Form 8829 Direct Expenses
Direct expenses on Form 8829 are costs that benefit only the business portion of your home. These expenses are fully deductible and are entered in column (a) of the form. They include repairs, painting, or improvements made specifically to the area used for business purposes.
What Are Direct Expenses?
- Repairs or maintenance to the business area (e.g., fixing a desk, replacing flooring in the office).
- Painting or decorating only the business portion of the home.
- Installation of business-specific equipment or fixtures (e.g., shelving for inventory storage).
These expenses are 100% allocable to the business use of your home and do not require allocation based on square footage or percentage of use. You enter the full amount in column (a) on Form 8829.
Examples of Direct Expenses
- Painting the home office walls.
- Replacing a broken window in the room used exclusively for business.
- Installing a dedicated phone line for business use in the office.
Important Notes
- Only expenses directly tied to the business use of your home qualify as direct expenses.
- If you did not operate your business for the entire year, you can only deduct expenses for the portion of the year you used your home for business.
- Direct expenses are not subject to allocation based on business percentage unless specifically required by IRS rules.
Source:
Form 8829 - Expenses for Business Use of Your Home
Disclaimer: Always verify details with official Federal or State Department of Revenue Forms and Instructions.