u/Accomplished_Walk832

Hi everyone,

I’m considering registering a sole prop. I want to open a business bank account to better manage my finance and tax.

I’m working remotely from home and my monthly income comes from overseas clients.

I’ve invested in my work setup: PC, software, peripherals, subscriptions, and I’m still below/within 24% tax bracket, so setting up a Sdn Bhd isn’t something I’d consider right now.

CMIIW, from what I’ve read:

• In Peninsular Malaysia, you can register a sole prop with SSM and use your home address.
• In Sarawak, it seems different. You need a trading license from the local council. Is it true that you must have an office address and cannot use your home address?

My situation:

• I work from home, using electricity and internet subscriptions, and I’d like to claim a portion of these plus a portion of house rent as business expenses. Please let me know if this is not right. I want to sleep well at night.
• I also travel occasionally to meet clients overseas.
• If I cannot use my home address, does that mean I can only claim capital expenses (like my PC purchase) but not operating expenses (like rent, utilities, internet) even though I have a dedicated workspace?

If home addresses are not allowed, what are the practical options? Renting a shop or office space just to meet licensing requirements feels inefficient for remote work.

I’d love to hear from others in Sarawak who are in the same shoes. How do you handle this, and how do you file your taxes properly?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

TL;DR: I want to register a sole prop in Sarawak, but I’m unsure if I can use my home address and still claim home office expenses.

ive posted this on malaysianpf but i cant use the repost button to this sr. hence the manual repost

Hi everyone,

I’m considering registering a sole prop in Sarawak. I want to open a business bank account to better manage my finance and tax.

I’m working remotely from home and my monthly income comes from overseas clients.

I’ve invested in my work setup: PC, software, peripherals, subscriptions, and I’m still below/within 24% tax bracket, so setting up a Sdn Bhd isn’t something I’d consider right now.

CMIIW, from what I’ve read:

• In Peninsular Malaysia, you can register a sole prop with SSM and use your home address.
• In Sarawak, it seems different. You need a trading license from the local council. Is it true that you must have an office address and cannot use your home address?

My situation:

• I work from home, using electricity and internet subscriptions, and I’d like to claim a portion of these plus a portion of house rent as business expenses. Please let me know if this is not right. I want to sleep well at night.
• I also travel occasionally to meet clients overseas.
• If I cannot use my home address, does that mean I can only claim capital expenses (like my PC purchase) but not operating expenses (like rent, utilities, internet) even though I have a dedicated workspace?

If home addresses are not allowed, what are the practical options? Renting a shop or office space just to meet licensing requirements feels inefficient for remote work.

I’d love to hear from others who are in the same shoes. How do you handle this, and how do you file your taxes properly?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

TL;DR: I want to register a sole prop in Sarawak, but I’m unsure if I can use my home address and still claim home office expenses.