How is your workplace adapting? | Page 2 | GTAMotorcycle.com

How is your workplace adapting?

Started new job today. Was allowed to go in and grab a laptop, monitor, and some peripherals for WFH. Was told I can come in and work from office but need to let reception know and they’ll assign a cleaned desk. Typically an office of 50-70 people had a total of 3 in it today....me, reception, and other new hire. Was told no earlier than January to be able to come back.

downtown was a ghost town....honestly the only time I’ve ever seen it this quiet was on a Sunday morning at 6-7am....not Monday at 8am.
 
My place never shut down so it has been business as usual and nobody was allowed to wfh... Just unpredictable work schedules due to covid-19

Some of my friends been wfh since March with no plans to return anytime soon.

I really want to wfh now that it is winter :(
 
Any of you financially canny buggers know what we can claim on taxes for working from home? Seems my work won’t pay for furniture that’s not in my main office at my place of work but I assume that can be written off somehow? Just a desk and a new chair as we had to set up two offices in the house. I also think you can claim for supplementary utilities costs and “upgrades” to the home necessary for WFH changes. I know I need an HR letter stating that I’ve been working from home for a certain period (6 months?).
 
@jc100 IIRC, it's all based on a percentage...so for example if 10% of your home is used as an office, then 10% of expenses (gas, water, hydro, internet, landline) can be used as a deduction...this is based on my very old (20+ years ago) of taking a tax course and working in finance...

Just found this online

Work-space-in-the-home expenses - Canada.ca
 
ifiddles said:
@jc100 IIRC, it's all based on a percentage...so for example if 10% of your home is used as an office, then 10% of expenses (gas, water, hydro, internet, landline) can be used as a deduction...this is based on my very old (20+ years ago) of taking a tax course and working in finance...

Just found this online

Work-space-in-the-home expenses - Canada.ca
Click to expand...
Mortgage interest too. The rub comes from the wording. Technically you are supposed to use the space to meet clients. Very very few people do that. Govt needs to increase revenue somehow so that is low hanging fruit.
 
Be careful about capital gains - and future capital gains - if you claim expenses from working from home.
 
Brian P said:
Be careful about capital gains - and future capital gains - if you claim expenses from working from home.
Click to expand...
Only applies if you run capital improvements through. If you are just claiming the listed expenses (utilities, mortgage interest, etc) you are clear from that land mine. If you add an addition for your office and claim that, the capital gains mess comes into play. If anyone is really concerned, consult an accountant specializing in tax.
 
So furniture is ok? Also what about “virtual“ client meetings, they should count shouldn’t they?

So the one that’s a bit iffy is if say I run some drywall partitions to cordon off the office space and claim that yes? So my small second bathroom reno (which is right outside the office) is probably not worth the hassle of claiming?

Right...so now, how can I get the following claimed...

a) bar fridge
b) beer
c) new tires for KTM
d) double action revolver

:)
 
Worked WFH for 20 years and had a tax consultant provide an opinion and have never been challenged.

In effect, you may claim If you normally work from an office and you are only working from hone due to COVID or your employer requests that you do so and provides the T2200

The only expenses you can claim are for the area % you use in you home ( do the calculation) expenses only.

Heat, light and power and possibly some of your internet, alarm system and phone if your company is not providing are the only expenses you can claim.

mortgage expenses and home taxes are not allowed unless you are working as an independent contractor where and make your money totally from commissions like a real estate agent and cover all expenses from your sales revenue.

Be reasonable (I claimed 14%) and never had any issues but I do no others who were more aggressive and claimed the share of repairs and maintenance to their homes like new roofs etc.
 
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I think it's T2200? Declaration of Conditions of Employment

can be a pain finding someone interested in giving you one
maybe that's just my experience
need to find the right bean-counter that understands what it is
and tell them exactly what you want on it
 
J_F said:
I think it's T2200? Declaration of Conditions of Employment

can be a pain finding someone interested in giving you one
maybe that's just my experience
need to find the right bean-counter that understands what it is
and tell them exactly what you want on it
Click to expand...
My wifes ex employer would hand them out like candy. Some guy in HR signed off on all of them and sent one to everyone (presumably with certain job titles?). Some of her compatriots played fast and loose (tons of office expenses claimed, office was 50% of house, mileage claimed even though they were reimbursed, etc). For her, we were uber-conservative because if CRA looked at one of the idiots, they would surely do a second lap to look at the rest and see how widespread it was.
 
Pros and cons of course. Pros are I've been working from home since February, got someone incompetent fired, took his position, and now I don't have to take a wasteful 1 hour lunch; I work 7 hours, my 1 hour break is working out instead.

The cons....well, my workplace's avg age is in the late 40s. Many upper management members are, in fact, stereotypical of their age. They're bad with tech, they're getting hacked, they don't understand the concept that people can work from home and have meetings without webcams, and all the IT **** they had issues with at work are now happening at home (why does my monitor not turn on? Why does my computer not boot up? The **** that any competent person doesn't ask about because we grew up with it lol) This translates to massive efficiency losses.

Luckily, I've established boundaries with our department that we are developers and not IT support. There's a third party for that...and they're ******* slow. But hey, at least my team's not contributing to that **** show.
 
As a machine operator, I have to be at work. But I find in very interesting the rippling effects working/studying from home has. The landscape of what was considered normal have definitely shifted.
 
jc100 said:
Any of you financially canny buggers know what we can claim on taxes for working from home? Seems my work won’t pay for furniture that’s not in my main office at my place of work but I assume that can be written off somehow? Just a desk and a new chair as we had to set up two offices in the house. I also think you can claim for supplementary utilities costs and “upgrades” to the home necessary for WFH changes. I know I need an HR letter stating that I’ve been working from home for a certain period (6 months?).
Click to expand...

www.wealthsimple.com

A Guide To Form T2200 | Wealthsimple

If you’re an employee who hopes to deduct work expenses, you’ll need Form T2200. This guide tells you everything you need to know.
www.wealthsimple.com www.wealthsimple.com


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double action revolver, office decor is allowed
Fridge, office equipment
beer, nope, unless you had a party for clients, then yes. Buy 20X what the three people you invite can drink....
KTM, you need a vehicle for client meetings, but thats not the T2200 declaration

I've had the WFH, home office exemption for 30 yrs, even before WFH was a thing. Heat, electric, internet all have a component. Don't get greedy, if all the numbers make sense they will never be questioned.

Check with your homeowners insurance, mine went down for being home more often, however it would have gone up had I had clients visit the house. I never have clients at the house, I do host 'client meetings' on the boat.
I use a tax specialist accountant, forms signed by accountants scare CR guys and they make more money chasing bigger fish.
 
My workplace pushed most employees home in March. The industry used to only allow a select few to WFH but it seems now this is the new norm and I’m ok with that. Perhaps I should look at claiming some of it on my taxes


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Companies are working on getting bulk WFH coverage from the government rather than on a form by form basis, but I wouldn't hold my breathe.
 
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