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Part of the necessary planning in order to work at home is to budget for expenses of operating the business. Common business expense categories are listed below.

When you work at home, your typical expenses can be much different than if you work outside of the home. There are costs that will be less overall when you work from your house, but there are also some costs that may be higher, depending upon the type of work that you do. You must determine if the benefits accrued from a home-based work site outweigh the additional costs and expenses associated with the location. In many instances, the benefits for working from your home are both experiential and financial. Here are a few of the typical expenses that are affected by working from your home.

Communications

When you arrange to work at home, it is important that your communications systems be state of the art. Communication means in this type of work environment can be in person, by telephone, through internet and email as well as through fax and other imaging methods. Probably the most critical area is that of maintaining internet and email communication, especially if this is how you send and receive order from customers and suppliers. Be certain that the internet provider that you use can maintain service through the continuous 24/7 that you will need. If your service provider shuts down on the weekend and you can't get an emergency repair call through to a technician, this can cost significant loss of sales.

Tax benefits

No matter what the costs of your home business add up to when you work at home, many, if not all of the expenses have an effect on the amount of income tax that you pay. Be sure to review potential savings to your tax bill with your tax accountant, but you should be able to include things like utilities for the portion of your home used in the business, as well as prorated taxes and insurance for the building. In addition, any business related expenses go to reduce the amount of taxable income that you report.

Equipment

There are certain basics in the area of equipment needs when you work at home. Some of the specifications will depend upon the type of work that you do, while other pieces will depend upon your personal preferences. It is assumed that your work will require the use of computer equipment and peripherals. In addition, you will need a computer work station and chair that is configured in such a way as to allow optimum utilization.

Transportation

When you work at home, transportation is an expense that may be significantly reduced. You won't be performing a commute that lasts 2-3 hours daily. With the rising cost of transportation, being able to walk from your kitchen to your office is a welcome cost reduction. Although many people feel that commuting provides time to unwind from the day's stresses before arriving at home, it is also true that maneuvering a vehicle through traffic on a freeway can add to the work day stress. Any transportation costs that you incur as a part of your business travel can be used for further tax savings.