crucial factor. I read that Zoom meetings with clients don't count.
How can I verify whether my use of this additional space for teaching online classes qualifies it as a legitimate addition to my home office space? (I want to emphasize that I am not employed by a school or other institution as a teacher. This is strictly self-employment work.)
