Comments on: Ownership of Laptops for Work http://etbe.coker.com.au/2009/09/04/ownership-laptops-work/ Linux, politics, and other interesting things Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:09:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Capn http://etbe.coker.com.au/2009/09/04/ownership-laptops-work/comment-page-1/#comment-20683 Capn Fri, 11 Sep 2009 04:51:33 +0000 http://etbe.coker.com.au/?p=1358#comment-20683 Hi Russell, I'd like to offer two vignettes as counterexamples to your advice on how to "porn-proof" a business PC. I have an EeePC 701, with the 7 inch display. It kept me sane when I was living in China last year, some 8800 km from my family. It also quite satisfactorily displayed flesh-toned images and video, and that kept me sane too. 7 inches was quite sufficient. On the other hand, since I find it hard to concentrate on anything mundane for more than 10 minutes unless I have repetitive music to keep me focused (thanks inherited ADHD genes!), providing me with a work machine incapable of sound would cause a major productivity loss for me. Rather than locking down PCs, I'd be much more interested in creating a workplace where people were motivated to work, and therefore had less incentive to surf porn (or any other non-work related site), and a healthy workplace culture where the legal and OH&S implications of off-work sites was understood. Educate, don't regulate! Hi Russell,

I’d like to offer two vignettes as counterexamples to your advice on how to “porn-proof” a business PC.

I have an EeePC 701, with the 7 inch display. It kept me sane when I was living in China last year, some 8800 km from my family. It also quite satisfactorily displayed flesh-toned images and video, and that kept me sane too. 7 inches was quite sufficient.

On the other hand, since I find it hard to concentrate on anything mundane for more than 10 minutes unless I have repetitive music to keep me focused (thanks inherited ADHD genes!), providing me with a work machine incapable of sound would cause a major productivity loss for me.

Rather than locking down PCs, I’d be much more interested in creating a workplace where people were motivated to work, and therefore had less incentive to surf porn (or any other non-work related site), and a healthy workplace culture where the legal and OH&S implications of off-work sites was understood. Educate, don’t regulate!

]]> By: Don Marti http://etbe.coker.com.au/2009/09/04/ownership-laptops-work/comment-page-1/#comment-20613 Don Marti Sat, 05 Sep 2009 21:46:10 +0000 http://etbe.coker.com.au/?p=1358#comment-20613 Check with your local tax expert, but my understanding is that in the USA, if it's a requirement of work and you buy it on your own, and the total you spent on work equipment is below a certain level, you can deduct the whole value immediately, as "Section 179 Property" http://www.irs.gov/publications/p946/ch02.html The employer buys more, so is more likely to be over the Section 179 limit. Over the limit, instead of deducting the whole price right away, the company has to book the computer as an asset and take depreciation, which I think has to be over 3 years for a computer. Check with your local tax expert, but my understanding is that in the USA, if it’s a requirement of work and you buy it on your own, and the total you spent on work equipment is below a certain level, you can deduct the whole value immediately, as “Section 179 Property”

http://www.irs.gov/publications/p946/ch02.html

The employer buys more, so is more likely to be over the Section 179 limit. Over the limit, instead of deducting the whole price right away, the company has to book the computer as an asset and take depreciation, which I think has to be over 3 years for a computer.

]]> By: niczar http://etbe.coker.com.au/2009/09/04/ownership-laptops-work/comment-page-1/#comment-20612 niczar Sat, 05 Sep 2009 21:28:31 +0000 http://etbe.coker.com.au/?p=1358#comment-20612 I'm not sure I understand what you mean. But if you're trying to get the tax man to believe that a laptop is worth €50, it's not likely to work. I’m not sure I understand what you mean. But if you’re trying to get the tax man to believe that a laptop is worth €50, it’s not likely to work.

]]> By: etbe http://etbe.coker.com.au/2009/09/04/ownership-laptops-work/comment-page-1/#comment-20611 etbe Sat, 05 Sep 2009 20:56:39 +0000 http://etbe.coker.com.au/?p=1358#comment-20611 niczar: So if the company deducted their cost of buying a laptop minus E50 from your salary and then offered to sell the laptop to you for E50 if you left the company or needed a new one, how would that go for tax? niczar: So if the company deducted their cost of buying a laptop minus E50 from your salary and then offered to sell the laptop to you for E50 if you left the company or needed a new one, how would that go for tax?

]]> By: niczar http://etbe.coker.com.au/2009/09/04/ownership-laptops-work/comment-page-1/#comment-20608 niczar Sat, 05 Sep 2009 00:59:38 +0000 http://etbe.coker.com.au/?p=1358#comment-20608 To be clear, you can get your employer to reimburse your expenses (usually, travel expenses and the like), but then from an accounting point of view it belongs to the company. And if they let you keep it, it's considered part of your income and you're supposed to report it on your tax form and pay taxes on it. To be clear, you can get your employer to reimburse your expenses (usually, travel expenses and the like), but then from an accounting point of view it belongs to the company. And if they let you keep it, it’s considered part of your income and you’re supposed to report it on your tax form and pay taxes on it.

]]> By: niczar http://etbe.coker.com.au/2009/09/04/ownership-laptops-work/comment-page-1/#comment-20607 niczar Sat, 05 Sep 2009 00:54:30 +0000 http://etbe.coker.com.au/?p=1358#comment-20607 <i>niczar: In Australia a personal purchase of anything which is essential for work is tax deductable, I expect that most countries work that way. I expect that if you sent the French tax office a copy of an employment contract saying “you must bring your own laptop to work” then they would let you tax deduct it.</i> No, it definitely does not. Trust me, I know. And you wouldn't get the 20% VAT back anyway. Nor the insurance/retirement fund. niczar: In Australia a personal purchase of anything which is essential for work is tax deductable, I expect that most countries work that way. I expect that if you sent the French tax office a copy of an employment contract saying “you must bring your own laptop to work” then they would let you tax deduct it.

No, it definitely does not. Trust me, I know. And you wouldn’t get the 20% VAT back anyway. Nor the insurance/retirement fund.

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