How do I use the standard meal allowance to deduct my business meal expenses?
Instead of deducting the actual cost of your meals while traveling away from home, you can use the standard meal allowance for your daily meals and incidental expenses. Under this method, you deduct a specified amount, depending on where you travel, instead of keeping records of your actual meal expenses. However, you still need to keep records to prove the time, place, and business purpose of your travel.
The standard meal allowance is the federal M&IE rate. You can find these rates at www.gsa.gov . Here, you can find the per diem rates that are based on the location and date that you enter. Also, see IRS Publication 463 for details on how to figure your deduction using the standard meal allowance, including special rules for partial days of travel. For special per diem rates and rules of high cost locales, see Internal Revenue Bulletins 2023-68 and 2024-68 .
The standard meal allowance is the federal M&IE rate. You can find these rates at www.gsa.gov . Here, you can find the per diem rates that are based on the location and date that you enter. Also, see IRS Publication 463 for details on how to figure your deduction using the standard meal allowance, including special rules for partial days of travel. For special per diem rates and rules of high cost locales, see Internal Revenue Bulletins 2023-68 and 2024-68 .
