Since you are a DOT employee:
Enter Perdiem as Meal Expenses covered by the department of transportation Rules - you would enter you total meal expenses in that section.
- Federal Taxes
- Deductions & Credits
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Job-related Expenses - follow the interview screen, on Do any of these uncommon situations apply, be sure to indicate that you are in the transportation industry - You are in the transportation industry if your work involves moving people or goods by airplane, barge, ship, bus, train or truck. Follow the questions, enter your total perdiem (reduced by your employer's reimbursement) in Meal Expenses covered by the department of transportation Rules (see pics). Please enter the full amount, 80% of it will be automatically reflected as your deduction.
To figure your unreimbursed DOT per diem, simply subtract your employer's reimbursement (if any) from the DOT rates ($59 or $65 if outside the continental U.S.) and multiply by the number of full days you were on the road. For details and how to count partial days, please use the link below:
https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/2541196-where-do-i-enter-my-department-of-transportation-dot-per-d...
Also, the GSA website lists rates by location if you would like those. Note that lower rates apply for the first and last days of travel.
