Should I enter expenses for home office as if I owned the home all year or just for the time that I owned the home (will turbotax think the taxes and insurance are for 12 months or will it know that these are the actual amounts I paid during the 5 months

[TDHBMONRO]

I just bought a home and started my home office in it on July 30,2020.  Since I lived there for 5 months, I presume TT will prorate the expenses that I tell it but I am telling it the actual expenses (property taxes, insurance, utilities, etc) for just the time that I have owned the home and used this home office.  Can you confirm that TT will use the totals I give it and not take 5/12 of them thinking that these are annual expenses for a home I already owned and just put the office in service on July 20,2020.

I will need this information for deducting my home office in my previous residence that I used for 7 months but still own the home -- should I do the prorating of the annualized expenses before entering numbers into TT?  Just wondering why it needs to know how many months -- does it automatically prorate the amounts given???

[ColeenD3]

You will need to do two forms, one for each house with different square footage, etc. Indicate the length of time you had each home office. The program will then allocate correctly.

[ljmolina]

I have the same problem. But I rent my house from 01/01/20.  My home office started on 08/01/20, however the  turbotax step-by-step guide is asking me for the whole home expenses (rent, insurance, etc.) and I am worried if I just have to enter the whole home expenses amounts from 08/01/20 to 12/31/20 or all the 12 months and let the turbotax do the math.