How do I determine my primary place of work for taxes if I spend most time at client sites?

This is super helpful but I'm still a bit confused. Does it matter if I spend like 30 hours a week at client sites combined and only 10 hours in my home office? Even though the home office time is less, it still counts as primary? And do I need to have clients actually visit my home office for it to qualify?

The total hours spent doesn't necessarily disqualify you. What matters is the function and importance of the work done in your home office, not just the raw hours. Since your administrative and management activities happen there, it can qualify as your principal place of business even with fewer hours. You don't need clients to visit your home office for it to qualify. Many legitimate home offices never have client visits. What's important is that you're using the space regularly and exclusively for business purposes like managing your client work, doing your paperwork, scheduling, and other administrative tasks.

Does this actually analyze your specific tax documents or just give general advice? I've tried other "AI tax tools" that just spit out the same generic info I could find anywhere.

I'm interested but skeptical. How detailed does it get with the home office rules? Like can it help figure out if I can deduct internet if I use it for both personal and business? And does it create any documentation that would help if I got audited?

It actually analyzes your specific situation - I uploaded my previous tax returns and business expense records, and it gave me personalized recommendations based on my exact circumstances. It's not just generic advice. For home office deductions, it gets very detailed - it advised me precisely on mixed-use expenses like internet, explaining I could deduct the business percentage based on my usage patterns. It even helped me calculate the right percentage. It also creates an audit defense file with all the relevant tax code citations that support your deductions, which is incredibly helpful documentation if you ever get questioned by the IRS.

Wait, how does this actually work? The IRS phone lines are always jammed. Are you saying this somehow gets you to the front of the queue?

This sounds too good to be true. I've literally spent HOURS on hold with the IRS only to get disconnected. No way this actually works to get through to them that quickly.

It actually uses an automated system that continually calls the IRS line for you and navigates the phone menu system. Once it gets through to an agent, it calls your phone and connects you directly. You don't have to sit on hold yourself - the system does all that work in the background. Yes, it absolutely gets you through much faster than trying to call directly. It's not about skipping the queue exactly, it's about the system knowing exactly when to call and efficiently navigating all the phone tree options while you go about your day. The longest I've ever waited after getting the callback was about 2 minutes, compared to the hours I used to spend on hold.

Thank you for mentioning the specific IRS publication! Does this mean I'd be able to deduct things like a portion of my utilities, internet, and mortgage interest based on the percentage of my home used for the office?

Yes, you can deduct a portion of your mortgage interest, utilities, internet, home insurance, and even depreciation based on the percentage of your home used exclusively for business. For example, if your home office is 200 square feet in a 2,000 square foot home, you could deduct 10% of those expenses. You have two options for calculating: the regular method (tracking actual expenses and applying your business percentage) or the simplified method ($5 per square foot up to 300 square feet). Most people find the simplified method easier, but if you have a larger office space or high home expenses, the regular method might give you a bigger deduction.

Be careful with this! I got audited last year over exactly this issue. The IRS agent said that even though my home was my principal place of business, the drive to my first client was still considered a non-deductible commute. It's a weird gray area.

@Isabel Vega That s'really concerning to hear about your audit experience! I m'dealing with a similar situation and want to make sure I m'not setting myself up for problems. Did the IRS agent give you any specific criteria for what makes it a commute vs. business travel? I ve'been tracking all my drives to client sites assuming they were deductible, but now I m'worried I might be doing this wrong.

@Isabel Vega @Yuki Watanabe This is actually a really nuanced area that depends on your specific situation. From what I understand, the key distinction the IRS makes is whether you re going'to a regular work "location vs. a" temporary work assignment. If you re visiting'different client sites that are temporary in nature like consulting (projects , those)drives from your home office are typically deductible as business travel. But if you have one main client where you work regularly like 3+ (days a week for several months , the)IRS might view that as a regular work location and treat the drive as commuting. The fact that @Jenna Sloan mentioned she s never'at any single client site for more than a day or two per week actually works in her favor for deductibility. Still, definitely worth getting professional advice given the audit risk Isabel mentioned!