Realm Accountants

💻Claiming Home Office Expenses from SARS – What You Need to Know

With remote work becoming the new norm, many South Africans are wondering:

"Can I claim my home office expenses from SARS?"

The answer is yes — but only if you meet certain requirements. Here’s a quick breakdown to help you understand who qualifies and how it works.

Who Can Claim?

SARS allows salaried individuals (not just self-employed people) to claim home office expenses—but only if:

✅ You work from home regularly (not just occasionally).
✅ You have a dedicated space used exclusively for work (not your couch or kitchen table).
✅ You spend more than 50% of your working hours in that space.
✅ Your employer has allowed or required you to work from home.

Note: This applies mainly to people who earn more than 50% of their income from commission, or have no office provided by the employer.

What Can You Claim?

If you qualify, here are some of the deductible expenses:

✅ Part of your rent or bond interest
✅ Electricity & water
✅ Cleaning costs
✅ Office equipment depreciation (like your desk, printer, or chair)

🔍 SARS uses a pro-rata calculation based on your home office space. For example, if your office is 10% of your home’s total square meters, then you can only claim 10% of those expenses.

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