Deducting your Business Travel
and Entertainment Expenses
The most important requirement to sustain deductions relating to business travel and entertainment is keeping adequate and detailed records for travel, meals and entertainment, and business gifts. The contemporaneous record rules established in 1984 were repealed in 1985, however taxpayers are still required to keep adequate records or sufficient evidence corroborating their deductions. In general, a diary and record of receipts is the best method of satisfying the substantiation requirement. A receipt is required for expenditures great than $75. The documentation should include the amount, date, time and place incurred, business purpose and business relationship.