Working From Home Comes With Perks. The Best One? Expense Claims — If You Meet the Requirements.
Depending on your situation, you may be able to claim a range of home-office expenses that cut your taxable income fast. But here’s the trap: some people get greedy, push past the rules, and end up paying for it — hard.
Office size
This one might sound ridiculous at first — but trust me, you need to be careful.
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To claim home-office expenses, everything hinges on how much of your home is actually used for work. CRA’s golden rule applies here like everywhere else: it has to be reasonable.
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The simplest way to get your percentage?
Take the size of the room or dedicated workspace you use for your job, then divide it by the total livable area of your house or apartment.
And if your calculation spits out 50%?
Yeah… no.
Go back to the drawing board. That number won’t survive a CRA glance.
Common Work From Home Expenses Employees Can Claim
Once your office percentage is calculated, these are the expenses employees can actually claim — straight from the T777 form:
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Electricity, heat, water, Internet
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Maintenance & cleaning supplies
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Rent
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(Commission employees only: home insurance & property taxes)
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Cellphone
Everything else? Off the table. Mortgage interest, renovations, furniture, computers — none of that is allowed for employees.
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We help you claim what you’re legitimately entitled to, without crossing CRA’s red lines.
T2200
The T2200 is the missing piece of the puzzle. If your employer doesn’t give you a signed T2200 confirming the expenses you’re allowed to claim, that’s it — you cannot deduct anything.
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CRA doesn’t care about the reason — no T2200 means no work-from-home expenses.
If you want to understand why employers must sign it, and how you can try convincing yours, check out our T2200 Explained: Why Your Employer's Refusal Is Costing You Money.
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We’ve also had success helping clients draft clear, professional explanations for their employers — often leading to a signed T2200 after an initial refusal.
How Much Will It Cost?
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Let’s talk numbers.
Working from home tax return falls under a detailed tax return, which cost $120 for a single person.​
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If you’re filing as a couple, here’s the pricing depending on your spouse’s return type:
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$165 if your spouse has a simple return
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$200 if your spouse has a detailed return
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