# VAT on light/heat in home office?



## ButtermilkJa (7 May 2008)

If I am planning to include a percentage of my home ESB and Gas in my business accounts how do I go about this with regard to VAT?

Do I need to account for a portion for VAT purposes in my bi-monthly VAT3 or is ok to leave it all until the end and put it through the accounts as one lump sum.


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## Hans (7 May 2008)

You are allowed to claim 96 euro a month on your heating and lighting bills if you work from home but you can take it out at the end of the year if you like (in time for when you are doing your yearly accounts).  My accountant advised me not to claim back Vat on this as he had problems with clients before on this.


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## Graham_07 (7 May 2008)

Hans said:


> You are allowed to claim 96 euro a month on your heating and lighting bills if you work from home but you can take it out at the end of the year if you like (in time for when you are doing your yearly accounts). My accountant advised me not to claim back Vat on this as he had problems with clients before on this.


 
Just curious, could you give a Revenue source for the €96 per month. Thanks.


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## ubiquitous (7 May 2008)

Hans said:


> You are allowed to claim 96 euro a month on your heating and lighting bills if you work from home but you can take it out at the end of the year if you like (in time for when you are doing your yearly accounts).



That's a very exact figure. I cannot imagine it having any general application in practice. Can you quote a source to show otherwise?


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## contemporary (7 May 2008)

[broken link removed]

€3.20 a day


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## ButtermilkJa (7 May 2008)

That's interesting. Although it looks like it's geared towards employees who do the odd few days here and there.

If you owned your own company and the registered office was your home, as in my case, I doubt this would still count as technically you would not be working at home, but working at your 'office'?

€96 a month seems quite high. That would be more than the total of my ESB and Gas bills each month!


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## Domo (7 May 2008)

Yes, an employer can pay €3.20 a day to an employee who is working from home tax free.

A self employed individual will need to consider the proportion of household costs incurred in relation to the business, and take professional advice in this regard.


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## Chyna (7 Oct 2008)

ButtermilkJa said:


> If I am planning to include a percentage of my home ESB and Gas in my business accounts how do I go about this with regard to VAT?
> 
> Do I need to account for a portion for VAT purposes in my bi-monthly VAT3 or is ok to leave it all until the end and put it through the accounts as one lump sum.


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