Title pretty much says it all:
I'm a salaried bar manager and also have a love of beer. If I went to a brewery to sample their drinks with the hope of finding something to bring in to my bar would that be considered a valid expense? Or would it be better to look at my company reimbursing me for it?
Thanks!
No-----trying beers at other establishments is not deductible for you. You say you are a salaried employee. The tax laws dating from tax year 2018 say that W-2 employees cannot deduct job-related expenses on a federal tax return.
W-2 employees cannot deduct job-related expenses on a federal return. Job-related expenses were eliminated as a federal deduction for W-2 employees by the tax laws that changed for 2018 and beyond. Your state tax laws might be different in AL, AR, CA, HI, MN, NY or PA.
Your employer can reimburse you on a tax-free basis, if your employer has an “accountable reimbursement plan” (which means you provide receipts to prove that the expenses are work-related) and assuming of course that the employer considers the expenses to actually be work-related.