The regular version of the deduction is a bit more complicated, as you must keep track of all your actual expenses. The burden of proof for taking this deduction is on the taxpayer, so if you're audited, you will have to back up your claim to the IRS. This home office needs to be only used for your business - as in, it can't be a guest room with a desk in it - and you must be able to prove that you need an office for your work. In the simplified version, you can take $5 per square foot of your home office up to 300 square feet, giving the method a $1,500 cap. There are two ways that eligible taxpayers can calculate the home-office deduction. For example, if you left a 9-to-5 job, started your own business in 2021 and use your home as your primary office space, you may be able to claim the deduction for part of the year, according to Wilson. It's also possible to take only part of the deduction. You don't have to be a homeowner to claim the deduction - apartments are eligible, as are mobile homes, boats or other similar properties, according to the IRS. This includes a place where you greet clients or customers, conduct your business, store inventory, rent out or use as a daycare facility. To claim the home-office deduction in 2021, taxpayers must exclusively and regularly use part of their home or a separate structure on their property as their primary place of business. More from Invest in You: Half of Americans with retirement accounts have taken an early withdrawal 9 money moves to make before becoming your own boss How to score a charitable giving write-off if you don't itemize deductions The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, however, banned such workers from taking the deduction from 2018 to 2025. There may be some confusion, as the home-office deduction was previously allowed for employees. 'Employees who receive a paycheck or a W-2 exclusively from an employer are not eligible for the deduction, even if they are currently working from home,' the IRS said in a September 2020 reminder on the home-office deduction.

The tax break is generally only for those who are self-employed, gig workers or independent contractors, not those who are employed by a company that gives them a W-2 come tax season. There are some parameters when it comes to who is eligible for the home-office deduction, even though millions of Americans worked from home this year due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. 'Knowing that you're not a 9-to-5 anymore, you can now take advantage of the home-office deduction,' said Sheneya Wilson, CPA and founder of Fola Financial in New York, adding that it's one of the biggest deductions that people who work out of their homes can take.

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