If you are a salaried or commissioned employee who had to work from home 50% or more of the time for at least four consecutive weeks due to COVID-19, or if you are self-employed, then you are eligible to claim home office expenses on your 2020 tax return.
To claim employment expenses, simply follow the instructions below:
If you are a salaried or commissioned employee
- Select Find in the upper-right area. (The Find button becomes visible after you have completed the Introduction/Profile section.)
- In the Find window, type “employment.”
- Select Employment Expenses from the list of results, then select Go.
- On the Employment Expenses step, select Yes.
- On the Employment Expense Profile step, select all the checkboxes that apply to your situation, then select Continue.
- Follow the instructions that appear onscreen to enter your expenses.
You have finished the expenses section when you reach the Your Employment Profile for 20xx step.
Note: To claim this deduction (line 12900 of your tax return), you must have a signed T2200 or T2200s from your employer showing the conditions of your employment. Don’t file the T2200 or T2200s with your return but do keep a copy for your records.
If you are self-employed or on contract work AND if you are using a self-employed TurboTax product
- Select Find in the upper-right area.
- In the Find window, type “Self-employment,” select it from the list of results, then select Go.
- On the Let’s look at your self-employment income and expenses step, select Check the box if you have self-employed income and expenses to report, then select Continue.
- The instructions for this step depend on how much of your return you've completed so far, so follow the instructions below that match what you see onscreen:
- If you see the Your Self-Employment or Business Summary step and want to enter business expenses for a business NOT LISTED onscreen, select Enter New Business for [Name], then follow the instructions onscreen to reach the expenses section.
- If you see the Your Self-Employment or Business Summary step and want to enter business expenses for a business LISTED onscreen, select Edit next to that business, then follow the instructions onscreen to reach the expenses section.
- If you see the [Name], what kind of self-employment work do you do? step, answer the question, then select Continue. Follow the instructions onscreen to reach the expenses section.
You have finished the expenses section when you reach the [Name], did you have any fixed assets step.
If you are self-employed or on contract work AND if you are NOT using a self-employed TurboTax product
- Select Find in the upper-right area.
- In the Find window, type “Self-employment,” select it from the list of results, then select Go.
- On the Your Self-employment Profile for 20xx step, select all of the checkboxes that apply to you, then select Continue.
- Follow the instructions onscreen to reach the expenses section.
You have finished the expenses section when you reach the [Name], here’s your capital cost allowance for your assets step.
Make sure you have receipts for all expenses claimed (for example, for gas and repairs). The CRA may ask you to provide them to prove your claims.
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