You are correct. In fact, in some localities the amount you may receive could be higher. And, while your company is giving you a per diem for food, the Federal Government gives a per diem for lodging as well. On this government website: Per Diem Rates - GSA (click on link), you may see the specific rates for any place for which you had overnight stays. You will use 2016 for rates from January to September, and 2017 rates for October through December.
To enter into TurboTax, you will need the section of the program which can be accessed by following the instructions in this FAQ: https://ttlc.intuit.com/replies/4800418. Once you are there, you will want to look for the screen and the entry boxes that I will attach to the end of this answer.
You will enter the full per diem amounts (multiply the per diem rates by the number of overnights), and then put the totals into the lodging and meals categories. You will get the full amount for the lodging and 50% for the meals. Later, you enter the amount of reimbursement you received. The left-over that was not reimbursed is potentially deductible, especially if you are already itemizing as compared to taking the standard deduction.
Here is the screenshot that shows where to enter this (you do have to do the math first, however):
**Say "Thanks" by clicking the thumb icon in a post
**Mark the post that answers your question by clicking on "Mark as Best Answer"
Sign In
