Home office

[Jampy00]

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Hey gang.

Couple of questions for those that work from home.

Anybody use a standing desk, thinking of getting one, share your thoughts.

Also what tax form is it to wright some expenses off when working from home but for an employer?

 

[Evoex]

Hey gang.

Couple of questions for those that work from home.

Anybody use a standing desk, thinking of getting one, share your thoughts.

Also what tax form is it to wright some expenses off when working from home but for an employer?

We have a tax thread running already, perhaps a good place to add that query?

Thread 'The Tax Thread'

Apr 24, 2024

Lot's of chatter in a few threads around tax filings or loop holes etc. Maybe we can try and consolidate.

I'll kick it off;

Anyone know what possibilities to write off a car are there for people who use their vehicle for work. Car payments/lease payments/fuel etc?

@Mad Mike ?

• Evoex
• Replies: 124
• Forum: Romper Room

• 

 

[JZ67]

I use a sit/stand desk from ergoCentric and it is wonderful to have an option to work standing up. ergoCentric has showrooms in Toronto where you can go check out product. Don't accept list pricing, they have lots of wiggle room but then again there are also lots of alternatives too.

The form you require is a T2200.

 

[shanekingsley]

Hey gang.

Couple of questions for those that work from home.

Anybody use a standing desk, thinking of getting one, share your thoughts.

Also what tax form is it to wright some expenses off when working from home but for an employer?

I have 2 standing desks, one for my office and one for my DJ booth.

Office: Metro Adjustable Height Desk - 60 x 30
The office one is pretty similar to the link above, but was around $600. It also has a built in electrical outlet w/ dual USB outlets on the top of the desk. Underneath it has a 6 outlet power bar for all the accessories. It's lasted about 5 years now and I really like it. I raise and lower it every day, sometimes multiple times a day. I placed a 24"x36" glass table top on it so that I can have a bunch of quick reference files printed for easy viewing under the glass top. I also run dual monitors on adjustable arms for the bulk of my work, where my tablet is my 3rd monitor for virtual meetings when needed, or when I need a 3rd screen. I also have an anti fatigue mat under it which I use whenever I'm standing at it. I used to sit at a desk sometimes for 10-12 hours a day and my calves got so tight from being contracted all the time I tore my calf. Now I'm always changing it up throughout the day.

DJ Booth: Topsky 300lb heavy duty standing desk frame
My DJ booth is a heavy duty standing desk frame from Amazon and then I put a 90"x40" live edge finished slab of spalted maple on. Since the frame is new, the controller has more options than my office one does. It's also really nice and well made. I also have a long piece of gym mat underneath this as an anti fatigue mat. If I ever have to replace the office desk, I'll go the live edge route again as it's so much nice to look at and work on.

 

[Mad Mike]

Hey gang.

Couple of questions for those that work from home.

Anybody use a standing desk, thinking of getting one, share your thoughts.

Also what tax form is it to wright some expenses off when working from home but for an employer?

We got a few for the office, and I remember hundreds of them when I was at the Bank. I'd say they are novelty items for 99% of the people who have them, they go up and down for a few weeks, then live the rest of their lives at normal desk height.

YMMV.

 

[mimico_polak]

I took a normal desk, added an adjustable height stand for $20 and 90% of the time use it in the lowest setting (ie: sitting).

Wise words right here…

 

[PrivatePilot]

I remember during Covid when my wife worked from home for basically a year and a half that we thought we'd be able to write off all sorts of things. Turns out when we looked into it we couldn't write off hardly anything because of all sorts of legal requirements you need in order to do such, although we did get that special one-time "working from home" tax credit that was something like $250 IIRC. Big whoop.

 

[GreyGhost]

I remember during Covid when my wife worked from home for basically a year and a half that we thought we'd be able to write off all sorts of things. Turns out when we looked into it we couldn't write off hardly anything because of all sorts of legal requirements you need in order to do such, although we did get that special one-time "working from home" tax credit that was something like $250 IIRC. Big whoop.

There are two parts of the rules that catch people out. The biggest one (which is beyond stupid imo) is that you are supposed to regularly have clients visit the home office for it to count. The other one that can cause trouble is if you have a permanent work space provided at an office, cra can grump about your home office. A third issue which is huge but rarely comes into play is if people start writing off renovations. If you're not careful, that can make part of the house subject to capital gains tax which would epically suck.

 

[PrivatePilot]

The biggest one (which is beyond stupid imo) is that you are supposed to regularly have clients visit the home office for it to count

Yeah, this was the stickler I seem to remember. Of course, the whole idea at the time of working at home during Covid was to avoid people, not actively have them coming to your home, so yeah, didn't work.

 

[GVH]

VariDesk® Pro Plus™ 36 | Adjustable Height Desk Converters | Vari®

Our best-selling, height-adjustable solution turns any desk into a standing desk, takes you from sitting to standing in just 3 seconds, requires no assembly, and works with your existing furniture.

www.vari.com

Varidesk pro-plus 36 Heather has one at work and home. Not cheap but used off FB $250. Also not light to carry back to car when I bought it. Sits on top of the desk. Two 24 inch monitors on top She sits or stands depending on back

Her company had a tech allowance during Covid to help employees get better setups for health and wellness

 

[Lightcycle]

What's the use case for a standing desk? Back problems?

If so, try one of those kneeling chairs. Improves your posture, thus mitigating back problems, and takes some of the weight off your sitting bones.

Plus you can use it with your existing desk and you can swap in and out of regular chairs as well.

 

[Jampy00]

What's the use case for a standing desk? Back problems?

If so, try one of those kneeling chairs. Improves your posture, thus mitigating back problems, and takes some of the weight off your sitting bones.

Plus you can use it with your existing desk and you can swap in and out of regular chairs as well.

That is cool, but for me it is just the option. I tend to get up a lot from the desk so having it at the right height can be a benefit.

 

[crankcall]

If your employer will give you a T twenty two hundred form , you can deduct a percentage of heat/ hydro/wifi/ home insurance/ but also be careful, if you have “regular clients “ visit your home this will affect you home insurance costs . It has to be a dedicated workspace set up as an office and there is some caviet about how close to the company main office you are . It saves me a few hundred bucks a year. Bonus is my office cleaning lady seems to do the whole house while she is here , wink wink .


Sent from my iPhone using GTAMotorcycle.com

 

[mimico_polak]

This is a bit fancier than the one I have.

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Suits my needs but my desk is old so will be upgrading soon.

 

[timtune]

What's the use case for a standing desk? Back problems?

If so, try one of those kneeling chairs. Improves your posture, thus mitigating back problems, and takes some of the weight off your sitting bones.

Plus you can use it with your existing desk and you can swap in and out of regular chairs as well.

It's good enough for Lisa Simpson.

Lisa Simpson’s Kneeling Chair

Avid fans of America’s favorite cartoon family, the Simpsons, may have noticed that Lisa has a Variable Balans kneeling chair (click to see ...

bodycorrectliving.blogspot.com

 

[POWERMAN]

Cant speak to standing desks - but I have used the kneeling chair Lightcycle mentioned.
It is now gathering dust or is used to block the corridor pathway if the dog tries to run away from me when I try to get him into the bathroom for his monthly bath.

I tried the varidesk converter as well but found it to be a nuisance within 2 weeks in.


Again, can't speak to tax write offs either - but if you are someone that needs dedicated work space, I would like to suggest spending some time on these three sites:

1) Officestock - Modern office furniture store, chairs, desks & cubicles
2) The POI Store
3) https://www.canadacomputers.com/en/


Back during Black Friday of 2021 I was able to get a custom desk, steelcase chair, monitor stands and monitors for work.
Fits in a spare bedroom perfectly and allows me sufficient space to move around - good thing about the L desk is that the window is to my left so I get sunlight coming in whenever the blinds are open.

Love the Chair - this channel helped me decide: Ahnestly

Again, I do sit a lot of the time for work so I didnt want to take any chances with my back/spine. No issues to date expect for the cramps if I sit in my favourite position (right leg tucked under me while I sit on it for 1.5+ hours) lol.

All in this setup cost around 7k CAD after taxes - no regrets!

 

[mimico_polak]

Cant speak to standing desks - but I have used the kneeling chair Lightcycle mentioned.
It is now gathering dust or is used to block the corridor pathway if the dog tries to run away from me when I try to get him into the bathroom for his monthly bath.

I tried the varidesk converter as well but found it to be a nuisance within 2 weeks in.


Again, can't speak to tax write offs either - but if you are someone that needs dedicated work space, I would like to suggest spending some time on these three sites:

1) Officestock - Modern office furniture store, chairs, desks & cubicles
2) The POI Store
3) https://www.canadacomputers.com/en/


Back during Black Friday of 2021 I was able to get a custom desk, steelcase chair, monitor stands and monitors for work.
Fits in a spare bedroom perfectly and allows me sufficient space to move around - good thing about the L desk is that the window is to my left so I get sunlight coming in whenever the blinds are open.

Love the Chair - this channel helped me decide: Ahnestly

Again, I do sit a lot of the time for work so I didnt want to take any chances with my back/spine. No issues to date expect for the cramps if I sit in my favourite position (right leg tucked under me while I sit on it for 1.5+ hours) lol.

All in this setup cost around 7k CAD after taxes - no regrets!

What type of work do you do for that type of setup!?

 

[POWERMAN]

What type of work do you do for that type of setup!?

I work in a SOC

 

[GreyGhost]

For my home office I went with two desktop pc's each connected to 42" 4k TV's over 24" monitors. The TV's are great for the purpose (reference material, webpages or video I can glance up at), I work on the monitors as they are happier with motion. I bought an Aeron chair (I was waffling between HM, Steelcase and Humanscale). Meh. It's fine. Not worth the coin imo. Standing desks aren't for me. I bought my wife a nice 34" ergostand widescreen monitor and she decided she didn't like it where we had it setup so it gathers dust for now until I come up with a good use for it.

 

[Gaoler]

The less the govt./CRA knows about what goes on in my home the better...
Work from home and STFU.
You're saving enough $, time etc as it is

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