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Freelancer questions - Personal / business home office expense and wear & tear on a PC

Posted 5 August 2013

I am a freelancer & am registered as a provisional tax payer.

With regards to sharing rental costs, seeing that one of my rooms in my flat is used for my office, can I add detergents, coffee & tea to my list of expenses? If I had an office, these would come off as office expenses I'm sure. So seeing that I use the communal area of my house, i.e. toilet & kitchen, should the running expenses not be added to the amount I split between personal/business use?

With regards to claiming for wear & tear, can I claim wear & tear on a personal pc that I bought in 2009, which I am currently using as my work pc? I've checked your wear & tear calculator & if I enter the amounts & year, it gives me an amount but also says (3yr write-off). Does this mean that after 3 years I cannot claim wear & tear, or simply that I can replace the item?

TaxTim TaxTim says:
7 August 2013 at 18:20

To answer the questions one by one:

1. You can only claim rental expense as Home office expenses provided you have a separate demarcated office space which is a) clearly distinguishable from the rest of the house and b) not used for any other purposes. Yes consumable costs can be added, but not for the area of the bathroom. Click the link above to find out more.

2. You would be able to write off the laptop in one year provided the cost is less than R7000. If not then you would write off the cost over 3 years evenly. After 3 years you have no more allowance to claim as a wear and tear deduction unless you buy a new laptop again.

Sadiq says:
14 August 2013 at 22:54

Thank you.

You have a wonderful website!

Saadiq

TaxTim TaxTim says:
16 August 2013 at 18:17

Thanks very much! Glad we could assist!

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