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Home office expenses report

General RuleWhere a self-employed taxpayer uses his or her home partly to further the conduct of a business, he or she is entitled to a partial deduction for the outgoings which relate to the use of the home for the work related

activities. These include:

• Heating

• Lighting

• Rates

• Insurance

• Mortgage interest/rent

• House and contents insurance

• Repairs and maintenance

• Telephone rental

The portion of outgoings deductible is based on the area used for the business, expressed as a percentage

of the total area of the home:

Area used for business purposes

Total area of home

It is not absolutely necessary to set aside a specific room for business purposes, nor is it necessary for your home to be physically changed to suit the business.

However in cases where a separate room is not set aside, it may be appropriate to apportion the outgoings based on criteria such as the amount of time spent on income-earning activities as home as well as the area used. Examples of areas likely to be used for business purposes include:

• An office or office area

• A storeroom or storage area

• A workshop

• A garage or part of a garage which is used to house a business vehicle

Last reviewed: 20 March 2018

A new option is available for sole traders which applies from the start of the 2017/18 income year. The “square metre rate method” involves two steps:

• First, the area of the building used primarily for business purposes must be identified. That areais then multiplied by the Inland Revenue rate, which excludes mortgage interest, rates or rent.

• A second deduction applies for mortgage, rates or rent. These costs are calculated in proportionto the fraction of the premises that is separately identifiable and used primarily for businesspurposes.

Inland Revenue has not yet issued the rate that will apply for this method.

Our RecommendationDo the maths, and think laterally. Most people who are self-employed find it is impossible to completely separate business life from home life. Keep written workings of your calculations, and be sure to keep records of your outgoings in a safe place.