Is it possible to claim home rental expenses for income tax in Sydney.?

Question

I work from home 3-4 days per week, I am currently looking to move and want to get a second room for work, can I claim on this? Even better, can I claim the deduction on a monthly basis when my salary is done as you can for a car?

Answer 1

It comes down to whether or not your home office is a place of business. See here:

http://www.ato.gov.au/businesses/content...

You generally can't claim a deduction for home office rent as an employee if you have a place of work available (e.g. at the employer's office). Working from home as a matter of convenience does not make your rent deductible. Your employer may agree to salary sacrifice this personal non-tax-deductible expense but it may not be tax effective or allowable anyhow.

I rent a house with an extra bedroom to work and study from home... but I know I can't claim the rent because I'm not carrying on a business from home. Your circumstances may be somewhat different so you should explain them to an accountant yourself to get the right answer.