Homeworkers are set to benefit from tax breaks, HM Revenue and Customs has revealed.

A proportion of 'fixed costs', such as mortgage interest, council tax and home insurance, can be claimed against the income of home businesses if certain criteria are met.

These include the amount claimed being reasonable in terms of the business and the home being used for work for a prescribed period of time.

Claire Burdett, founder of Funky Angel, a web site for parents who work at home, said: "This is news to celebrate over, because it is a firm indication that the powers that be are getting behind the work-at-home trend in the UK and beginning to try and help."

She added that pressures such as rising fuel prices, job insecurity and the credit crunch are causing more people to work from home.

Research carried out by Opera Software indicates men are nine times as likely as women to use the internet on their mobile phones.


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