Teleworking: expenses can be deducted from taxes (and the amounts are not negligible)

Telecommuting has actually become more popular since the Covid crisis. Companies, even the most reluctant ones, have had to adapt and accept their employees working from home. If since the end of the crisis some companies have wanted to backtrack and ask their employees to return to headquarters, some continue to grant a few days a month to those they have hired. But then can the costs related to teleworking be deducted from taxes?

Teleworking expenses to be declared in the next tax return

For those who work remotely, keep in mind that if you have not received an allowance from your employer, in the form of a refund or a one-off bonus, to cover part of your costs, you can then deduct them when filing your tax return. These costs include a contribution towards the Internet subscription, the electricity bill, the heating bill, the purchase of ink cartridges, etc. If you have received this allowance, Impots.gouv specifies that “ the allowance paid by the employer is exempt from income tax. It is not necessary to declare it.“

If you have opted to declare actual expenses and have not received anything from your employer, you can declare 2.6 euros per day, or 57.20 euros per month, if we include 22 days of teleworking. But you also have the option to declare the exact amount of costs associated with teleworking, if you can justify them precisely. These amounts must be reported in boxes 1AK to 1DK of the “Salaries and salaries” section, during step 3 of the online declaration.

Finally, if you decide not to opt to declare actual expenses, you will instead benefit from a 10% reduction that will be automatically calculated from taxes on the amounts declared in wages and salaries. But as with reporting actual expenses, you also need to be able to justify your telecommuting days.

To file your 2023 2024 tax return, you have until May 23, May 30, or June 6, 2024, depending on where you live.