Your home office

Working from home is now routine for many Australians. These guides cover setting up a safe, comfortable home office, fitting a workable desk into a small space, how the ATO treats desks and chairs, and your rights when buying furniture.

Guides in this section

• Setting up a home office A practical checklist.
• Desks for small spaces Making the most of apartments and shared rooms.
• Home office desks and tax deductions How the ATO rules work.
• Buying a desk: your rights and product safety Consumer guarantees, delivery and toppling furniture.

A home office checklist

WorkSafe Victoria's working from home safety and wellbeing checklist covers the work surface, an adjustable chair with a five-point base and lumbar support, desk height and leg room, keyboard and mouse placement, monitor height and distance, glare, laptop stands, the environment and wellbeing.

Tax

The ATO says you can claim office furniture such as a desk or chair used for work. Items costing $300 or less, used more than 50% for work, may be claimed immediately; items over $300 are claimed as decline in value. The fixed rate for running expenses doesn't cover furniture, which is claimed separately.

Buying rights

The ACCC explains that consumer guarantees entitle you to a repair, replacement or refund if a product is faulty, unsafe or not as described, even if it has a warranty.

Safety at home

The ACCC recommends anchoring furniture that can topple, such as bookcases and hutches, and keeping heavy items low. Keep cables tidy and power boards not overloaded, as Safe Work Australia's infographic advises.

Five things worth knowing

1. Set up in order: chair first, then desk, then keyboard and mouse, then screen.
2. Desk surface just below seated elbow height. If the desk is fixed, raise the chair and use a footrest.
3. Screen about an arm's length away, directly in front, with eye level slightly below the top.
4. Vary your posture. Too much sitting or too much standing is bad for your health, says Safe Work Australia.
5. Desks and chairs used for work may be tax deductible, but only the work-related portion. Check the ATO.

A desk is part of a system

A desk on its own can't make you comfortable. It works together with your chair, footrest, screen, keyboard, mouse, lighting and the way you work. The best desk in the world won't help if the chair is too low or the screen is on the far corner. That's why our guides cover the whole workstation, from choosing a desk to setting it up and building movement into your day.

Common mistakes to avoid

A few mistakes come up again and again. Buying a desk that's too shallow for a monitor forces the screen too close. Working all day on a laptop flat on the desk pulls the head forward. Choosing a sit-stand desk without checking its height range leaves taller and shorter people uncomfortable. Standing all day swaps one static posture for another. And forgetting to anchor tall shelving or hutches creates a toppling risk at home. Each of these is easy to avoid once you know what to look for.

Home office on a budget

You don't need to spend a lot to work comfortably at home. Prioritise an adjustable chair, a way to raise your screen to eye level and a separate keyboard and mouse if you use a laptop. A stable footrest helps if your feet don't reach the floor. Check whether your employer provides equipment or an allowance before buying, and keep receipts in case you can claim the work-related portion at tax time.

Working from home and your employer

Employers have work health and safety duties for workers working from home, so far as is reasonably practicable. Many have working from home policies, checklists and equipment support. If your home setup is causing discomfort, talk to your employer.

Separating work and home

Safe Work Australia's workstation infographic encourages a dedicated workspace and switching off at the end of the day. A desk you can tidy or screen off helps separate work from home life, especially in small spaces.

Lighting and comfort

Good lighting reduces eye strain. Combine natural light with a desk lamp, keep bright windows to the side of your screen rather than behind or in front of it, and keep the room at a comfortable temperature, as Safe Work Australia's infographic suggests.

About these guides

Office Desks is an independent information site about choosing and setting up office desks in Australia. We aren't a furniture retailer, manufacturer, ergonomist, government agency or tax adviser, and we don't sell furniture or review brands. Our guides are general information written in our own words, with official sources listed on every page. They're not health, legal or tax advice.

How we keep these guides current

We review each guide against its sources and show the date it was last checked. Workplace guidance and ATO rates are updated from time to time. If you notice something out of date, please tell us through our contact page, and we'll check and correct it.

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