Can I write off My Rent?

I live in NYC in a four bedroom apartment. I pay rent for only one bedroom because I have 3 roommates and we split the rent & utilities. The company I work for pays me to do my work at home 95% of the time and at the main office maybe 5% of the time. There is no bed in the room because I stopped actually sleeping there months ago & have been staying with a relative who's elderly & needs help around the house. The room just has a desktop and a bookshelf with many books. (There is also a private bathroom attached to the room). Can I write it off and if so what do I need in order to do that?

If the room is used regularly and exclusively for business (nothing stored there, no futon or comfy oversized chair and television in there, no exercise machine in there, no personal items not used for business, etc.) you can carry it as an in-home office. Now, if the company pays some of the expenses associated with this home office, you can only deduct unreimbursed expenses.

Use form 2106 for Unreimbursed Employee Expenses. You can download that from the IRS web site @ www.irs.gov

You need to know that the office-in-home deduction is a common trigger for audits.

The only way you can legally do that would be to file a Schedule C, saying that you receive money from being self employed. You would also be able to file the form 8829, Expenses for Business Use of Your Home.

As an employee, you can only take the home office deduction if the use of your home is for the convenience of your employer AND they do not provide you any office space at their location. See IRS Publication 17, chapters on employee business expenses and business use of the home. You can download it in PDF form and use ctrl+f to search.

Sorry you need to be a homeowner. In my area if you are low incomed there is a program called "the homestead act" allowing you to clam your rent and sometimes qualify for a refund. However, your landlord would have to sign papers. The local H&R block are aware of this form. And it is all so available at the Social Services Areas in your town. Check your local listings.