If you work from home, your desk setup might be partially or fully tax-deductible. But the rules are specific, and most people either miss deductions they qualify for or claim ones they don't.

Let's clear it up.

Who qualifies:

• Self-employed / freelancers: Yes. You can deduct home office expenses using the simplified method ($5/sq ft, up to 300 sq ft) or the regular method (actual expenses, proportional to office space).
• W-2 remote employees: Generally no, at the federal level. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act eliminated the home office deduction for employees through 2025. Some states still allow it. Check your state.
• 1099 contractors: Yes, same rules as self-employed.

What you can deduct (if you qualify):

• Office furniture: Desks, chairs, monitor stands. Deduct the full cost in the year of purchase (Section 179) or depreciate over 7 years.
• Equipment: Monitors, keyboards, webcams, headsets. Same rules as furniture.
• Internet: The percentage used for business. If you use your internet 60% for work, deduct 60%.
• Office supplies: Printer paper, ink, cable organizers, desk accessories.
• Rent/mortgage interest: Proportional to your office square footage vs. total home.

The key requirement: Your home office must be used "regularly and exclusively" for business. A desk in the corner of your bedroom counts. A laptop on the couch does not.

We put together a complete guide with deduction calculators, state-by-state rules, and the records you need to keep.

Read the Tax Deduction Guide

Note: We're not tax advisors. This is general information, not tax advice. Consult a CPA for your specific situation.

Tomorrow: the science-backed desk setup for deep work (our final email in this series).

Talk soon,
The DeskDeploy Team

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