Description:
Hey everyone, gearing up for tax season and wondering what home office expenses people are actually claiming when working remotely full-time. My accountant is a bit vague. Can I claim a portion of my internet? What about that fancy ergonomic mouse? Spil the beans! 🧾
9 Answers
If you’re self-employed and have a qualifying home office you can deduct the business-use portion of internet, utilities, and office gear, but rules demand clear documentation and either the simplified or actual-expense method. For W-2 employees, federal tax law mostly disallows unreimbursed employee expense deductions since 2018, so check state rules or ask your employer about reimbursements. If you’re self-employed, allocate internet by percent of business use (time or bandwidth), and treat an ergonomic mouse as equipment—expensed if cheap, depreciated or Section 179-eligible if costly; keep invoices. Can you claim “fancy” items? Yes, if ordinary and necessary for the job and primarily used for business. Practical steps: measure space, log usage, keep receipts, ask your accountant about capitalization thresholds. Oddly enough, documentation wins. A little clunky, but worth it.
Be careful with home insurance — many standard policies aren't designed to cover home-based business activities, and that includes not just full-on businesses but even remote work as a regular employee. If you're working from home (WFH), your insurer might expect you to declare it, especially if you're using specialized equipment, hosting clients, or storing inventory. Some policies explicitly exclude business-related claims unless you've updated your coverage 🤕
Short answer: yes - but only if you meet the home-office rules and keep it reasonable. For US filers the space must be used regularly and exclusively as your principal place of business; employees generally can’t deduct unreimbursed WFH expenses post-2017. Internet can be deducted pro rata for the business-share of use. An ergonomic mouse or keyboard is usually deductible as an ordinary and necessary business expense (or under a de minimis/Section 179 rule) if primarily for work. Things that’re a stretch: claiming your whole rent, commuting, groceries, or shared family spaces. Use either the simplified $5/sqft method or actual expenses, document everything, justify allocations, and ask your accountant about self-employed vs employee rules. Paper trail. Always.
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