Watch out for mixed expenses

When a business expense is of mixed use (part business and part private), you deduct only the business portion of the expense.

Here are some tips on how to calculate it.

Take the business kilometers for the year / total kilometers traveled. Note that journeys to and from work are considered private.

It's difficult to estimate business use. Therefore, take 75%, which is in line with what is recoverable in VAT on this type of good.

As with multimedia equipment, deduct 75% of your telephone and Internet subscription if you are self-employed on a principal basis, and 50% if you are self-employed on a secondary basis.

All you need to do is calculate the pro rata between the professional floor area and the total floor area of the home, including a pro rata for common rooms (e.g. toilets).

In all cases, pay your mixed expenses from your business bank account. This way, in the event of an audit, you'll avoid having to provide your private bank statements to prove the expense. If your business account is underfunded, you can simply make a loan from your private account to your business account.