You finally did it! You quit your old job and ventured out on your own. But, as you know, hanging out a shingle can be scary. The success of your business is in your hands when you're self-employed, so you need to take advantage of whatever assistance is available. That includes help lowering your tax bill.

Now that you've gone into business for yourself, check out these seven ways to make the tax laws work for you.

Home-Office Deductions

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Whether you are fully self-employed or do some freelancing in addition to your job as an employee, if you work at home the government might subsidize what are generally considered personal expenses.

The key to the home-office deduction is to use part of your home or apartment regularly and exclusively for