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Tax Benefits for a Home Business

There are many different tax benefits for a home business. In fact, when you earn income working out of your home, you suddenly can view most expenditures as potentially deductible on your tax form. Even expenses which are part personal and part business can be separated and the business portion deducted.

The Home Office

Having a home office creates many opportunities for taking ordinary living expenses and using them to reduce the taxes you would owe otherwise. For example, one of the best tax benefits for a home business is the home office tax deduction. If you earn income working out of one of the rooms in your house, you can take several deductions related to that room based on a square footage calculation.

  • Mortgage
  • Interest
  • Real estate taxes
  • Electric and water
  • Office expenses
  • Telephone
  • Insurance
In order to get these tax benefits, you have to be able to prove to the CCRA that you are earning the income you have reported through regular use of the room. You can't claim a deduction for a home office anymore just because you are self-employed. But if you have a proven home business, then suddenly you can deduct a portion of your normal living expenses as a business tax deduction.

Outside the Home

Of course, there are other tax benefits than those just tied to the office itself. With a home business you can deduct many other expenses which will lower your taxes. These expenses include travel, meals with clients, product inventory costs and auto expenses to name a few.

In addition, you can get many tax benefits from a home business through self employed retirement plans. You government wants to encourage everyone to plan for retirement and as a result created the RRSP.

The RRSP has its own allowable contribution amount and a specific timeframe when the contribution must be made. This is where the services of a financial advisor can be invaluable. An advisor understands the rules attached to the plans, but even more importantly, can anticipate future tax impact based on your retirement plan choice.

When you work out of your home, there are many tax benefits for a home business. You virtually turn a portion of your ordinary living expenses into deductible business expenses in addition to taking other expense deductions. You have the advantage of pursuing your personal work goals while also preparing for retirement and minimizing taxes owed.

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