meal deduction

[Cards1982]

As an independent courier driver, how much in meals per day are you allowed to deduct?

[Opus 17]

You can’t deduct meals just driving around town because you would have to eat anyway, and ordinary living expenses are not deductible. (You could bring a brown bag lunch instead of paying for take out, for example.) You are only allowed to deduct meals if you have traveled far enough away from home that you require an overnight stay. In that case, you can deduct 50% of your actual meal cost or 50% of the federal meal & incidentals rate, which can be found on the IRS website. 

[Cards1982]

Thank you for your response. Would you answer this please, How does this apply if I am driving to the outer parts of my state and not close to my home for the majority of my day? Thank you

[Opus 17]

@Cards1982 

It doesn’t matter. Read publication 463. Chapter 1 discusses travel expenses. Travel expenses are when you travel away from your main work area long enough that an overnight stay is required or at least reasonable for you to do your work. Meals and lodging are deductible when you are traveling away from your main work area.

Chapter 4 discusses transportation. Transportation is local transportation back-and-forth from work within your local work area. Even if your local work area is very large, if you don’t end up staying overnight, your meals are not deductible work expenses.