Block · one region of the page, as the scanner read it. It may hold a whole story, part of one, several, or an advertisement; stitching blocks into articles is the next step. Text is supplied OCR.
Page 10 · column 4 of 6 · from the scan, no model involved
By Q. EARL YANCEY
Rappahannock News Contributing Writer
If you use your home for business or bring work home from the office, are you entitled to a tax deduction for “home office” expenses? The tax law is quite explicit about what home office expenses are deductible and who can deduct them.
Expenses are deductible only if you use a portion of your home exclusively and regularly as:
(1) Your principal place of business for a given trade or business that you conduct, or
(2) Your place of business where you meet or deal with customers, clients, or patients in the operation of your business. (Telephone contact is not enough to qualify.)
The law interprets “exclusively” in a very strict sense. You must use the business portion of your home only for business; any personal use of that portion of the home will disqualify any home office deduction. For example, a “home office” cannot double as a guest bedroom or a sewing room. Carrying on investment activities at home will not entitle you to a home office deduction unless you are considered a “trader” in investments.
Two exceptions to the exclusive use rule should be mentioned. One exception is for those who provide licensed day care in their homes. The other allows a deduction for expenses connected with inventory
96.5%