My wife is self employed cleaning houses. If she has an office in our home is her mileage deductible to her clients? Don't know if office in home makes a difference.

[Silver-Dollar]

Mileage question was answered without me referencing office in home.  That answer was that the mileage was not deductible.  When she was a sales rep we had an office in the home and her mileage was deductible to clients but not the return trip.  Not sure if having the office makes a difference or not.

[Coleen3 · Accepted solution]

Yes, having a home office does make a difference. However, as a sales rep, it would make sense to have a home office. The IRS might have trouble understanding why someone who cleans houses might have need of one.

If you're self-employed, your deductible miles depend on where your self-employed business is located. If you maintain an office at home, all your miles are typically deductible from your "office" to any place business related.

If you operate your business from somewhere other than your home, you can't deduct the miles you drive from home to that location. They are commuting miles and therefore, not deductible. Of course, you can deduct driving costs from your business location to the bank, a client's office, etc.

Do you qualify for the home office deduction?

Whether you're self-employed or an employee, one requirement for the home office deduction is that you use a part of your home as your principal place of business.

This doesn't necessarily mean that the majority of your business activities need to take place in your home office.

What it means is that you use your home office regularly and exclusively to administer or manage your business, and that substantial administration or management activities for your business are not conducted at any other fixed location.

[Silver-Dollar]

We have a computer, multi-function printer and phone in an office at the house.  She uses them to create and email or fax invoices to those that require them.  It is the same space that she used for an office when she was a sales rep working from home.  She took office in home deductions for 4 yrs while working for the food distributor.  The area and computer are used for taxes and there is a safe to store important papers and tax records.  The computer is also used for stock trading on a daily basis.  Don’t know if that would disqualify it as an office for the cleaning business.
What do you think?

[Coleen3]

First, the office has to be for exclusive and regular business use. If there is any personal use, it is not allowed. The only thing that would be business use is creating invoices. The storage of personal income tax forms and important papers does not go to business use. The stock trading does not go to business use.