Keeping Records for Out-of-Town Business Travel

• Posted on April 25, 2008
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Out-of-town expenses are the ordinary and necessary expenses of traveling away from "home" overnight in pursuit of your employment, trade, or business. Your home is generally considered to be the entire city or general area where your principal place of business or employment is located. Out-of-town expenses include transportation, meals, lodging, tips, and miscellaneous items like laundry, valet, etc.

Document away-from-home expenses by noting the date, destination, and business purpose of your trip. Record business miles if you drove to the out-of-town location. In addition, keep a detailed record of your expenses - lodging, public transportation, meals, etc. Always list meals and lodging separately in your records. Receipts must be retained for each lodging expense. However, if any other business expense is less than $75, a receipt is not necessary if you record all the information in a timely diary. You must keep track of the full amount of meal expenses, even though only a portion of the amount may be deductible.