After TaxTax Playbook

Tax Playbook · Business owners

The home-office deduction, simplified

If you are self-employed, you can deduct part of your home as an office. The easy way: $5 per square foot, up to 300 square feet — a 100-square-foot office is a $500 deduction, and the max is $1,500. The room must be used only for business, on a regular basis. W-2 employees cannot take this deduction, even when working from home.

Good for: Self-employed people with a home office.

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Educational summary, not tax advice. Limits and rules change — confirm current law with your tax adviser.