Can I deduct office space if work from home??

Question

I am an employee is my employer is 50 miles away from home in California. I work from home at least 3 days a week and have to commute 2-3 days a week to work, 50 miles each way.

What tax deductions available to me?
Can I deduct home-office, if so how much?
Can I deduct gas/car/milage, if so how much?

Please note, I am not self-employed but a regular employee.

Thanks for any feedback.

Bingoman

What about utilities? Can I deduct internet, heat/electicity as part of the expense of working from home (I am an employee)?

I checked IRS FORM 2106 but it has no mention of home office deductions?

Which line?

Answer 1

You more than likely do not meet the requirements some of them are as follows:

To deduct business–use–of–the–home expenses, part of your home must be used regularly and exclusively as one of the following:

Regularly and exclusively as the principal place of business for your trade or business;
Regularly and exclusively as the place where you meet and deal with your patients, clients, or customers in the normal course of your trade or business; or
In connection with your trade or business, if you use a separate structure that is not attached to your home.

additional criteria are at the link below:
Topic 509 - Business Use of Home
http://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc509.html

Also you can not deduct the gas/car/mileage unless you are in some sort of sales position and are not reimbursed.

Being self-employeed would change things.

Answer 2

2

Answer 3

Being an employee and taking home office is done on form 2106..Business use of home...you also are required to dedicate your office space at home as solely for work only...like a home office. You determine the percentage by taking full square footage of the home divided by the square footage of the room. That will give you the % of deduction you can take. The form 2106 will let you allocate your mortgage interest, real estate taxes, utilites and so forth.
As far as the mileage or gas deduction to your employer is not deductible because it is called commuting and commuting is not deductable. The only way you can get a mileage or gas deduction is you go from one office to another, unless your employer pays mileage to you for this. If you have any particular questions or need more help feel free to contact me.

Answer 4

You can deduct expenses for a home office if it is for your "employer's convenience", not your convenience.

Commuting back and forth to work is never deductable. Some people just have a longer commute than others.

Home office areas are only deductable if the area of the home is use "Regularly" and "Exclusively". Most people flunk the exclusive rule thereby disallowing the entire deduction.

Answer 5

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Answer 6

yes you can