On site meal deduction for LLC partners

[mtlaurel2791]

Are on site meals 100% deductible for partners in an llc? For example, partners ate on site at the llc's rental property while fixing it up for new tenants rather than going out to save time. The LLC has no employees. Thanks!

[ColeenD3]

It depends if there is travel involved.

You can deduct 50% of meal expenses related to your rental property.

When you are working on the Schedule E Rental Income and Expenses section of your return, go to the Expenses area and enter 50% of your total meal expenses as part of the travel expenses. 

[mtlaurel2791]

Thanks for responding! All partners live approximately 13 miles from the llc's rental property. LLC partners worked on the property together for long hours and took meal breaks sometimes on property to save time and sometimes off property. Can the LLC deduct any of these meals? They were all casual and not at all lavish. But I'm not sure if this counts as travel expenses. I thought these would be regular business expenses or rental expenses, but maybe I'm wrong. (I'm having a hard time determining which expenses are considered "regular" vs "rental" when our only revenue comes from renting out a property)

[ColeenD3]

No. 

From IRS Topic 511:

Generally, your tax home is the entire city or general area where your main place of business or work is located, regardless of where you maintain your family home. For example, you live with your family in Chicago but work in Milwaukee where you stay in a hotel and eat in restaurants. You return to Chicago every weekend. You may not deduct any of your travel, meals or lodging in Milwaukee because that's your tax home. Your travel on weekends to your family home in Chicago isn't for your work, so these expenses are also not deductible. If you regularly work in more than one place, your tax home is the general area where your main place of business or work is located.

Topic 511