DianeW
Expert Alumni

Get your taxes done using TurboTax

You can use a standard meal allowance instead of keeping all of your receipts.  

  • Amount of standard meal allowance. The standard meal allowance is the federal M&IE rate. For travel in 2017, the rate for most small localities in the United States is $51 a day. You can use this for all days if you choose. Meals are allowed to be used at a maximum of 50%, enter the full amount and TurboTax will do the calculation.
  • You can choose to look up each city and the number of days to use the actual rate per city.

You can also deduct other expenses that were not reimbursed that directly related to this business trip.  TurboTax will ask you questions.

To record your meal allowance you can use the steps below.  These employee business expenses are used as a miscellaneous expense, subject to 2% of the adjusted gross income (AGI).  The excess will be added with other expenses used on itemized deductions.  If the standard deduction is a greater benefit for you, TurboTax will use the best method for you.

https://ttlc.intuit.com/replies/4800418

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