By MoneyBees
IRAS lets employees claim the extra electricity, phone and WiFi costs of working from home when the employer requires it and does not pay them back. Work out what you can claim on IRAS's method and the tax it saves you.
In your household.
A month before you started.
Average month, after U-Save.
Only if you set it up to work from home. 0 if you had it before.
You can claim
$360.00
as an employment expense
Tax saved
$25.20
at your 7% top rate
Claim a month
$30.00
just you
Over 12 months, your extra electricity comes to $360.00, phone $0.00 and WiFi $0.00. You can claim $360.00, which cuts your tax from $1,712.00 to $1,686.80.
Claim it in your tax return under Employment Income and Expenses, then Employment Expenses. Keep the bills for 5 years; IRAS does not accept estimates.
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| Expense | Claimable? |
|---|---|
| Extra electricity | Yes: the bill now less the bill before |
| Extra phone and telecom charges | Yes: the increase |
| WiFi set up to work from home | Yes: the monthly fee, even if you also use it privately |
| WiFi you had before | No |
| Installation or connection fees | No: capital in nature |
| Furniture, computer and peripherals | No: capital in nature |
| Water and gas | No: private |
| Anything your employer pays back | No |
From IRAS's employment expenses page and its FAQs on working from home. Shared bills are split equally among the people in the household working from home.
IRAS's own example: Ms A worked from home from April to June 2025. Her electricity bill was S$170 in March, then S$210, S$220 and S$250. She claims (210 - 170) + (220 - 170) + (250 - 170) = S$170 for YA2026. If her husband also worked from home, each claims S$85.
On a S$6,000 monthly salary at 30, the top rate is 7%, so a S$170 claim saves about S$11.90 of tax.
Yes, if your employer requires you to work from home and does not pay the costs back. IRAS lets you claim the extra electricity and telecom charges, and WiFi set up to work from home, as an employment expense.
Compare your bills before and after you started working from home. IRAS's example: a S$50 bill that becomes S$60 lets you claim the S$10 difference. Net off any U-Save rebate first.
Only if you set it up so you could work from home. You can then claim the monthly fee even if you also use it privately. WiFi you already had cannot be claimed, and installation or connection fees never can.
No. IRAS treats furniture, computers and peripherals as capital, so they are not deductible employment expenses. Water and gas are private and cannot be claimed either.
IRAS accepts an equal split of shared bills among the people working from home. In its example, a S$170 claim becomes S$85 each for a couple.
Yes. IRAS says allowances from employers, such as a monthly WiFi allowance, are taxable as part of your employment income. A reimbursement of costs you spent for work is not taxable, but you cannot claim it as well.
In your tax return, under Employment Income and Expenses, select Add New and then Employment Expenses. Keep complete records for 5 years; IRAS does not accept estimates.
The claim comes off your income, so it saves the claim times your top tax rate. At a 7% top rate, a S$360 claim saves S$25.20.
These calculators provide general estimates for educational purposes only and are not personalised financial advice. Results may rely on rates and rules that change over time, so verify against official sources (IRAS, CPF Board, HDB, MAS) or consult a licensed financial adviser before making decisions.
Junxiong-WFG Organisation is an authorised representative of AIA Financial Advisers Private Limited (Reg. No. 201715016G).