You may be able to deduct the cost for the expenses paid to travel for work. To take the deduction for lodging as a business expense, you consider the length of time you spend at each location. You may take the deduction for travel expenses paid or incurred related to a temporary work assignment away from home. However, you cannot deduct travel expenses paid associated with an indefinite work assignment. A work assignment in excess of one year is considered indefinite.
You cannot claim the deduction if your tax home is in the city or location in which you work. Your tax home is the city or general area where your main place of business or work is located, regardless of where you maintain your permanent home.
An example from the IRS Topic.
"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 is your tax home. Your travel on weekends to your family home in Chicago is not 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."
For more information, please visit the IRS topic on Business Travel Expenses and Travel.
Enter these items in Job-Related Expenses under Deductions & Credits.
- Select Federal Taxes (Personal in the Home & Business edition).
- In Online TurboTax, click the bars at the upper left corner to show Federal Taxes on the selection list; enlarge the screen if needed to show the left side selection list.
- Select Deductions & Credits, and in the next screen, click I'll choose what I work on.
- Scroll down the Deductions & Credits screen until you see the Employment Expenses group.
- Click on the Start/Update button next to the Job-Related Expenses category.
- Follow the prompts.
