Day Trips Are Never Business Travel: The Sleep-or-Rest Rule That Erases Your Meal Deduction
Day trips are never business travel under the IRS sleep-or-rest rule: same-day meals are nondeductible and day-trip per diems are taxable wages.
#per-diem
Per Diem
Per diem rates, tracking, and expense reimbursement
Flight Crew Taxes: The Pilot and Flight Attendant Guide to Per Diem, Crash Pads, and Multi-State Income
IRS rules let flight crew exclude per diem up to the $80 transportation rate, deny crash-pad deductions, and limit state tax to two states.
IRS Raises High-Low Per Diem to $329/$230 on October 1: What Notice 2026-60 Means for Your Accountable Plan
IRS Notice 2026-60 lifts high-low per diem to $329 high-cost and $230 elsewhere from Oct 1, 2026; meal rates stay $86/$74. Update your accountable plan now.
GSA Raised FY2027 Per Diem Rates to $181 a Day: Update Your Accountable Plan Before October 1
GSA's FY2027 standard per diem is $181/day — $113 lodging plus $68 M&IE from October 1. Update your accountable plan or the IRS taxes them as wages.
The Owner-Operator Trucker's 2026 Per Diem Deduction: Why You Deduct 80%, Not 50%
Owner-operators deduct 80% of the $80 IRS transportation per diem rate — $64 a day — not 50%. Claim only overnight days and prorate partial days at 75%.
Per Diem vs. Actual Expenses: A Small Business Guide to Audit-Proof Travel Reimbursements
For fiscal 2026 the IRS high-low per diem rates are $319/day (high-cost) and $225/day (standard), unchanged from the prior year. Per diem stays tax-free only under an accountable plan's three rules — business connection, substantiation within 60 days, and return of excess within 120 days.
Professional Speaker and Keynote Business Bookkeeping: A Practical Guide for Independent Thought Leaders
A bookkeeping guide for independent speakers and keynote artists, covering entity selection, revenue recognition across engagement fees and royalties, multi-state nexus, Section 274 travel substantiation, Section 179 studio equipment, and the KPIs that separate sustainable practices from feast-or-famine cycles.
Independent Hospice Agency Bookkeeping: Medicare Per-Diem Revenue, the Aggregate Cap, and the KPIs That Matter
A practical accounting guide for independent hospice and palliative care agencies — covering Medicare per-diem revenue recognition under ASC 606, the aggregate cap under 42 CFR 418.309, the inpatient cap, hospice wage index labor allocation, ZPIC/SMRC/RAC recoupment reserves, bereavement and foundation income segregation, and the NHPCO benchmark KPIs that boards and lenders track.
Section 274(n) Meals and Entertainment After TCJA: 100, 50, and Zero-Percent Categories, and the 2026 Section 274(o) Cliff
A working guide to Section 274's four meal deduction rates—100%, 80%, 50%, and zero—and the 2026 Section 274(o) cliff that ended the employer deduction for breakroom snacks, catered office lunches, and convenience-of-employer meals.
Tax Planning for Travel Nurses: Tax Home, the One-Year Rule, Per Diem Stipends, and Multi-State Filing
A practical breakdown of how travel nurses keep housing and meal stipends tax-free — covering the IRS tax home rule, the 12-month assignment cliff, duplicate-expense documentation, multi-state nonresident returns, and which states have reciprocity agreements.
Section 162(a)(2): How the Tax Home Rule and One-Year Test Decide Whether Your Travel Is Deductible
A 2026 field guide to Section 162(a)(2) travel deductions — how the tax home rule, the temporary-vs-indefinite test, and the one-year rule determine whether consultants, traveling nurses, and other mobile workers can deduct lodging, meals, and per diem.
The Accountable Plan: How S-Corp Owners Reimburse Themselves Tax-Free for Home Office, Mileage, and Travel
A working IRS-compliant accountable plan lets S-Corp owners reimburse home office, 72.5¢/mile mileage, internet, and travel tax-free—turning otherwise-lost expenses into deductible corporate spending. This guide covers the three §1.62-2 requirements, a worked $3,126 home office calculation, the five mistakes that get plans reclassified as wages, and the monthly bookkeeping rhythm that keeps it audit-proof.