Business Deductions

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Home Office Deduction - Direct and Indirect Expenses


There two classifications of expenses involved in computing the home office deduction:
  • Direct Expenses
  • Indirect Expenses

Direct Expenses

Direct expenses directly affect that part of your residence used for your home office and no other part of the residence. No allocation computation is applied to direct expenses; they are 100% deductible.

Examples of Direct Expenses:
  • Painting and decorating the office space.
  • Maintenance and repairs of the office space.
  • Hiring or furnishing maid service to maintain the office space.

Indirect Expenses

Indirect home office expenses are expenses that apply to the entire home and must be allocated to the portion of your home used for your business based on an allocation percentage. This is typically based on the square footage of the office divided by the square footage of the entire residence.

For example, if your residence is 2,000 S.F. and your home office uses 10% of the total square feet of your, you would allocate 10% of the indirect expenses to your home office deduction.

Examples of Indirect Expenses:
  • Depreciation of the depreciable basis of your home (if you're a homeowner )
  • Electric
  • Gas
  • Homeowner's association fees
  • Homeowner's insurance
  • Mortgage interest
  • Property taxes
  • Rent (if you rent your residence)
  • Repairs and maintenance of the exterior structure of your residence (if you're a homeowner)
  • Security expenses, such as fees for an alarm system.
  • Telephone (if you use a land line, don't include the standard monthly charge.
  • Water

Avoid costly penalties!

Use the IRS Online Tax Calendar
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