What is the difference between office supplies and office expense?
Rachel Davis
Updated on January 04, 2026
Office Expenses are costs related to the operation of your business. These include items such as web site services, computer software, domain names, merchant fees, desktop computers, etc. Supplies are items that aid in the operation of your business. …
Are supplies and supplies expense the same thing?
In general, supplies are considered a current asset until the point at which they’re used. Once supplies are used, they are converted to an expense. The business would then record the supplies used during the accounting period on the income statement as Supplies Expense.
What are office supplies expense?
What is Office Supplies Expense? Office supplies expense is the amount of administrative supplies charged to expense in a reporting period. These items are charged to expense when used; or, if the cost of supplies is immaterial, it is charged to expense when the cost is initially incurred.
What qualifies as office supplies?
As far as the IRS is concerned, office supplies are the tangible items you use and regularly replenish to conduct business in your office, including pens, paper, and printer toner. They include cleaning services, general office maintenance, and some electronics and computer hardware.
Is office supplies an asset or expense?
While they are an asset because they hold value, they are not recorded as an asset but are recorded as an expense. It’s important to keep office supplies separate from inventory expenses.
Is a cell phone an office expense?
No. Cell phone expenses are not considered home office expenses. Rather, your cell phone expenses are in their own category for deductions. If you are self-employed you will enter this expense as a business expense on your Schedule C.
How do you account for supplies?
Debit the supplies expense account for the cost of the supplies used. Balance the entry by crediting your supplies account. For example, if you used $220 in supplies, debit the supplies expense for $220 and credit supplies for an equal amount.
Is office expense a direct expense?
The direct expense of the salary would, therefore, not be variable. Direct materials and labour can be specifically traced back to a particular product. Examples of indirect expenses may include office supplies, accounting services, and utility bills. Indirect expenses can also be fixed or variable.
Can you claim office supplies on taxes?
Self-employed people can deduct office expenses on Schedule C (Form 1040) whether they work from home or not. This write-off covers office supplies, postage, computers, printers, and all the other ordinary and necessary stuff you need to run an office.
Is office equipment an expense?
Office equipment expense is the cost incurred to maintain and operate office equipment. This cost is charged to expense as incurred. Office equipment expense is usually classified within the selling, general and administrative grouping of expenses in the income statement.
Is salary expense an asset or liability?
Account Types
| Account | Type | Debit |
|---|---|---|
| SALARIES EXPENSE | Expense | Increase |
| SALARIES PAYABLE | Liability | Decrease |
| SALES | Revenue | Decrease |
| SALES DISCOUNTS | Contra Revenue | Increase |
Can I deduct my cell phone bill?
If you’re self-employed and you use your cellphone for business, you can claim the business use of your phone as a tax deduction. If 30 percent of your time on the phone is spent on business, you could legitimately deduct 30 percent of your phone bill.
Can I claim my Internet bill as a business expense?
Internet Fees If you have a website or use the internet to do business, some or all of your Internet costs may be deductible. If you or your family also use the internet for non-business purposes, you can only deduct a percentage of the costs as time used for business.
How do you record remaining supplies?
What type of account is office equipment?
fixed asset account
Office equipment is a fixed asset account in which is stored the acquisition costs of office equipment. This account is classified as a long-term asset account, since the asset costs recorded in it are expected to be held for more than one year.