Conus
 

anybody know the federal CONUS rate this year for the travel industry. think it was $52 last year, can't find it anywhere. thanx in advance.

those arent the transportation industry rates

Go to the IRS website. Per Diem rates are posted in a downloadable .pdf.
And do a search next time, I know it has been covered at this website multiple times

i did a search. dont be presumptuous next time!

Then your search skills are horrible.

That's the table I have always used. It the M&IE rate that you should be looking at.

ALPA seems to aggree with me on this one as it's the table they referrence in this article: http://www.alpa.org/DesktopModules/A...1532&Tabid=256

We are supposed to use the GSA MIE rates if you specific cities.

here you go: below are the specifics and the website address
Internal Revenue Bulletin - October 14, 2008 - Rev. Proc. 2008-59


Special rules for transportation industry. (1) In general. This section 4.04 applies to (a) a payor that pays a per diem allowance only for meal and incidental expenses for travel away from home as described in section 4.02 of this revenue procedure to an employee in the transportation industry, or (b) an employee or self-employed individual in the transportation industry who computes the amount allowable as a deduction for meal and incidental expenses for travel away from home in accordance with section 4.03 of this revenue procedure.
(2) Transportation industry defined. For purposes of this section 4.04, an employee or self-employed individual is in the transportation industry only if the employee’s or individual’s work (a) is of the type that directly involves moving people or goods by airplane, barge, bus, ship, train, or truck, and (b) regularly requires travel away from home which, during any single trip away from home, usually involves travel to localities with differing federal M&IE rates. For purposes of the preceding sentence, a payor must determine that an employee or a group of employees is in the transportation industry by using a method that is consistently applied and in accordance with reasonable business practice.
(3) Rates. A taxpayer described in section 4.04(1) of this revenue procedure may treat $52 as the federal M&IE rate for any CONUS locality of travel, and $58 as the federal M&IE rate for any OCONUS locality of travel. A payor that uses either (or both) of these special rates with respect to an employee must use the special rate(s) for all amounts subject to section 4.02 of this revenue procedure paid to that employee for travel away from home within CONUS and/or OCONUS, as the case may be, during the calendar year. Similarly, an employee or self-employed individual that uses either (or both) of these special rates must use the special rate(s) for all amounts computed pursuant to section 4.03 of this revenue procedure for travel away from home within CONUS and/or OCONUS, as the case may be, during the calendar year. See section 4.04(6) of this revenue procedure for transition rules.

This thread has generally about the expenses that may be deemed substantiated. However, the general rule is that you may deduct reasonable and nescessary expenses while away from home overnight (acutally for a time requiring sleep or rest, for those who have a day layover). If you keep a logbook substantiating your expenses, you may find that your expenses far exceed the deemed allowed expense. It is a lot more work, but it may be worth it at tax time. You may claim, without a receipt, up to $75 for individual deductible expenses (except lodging, which always requires a receipt). This does not mean you should claim a $75 breakfast in South Bend, Indiana. I don't think ANYBODY could eat $75 worth of food for breakfast in South Bend and then fly an airplane. IRS auditors may be dumb, but they are not that stupid. On the other hand, a $75 breakfast in London or Tokyo would not be totally out of line. I'm assuming that everybody deducts the company required shoeshines on three day trips, and the taxi rides when there is no acceptable resturant within convenient walking distance.

Joe