With Sydney COVID-19 numbers sadly rising, millions of Sydneysiders have found themselves thrown into lockdown once again. We may all be pros at Zoom with our business looks on top and tracksuits on the bottom, but have you had a chance to work out your work from home desk situation? Lighting truly is everything. It can brighten up your space, and make you look more awake when you’ve rolled out of bed at 8:50 am for a 9 am start time (no shame)! Professional lighting will improve the quality of your video calls and your co-workers will notice.
Luckily, Hypop delivers a wide range of photography lighting and photography equipment from some of the most reputable Australian and international brands on the market. Their mission is to inspire you to create through their products, with everything from complete photography kits, video light kits, ring lights, continuous lighting, flash strobe lighting, and more! Who said your brand new handy dandy ring light had to be used for work? Your TikToks dance challenges will be the envy of any millennial in lockdown.
So splurge a little with a little lockdown purchase and pimp your home office ring lights, microphones and backdrops that could all be considered work-related expenses for some remote workers. Now is the best time to pimp your home office space with tax-deductible home office equipment. With Zoom calls now the norm, Mr Taxman, Adrian Raftery says equipment that enhances the quality of your video calls for work purposes, from speakers and headsets, right through to video bars and ring lights, could fall under the category of a work expense when it comes to tax time.
“When it comes to claiming a tax deduction the rules are clear – any items claimed need to be used for work purposes. And the fact is, the pandemic has changed what work looks like. Employees and business owners alike are conducting their business via video conferencing, so any equipment that enhances your clarity and professional image can arguably be considered a tax-deductible expense, subject to personal usage and depreciation rules.” said Adrian Raftery, Principal of Mr Taxman. “Of course, every case is unique so anyone working from home – whether as an employee or business owner – should speak to their accountant about what will or won’t be tax-deductible before making an EOFY purchase,” he added.
Rob Ranoa, Founder of Hypop – a specialist photography equipment store – has seen a significant uptick in the number of remote workers and business owners who’ve invested in professional lighting for work purposes over the last year.
“Home offices are often not very well lit when compared with traditional offices, and webcams are so small they don’t capture much light, which means remote workers often appear dark, grainy and unflattering on video calls. Over the last year, we’ve received a spike in inquiries from remote workers looking for ring lights or conference lighting kits in order to improve their appearance and look more professional on conference calls – particularly for more professional settings, such as giving a presentation or liaising with clients with two below options.
Hypop’s Skype Video Conference Lighting Kit
With more people now working from home due to COVID-19, it’s important to look your best on video calls; but most webcams are very small and don’t capture much light. Hypop’s Skype Video Conferencing Desk Lighting Kit – which works for Zoom, Google Hangouts, and any other video conferencing app – gives you professional lighting to improve the quality of your video calls.
Hypop’s Dual Mount 6-inch Ring Light Kit
Hypop’s six-inch ring light is the perfect home office ring light. Featuring three colour temperature modes you can seamlessly switch between natural daylight to a warmer sun-kissed hue. Tailor your light even more with the dimming switch allowing you to finely tune your lighting to get the optimum look. It’s easy to use and is a great addition to any video call or live streaming set-up. Plus the double mount is perfect for those who want to live stream to two platforms at the same time!
Happy Zooming!