Travel Expenses
Travel expenses are the ordinary and necessary expenses of traveling away from home for your business, profession, or job. Once you have determined that you are traveling away from your tax home, you can determine what travel expenses are deductible.
You can deduct ordinary and necessary expenses you have when you travel away from home on business. The type of expense you can deduct depends on the facts and your circumstances.
Table 1-1. Travel Expenses You Can Deduct
| This chart summarizes expenses you can deduct when you travel away from home for business purposes. | |
| IF you have expenses for… | THEN you can deduct the cost of… |
| transportation | travel by airplane, train, bus, or car between your home and your business destination. If you were provided with a free ticket or you are riding free as a result of a frequent traveler or similar program, your cost is zero. If you travel by ship, see Luxury Water Travel and Cruise Ships (under Conventions) for additional rules and limits. |
| taxi, commuter bus, and airport limousine | fares for these and other types of transportation that take you between:
· The airport or station and your hotel, and · The hotel and the work location of your customers or clients, your business meeting place, or your temporary work location. |
| baggage and shipping | sending baggage and sample or display material between your regular and temporary work locations. |
| car | operating and maintaining your car when traveling away from home on business. You can deduct actual expenses or the standard mileage rate, as well as business-related tolls and parking. If you rent a car while away from home on business, you can deduct only the business-use portion of the expenses. |
| lodging and meals | your lodging and meals if your business trip is overnight or long enough that you need to stop for sleep or rest to properly perform your duties. Meals include amounts spent for food, beverages, taxes, and related tips. See Meals for additional rules and limits. |
| cleaning | dry cleaning and laundry. |
| telephone | business calls while on your business trip. This includes business communication by fax machine or other communication devices. |
| tips | tips you pay for any expenses in this chart. |
| other | other similar ordinary and necessary expenses related to your business travel. These expenses might include transportation to or from a business meal, public stenographer’s fees, computer rental fees, and operating and maintaining a house trailer. |
https://www.irs.gov/publications/p463/ch01.html
https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc511.html
https://www.irs.gov/publications/p463/ch01.html#en_US_2015_publink100033773