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+--- Thread: Telecommuting (/showthread.php?tid=11131)
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Telecommuting - JPolen01 - 02-01-2016
Emily got a promotion and will start working remotely 100% of the time come April. I've been asking and asking for details for months with no answer. Finally got some paperwork today. They are providing her a laptop, monitor, phone, and chair. We must provide Internet access. Seeing as how they arent picking up any of the tab for this I am assuming I can write off a portion of the electricity and Internet bills next tax season. Am I correct? Anyone have experience with this?
Re: Telecommuting - WRXtranceformed - 02-01-2016
I telecommute and can give you my thoughts. I'll shoot you a PM, feel free to send me any other questions you have buddy
Re: Telecommuting - .RJ - 02-01-2016
You can write off some portion of the home office, I did this for 4 years 100% and the past few years about 20% of the time I'm working at home. There's caps on it, like everything, I think the max is 300 sq ft. It's not a huge deduction, and if the employer is footing the bill for the rest of the stuff there's no deductions there.
I worked from home for 4 years, it was a rough transition to start but I really grew to like it. You'll have to start enforcing some good work habits now or else you wont get anything done. I'll write more thoughts on that if you want.
Re: Telecommuting - JPolen01 - 02-01-2016
Definitely interested to hear more of your thoughts on actually working from home. She isn't set on it 100% so this will be more of a trial. If she doesn't like it job searching will commence. One thing I am skeptical of is the possibility of not being recognized for achievements/possible promotions because she will not be in the office. Kind of out of sight out of mind. I could be crazy though. I don't know.
Re: Telecommuting - .RJ - 02-01-2016
Will the people she's working with also be remote, or somewhere else? If there are people in an office elsewhere, she's going to have to work hard to build those relationships and stay engaged. Out of sight, out of mind. Insist on spending a few weeks there in person starting the job, and then try to get there every month or other month in person for a few days. If everyone is remote, its a non-issue.
Anyways. Set up dedicated space in your house to work. Dont use it for anything else. Set a regular schedule, and treat going to your office like going to work, and stick to it. Get up, shower, put on pants, etc. It's easy to let work/not work just blur together so that you're not working during regular hours and then working at night, its not healthy. If you work 8-5 or whatever, at 5 you close your laptop and turn off your work phone. You're off work. Take regular breaks during the day, if you can. I dont see anything wrong with using a few minutes here and there to do some things around the house, as long as your productive with the rest of the time, but I know some people will disagree with me there. I used to work out at lunch time, that helped me be more productive the rest of the day and this is far easier when working at home. Try to get out of the house regularly, either meeting with co-workers, clients/customers, any local professional meetup/user groups, or just go to a coffee shop for a change of scenery so you dont turn into a hermit. Since she wont be with her coworkers, she's going to have to really learn how to stay on top of things and communicate well, both over email and on the phone - and that takes some effort but it will pay off huge long term, both working remote and returning to going to an office. Take it seriously, working from home full time is an awesome privilege to have so make the most of it.
Re: Telecommuting - JPolen01 - 02-01-2016
Her position is doing remote so everyone else doing the same job will also be working from home. Her new manager is also remote. We are only a few minutes from her office so she plans to still meet her coworkers for lunch during the week.
We do have a home office set up so she doesn't have to work in the kitchen or on the couch. Unfortunately they moved offices recently so I don't think at this point there are plans to have her in the office at all. That's one thing I have been pushing for. A day in the office once a week or every other week would be very beneficial I think.
All good advice and definitely things we have talked about. It will be a learning curve to start.
Re: Telecommuting - .RJ - 02-01-2016
JPolen01 Wrote:It will be a learning curve to start.
Yes.
The day in the office wont be an issue for her professionally unless she wants to use it as an opportunity to network with other parts of the company.
Re: Telecommuting - JustinG - 02-01-2016
Casey is 100% remote too, so feel free to FB her if ya want. She has no work office. We have a home office setup. Her team is one in Charlotte, one in Denver, and her boss in SF.
I suck at WFH, damn PS4.
Re: Telecommuting - WRXtranceformed - 02-01-2016
When most / all of your teams work remotely, if you do a good job at your job and continue to network, your actions speak for themselves. Ideally, unless your corporate culture is not good. She should be prepared to keep track of all of her successes and keep her manager looped in and excited about them
Re: Telecommuting - .RJ - 02-02-2016
WRXtranceformed Wrote:and keep her manager looped in and excited about them
This. Out of sight out of mind.
Re: Telecommuting - SlimKlim - 02-02-2016
Lauren has done some partial WFH with her previous two jobs, and recently moved to a 100% WFH position around the new year. Her company is very small and new so they simply don't have an office yet, and they all IM and video chat each other to stay connected.
I'm interested to hear more about the WFH tax deductions? I'm guessing this means you have to itemize vs the standard deduction? I'm guessing that alone wouldn't be enough to get her a better return vs the standard deduction because she is single with no dependents and we don't own a home.
Re: Telecommuting - D_Eclipse9916 - 02-02-2016
.RJ Wrote:so you dont turn into a hermit.
I am not a social person at all, but THIS. I get stir crazy. I currently work from home about 2 days a week, so its not an issue for me. The past 2 weeks? I have in the office 2 total days, and I was going nuts. I respect the people that can work efficiently 100% from home, but I couldn't do it.
I also think "some" people's social skills can get a bit rusty. We have a couple friends that 100% work from home and you uh..can tell. :lol: Others you would never know.
Re: Telecommuting - Beej - 02-02-2016
I've been doing it for about 5 years, and don't have a lot to add - good input from the others here (edit: except that wearing pants bit). My situation is a little different though, as I'm the only team member who is 100% home.
The transition is weird, but important. I still (except the drive) enjoy going into the office up in DC and getting face time in, and it's important for the team, too. Definitely break up your day and get out of the house. You don't have a commute to run errands on anymore so do that nonsense for lunch, or just go for a drive, or whatever. Or soccer. God bless my favorite sport being on a good timezone for daytime footy.
I think I looked into the tax deduction one year and it wasn't worth it - I might've still been doing the standard deduction back then. Might be worth looking into again.
Re: Telecommuting - JPolen01 - 02-02-2016
I have no idea how the tax deduction works or if it's even worth it. I will end up doing the research and I'll report back. I'm trying to find any way to lessen the blow from Uncle Sam because my commission checks are taxed so fucking heavily.
Re: Telecommuting - Ken - 02-02-2016
I did it for one summer and have a co-worker who is probably about 75% WFH and what RJ said is key: give yourself a routine. Make sure you are still "going to work" otherwise the two start to blend and you will go stir crazy.
Re: Telecommuting - Mike - 02-02-2016
The tax deduction is near worthless. Maybe I'm doing it wrong? Didn't make a dent considering our added heating, electricity, space used, etc. I'm sure people lie a lot more and save some coin, but I ain't down with that.
All has been said - make a routine, stop working when you're supposed to stop working, get outside now and then, work away from the house once a week, have a pet because it gets lonely.
I love it. My job kind of blows, but I'm hanging on because of work from home... and I make DC money in a cheaper town. I'm able to fit chores in here and there, run errands, work my own hours. It's nice.
Re: Telecommuting - SlimKlim - 02-02-2016
Mike Wrote:and I make DC money in a cheaper town
This is our evil genius 5yr plan. :thumbup:
Good point on having a pet. Lauren has a mascot/shadow. This is what happens when there is an ottoman in the way and she can't be under her feet.
![[Image: m4odenm.jpg]](http://i.imgur.com/m4odenm.jpg)
Re: Telecommuting - Evan - 02-02-2016
The tax deduction works roughly like, (this is for self employed, being an employee might be slightly more restrictive but it should be very similar)
you have to have a dedicated workspace that you ONLY use for business. so if thats where you fap, play video games, read gawker, social justice warrior, exercise your privilege, etc you cant deduct it.
you divide the square footage of your dedicated workspace by the square footage of the entire house which gives you a % of your house that is used for business
you apply that % to your housing costs minus what you already deduct in interest, prop tax etc and there is your deduction.
that means that if you own, you are already deducting your mortgage interest and property tax (which is the lions share of your mortgage payment)
so you are deducting a very small portion of a pretty small part of your payment. usually turns out to be almost nothing.
last year mine was barely even worth the calculation.
a lot of people mess this up and deduct the interest portion twice, which is begging for an audit.
if you rent, im guessing you can deduct the % of your rent straight up, but ive never been in that situation so look it up.
Re: Telecommuting - Mike - 02-02-2016
i do fap at work, but come at me to prove it. i'll take my $60 reduction in taxes.
i turbotax because i'm lazy so i just plug in the square footage for the standard home office deduction.
Re: Telecommuting - SlimKlim - 02-02-2016
Mike Wrote:i do fap at work, but come at me to prove it.
![[Image: archer-phrasing.jpg]](http://www.desipio.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/archer-phrasing.jpg)