Like many people around the world, employed South Africans have spent a lot of time working from home. With the SARS tax season about to open, if this is you, there may be potential deductions you could claim when filing your personal return. This is according to financial planner, Lana Visser from Fiscal Private Client Services.
Visser explains, “There are a number of factors that determine whether you can claim a tax deduction for working from home. Let us start with the legalities. There are three sections of the Income Tax Act which deal with deductions of home office expenses1, each has its own requirement, but it is important to note that all three sections must be met in order to qualify for a deduction.”
Do I qualify?
If you are a full-time salaried employee and have been working from home for more than six months of the tax year (01 March 2020 to 28 February 2021), you may qualify. Employees who mainly earn commission, or work as an independent contractor may also qualify to claim home office expenses. “Note that ‘mainly’ refers to more than fifty percent of your overall income from employment,” says Visser.
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