CAN YOU HAVE A TELEVISION IN YOUR OFFICE AT HOME?

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Request for Question Clarification by mvguy-ga on 03 Sep 2003 09:19 PDT

Why do you think it's possible you can't?

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Clarification of Question by clownkathy-ga on 03 Sep 2003 11:09 PDT

I have been told by several people that you could not have a
television in you home office.

clownkathy..

Thanks for your question. The home office deduction is one of the most
misinterpreted tax breaks there is in that everyone has an idea of
what can be considered a home office.

There have been some changes to the home office deduction.

"The three most common ways small businesses can qualify for the
break:

The home office is your principal place of business, and you use the
office space regularly and exclusively for business.

The home office is not your principal place of business, but you use
it to meet regularly with clients (again, you have to use the space
exclusively for that purpose).

The home office is not your principal place of business, but it is in
a structure separate from your home that you use regularly and
exclusively for your work. One common example cited is a florist who
grows plants in a greenhouse or converted garage space on his
property."

Home office deductions open to more workers
http://www.bcentral.com/articles/anthony/124.asp

There are other qualifications that can be found in IRS Publication
587 "Business Use of Your Home".  You can download the PDF version of
this Publication at http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p587.pdf

The deductions you can make are fairly complicated, so I would
recommend that you speak with your financial advisor or accountant
regarding the amount you can deduct.

As for having a television in your home office, that is a bit tricky. 
An example where you may be able to continue to make the deduction is
if you are an independent stock trader and the television is used to
monitor business news.  If there is a business use for the television,
it shouldn't effect your deduction.  Again, being that each individual
case is different based upon the use of the office space, consult an
accountant or tax attorney.

Thanks for your question.  If you need any additional clarification,
please let me know.

Regards,

-THV

Search Strategy:
tax rules home office

References:

Tax rules eased for home-office sales 
http://www.bcentral.com/articles/anthony/124.asp

Home office deductions open to more workers
http://www.bcentral.com/articles/anthony/123.asp

Yes, of course you can.

Did you mean to say "should you?"

I work out of my home and my television set is 15 feet from me.  I
'never' turn it on.  If I do, I find myself watching TV all day
instead of working.  Depends what your goals are and how disiplined
you are, I suppose.

The asker could be referring to IRS tax regulations.  Perhaps the
concern is whether or not you can deduct the cost of a home office if
there is a non business related use for the room also.

Yes, that is what I am asking.If the room I am using as my office is
also my den, can I use this room as my office and still use it as a
tax deduction?

In order to take a tax deduction for a home office, the deducted area
of your home has to be used 'exclusively' and 'regularly' for your
home-based business.

If you can justify that your den and TV is used 'exclusively' to
conduct your business, then the answer is yes.

Its probably not, but practically speaking, here's the reality.  In
order for you to get into 'hot water' you'll need to be audited. 
Otherwise, the IRS has no way of knowing if there is a TV in your den
or whether your den is used exclusively for your business. 
Alternatively, you can just move the TV (any any other
furnishings/articles that might indicate the the room is used for
something other than business) out of the room if you get visited by
the IRS.  Chances are very slim anything will go wrong, but the
decision will depend on your conscience.  Some people sleep better at
night knowing they've complied to the letter of the law.

While the IRS does do random audits (1% or so, I think), they've got
bigger fish to fry than you.  I wouldn't worry about it.

Please note that I am not a tax accountant or lawyer.  The views
expressed here are my personal opinions and should not be considered
professional tax advice.

This article may be of interest:
http://www.quicken.com/cms/viewers/article/taxes/54902

Search results:
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=%22home+office%22+deduction+exclusively+regularly

Hope this informations helps.