when can I add meal Per Diem?

Per Diem goes in the Meals and Entertainment area.  While inside the software and working on your return, type Schedule C in the Search at the top of the screen (you may see a magnifying glass there).  There will be a popup that says Jump to Schedule C.  Select that to get to the general area. 

• Enter income from self-employment
• Enter Occupation: On the "Tell Us About the Occupation You Have Expenses For" screen, enter your occupation (e.g., Truck Driver, Airline Pilot) and click Continue
• Click here to add expenses, including meals and per diem rates ( or after entering income you will be asked to select expenses to add)

You can find the current Per Diem rates for the location to which you traveled at this link http://www.gsa.gov/portal/content/104877.  Remember to select the correct tax year (2024) from the drop down menu.

FAQ 

Lodging, meals (per diem) and tips are deductible

The IRS allows business travelers to deduct business-related meals and hotel costs, as long as they are reasonable considering the circumstances—not lavish or extravagant.

You would have to eat if you were home, so this might explain why the IRS limits meal deductions to 50% of either the:

• actual cost of the meal
• standard meal allowance

This allowance is based on the federal meals and incidental expense per diem rate that depends on where and when you travel.

Generally, you can deduct 50% of the cost of meals. Alternatively, if you do not incur any meal expenses nor claim the standard meal allowance, you can deduct the amount of $5 per day for incidental expenses. You can also deduct incidental expenses, such as:

• fees and tips given to hotel staff
• fees for porters and baggage carriers

[Edited 03/08/2025|09:06 pm PST] @gogodnepro