| By Kevin Purdy Top 10 End-of-Year Office Upgrades (You Can Probably Write Off)
Photo by jnyemb. Republished from end of December, 2009, but we think you'll find that all of these upgrades still have their place. We have to point out that none of the Lifehacker editors are tax preparers, accountants, or financial advisors. Most of us pay taxes as freelancers, and have grown used to the idea of deducting everything we use to get our jobs done from our independent income. If you've got a sideline or freelance business, or itemized business deductions, shopping for some of these purchases—if you need them—could make a lot of sense before the year is up, but consult with a professional before dropping any serious cash in the hopes of a big tax move. For another take on end-of-year tax moves, check out Gina's list of essentials for 2009. 10. Plants, lights, and other soft touches
9. A better keyboard and mouse
8. Second (or third) monitor
7. USB car adapter
6. Label maker
5. Filing cabinet makeover supplies
4. Serious, extra battery for a laptop or smartphone
3. External hard drives and online storage
2. A really nice office chair
1. Pay for apps you've put off buying
What business or office purchases have you previously made with the end of the year in sight? How are you spending your no-time-left funds next week? Give us your game plan in the comments.
| December 30th, 2010 Top Stories
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By this time next week, it'll be next year—and too late to turn a great investment in your work life into a lower tax burden in April. Splurge wisely on yourself with these write-off-friendly wishlist items.
It's easy to think that the only way to upgrade an office is to come home with a box from OffiStapleDepot. Grab some plants that 
Your keyboard and mouse still work, but do they actually feel good to use? Do they just function, or do they manage to get entirely out of your way and reduce friction between thought and computer action? Enough said—check out 
ZDNet columnist and writer of all-things-Microsoft Ed Bott 
This one's not much in the way of cost, unless your family's got a fleet. Then again, you'll be glad you can charge any gadget that accepts any kind of USB connection as a power source, all for the price of 
Why do label makers capture the hearts of geeks and make organizing actually, sometimes, enjoyable? Because handwriting is often awful and looks unprofessional, and because cutting Post-It notes into little strips is monotonous. Gina has 
If you don't have a filing cabinet, buy one. If you have one that's just acting as a side table for your papers and coffee mugs, you need to 
It's the smartest thing I've ever done for myself, at least as far as computers are concerned. My ThinkPad came with a standard six-cell battery, that held a decent charge, at first. But since it's my main work computer, it sat with a charge constantly connected, and didn't age that well when consistently exposed to the system's own heat, or some other abuse I leveled upon it. So I bought a bigger nine-cell battery, wrote it off, but kept it in 
If you've got a Time Machine capsule or a big enough USB drive, and you remember to back it up constantly, then you've got your data security training wheels on. If you don't have a storage space in a separate physical location, you're still just 
You and your office chair are probably pretty close. Find a chair that's not an expense-account-draining special, like certain brands fronted with a particular gentleman's name (what is it, German Ziller?), but does more for your back than just stand behind it. You can find chairs that offer the same kind of lumbar support and breathe-able fabric, as we 
We've always felt that great software can, and should, be free, but some great software can be made better with a premium edition or subscription. Among the apps we've paid for, or reviewed in spite of costing (gasp!) actual money, are virtualization solutions like 
