Should I claim a home office deduction if I freelance with 15% space?

[Robert65]

I’m trying to figure out if I can claim my home office deduction this year since I started freelancing full-time. My dedicated workspace is about 15% of my home’s square footage, but I’m not sure if meeting clients there occasionally instead of always working alone affects the regular use test.

[EmmaD]

I did this last year. If your dedicated room is 15% of the house and you use it exclusively for business, you can claim it under the regular method. Occasional client meetings there don’t automatically break the deduction as long as you’re not using the room for personal stuff during the same time. It’s the home office deduction.

[Ella.M]

I went with the simplified method for ease. It’s basically a fixed amount per square foot up to a cap, so your 15% would still be in play as long as the room fits the cap. It saved me from chasing receipts.

[Kyle93]

I tried to keep receipts, utility bills, everything, but I got overwhelmed and stopped tracking some of it. Then I switched to the simple route and forgot about a lot of fine details.

[EleanorC]

Maybe the real problem isn’t the space at all—are you sure the bigger issue is steady freelance work and income, not just how you claim deductions?