SECTION 2. BACKGROUND AND

CHANGES

.01 Section 162(a) of the Internal Revenue Code allows a deduction for all the ordinary and necessary expenses paid or incurred during the taxable year in carrying on any trade or business. Under that provision, an employee or self-employed individual may deduct expenses paid or incurred while traveling away from home in pursuit of a trade or business. However, under § 262, no portion of such travel expenses that is attributable to personal, living, or family expenses is deductible.

.02 Section 274(n) generally limits the amount allowable as a deduction under § 162 for any expense for food, beverages, or entertainment to 50 percent of the amount of the expense that otherwise would be allowable as a deduction. In the case of any expenses for food or beverages consumed while away from home (within the meaning of § 162(a)(2)) by an individual during, or incident to, the period of duty subject to the hours of service limitations of the Department of Transportation, § 274(n)(3) gradually increases the deductible percentage to 80 percent for taxable years beginning in 2008. For taxable years beginning in 2001, the deductible percentage for these expenses is 60 percent. For taxable years beginning in 2002, the deductible percentage for these expenses is 65 percent.

.03 Section 274(d) provides, in part, that no deduction shall be allowed under § 162 for any traveling expense (including meals and lodging while away from home) unless the taxpayer complies with certain substantiation requirements. The section further provides that regulations may prescribe that some or all of the substantiation requirements do not apply to an expense that does not exceed an amount prescribed by such regulations.

.04 Section 1.274–5(g) of the regulations, in part, grants the Commissioner the authority to prescribe rules relating to reimbursement arrangements or per diem allowances for ordinary and necessary expenses paid or incurred while traveling away from home. Pursuant to this grant of authority, the Commissioner may prescribe rules under which such arrangements or allowances, if in accordance with reasonable business practice, will be regarded (1) as equivalent to substantiation, by adequate records or other sufficient evidence, of the amount of such travel expenses for purposes of § 1.274 –5(c), and (2) as satisfying the requirements of an adequate accounting to the employer of the amount of such travel expenses for purposes of § 1.274–5(f).

.05 For purposes of determining adjusted gross income, § 62(a)(2)(A) allows an employee a deduction for expenses allowed by Part VI (§ 161 and following), subchapter B, chapter 1 of the Code, paid or incurred by the employee in connection

October 15, 2001 332 2001–42 I.R.B.

that meets the requirements of § 1.62 –2(c)(1), the portion, if any, of the allowance that relates to days of travel substantiated in accordance with § 1.62–2(e), that exceeds the amount of the employee’s expenses deemed substantiated for such travel pursuant to rules prescribed under § 274(d) and § 1.274–5(g) or § 1.274–5(j)(1), and that the employee is not required to return, is subject to withholding and payment of employment taxes. See §§ 31.3121(a)–3, 31.3231(e) –1(a)(5), 31.3306(b)–2, and 31.3401(a)–4 of the Employment Tax Regulations. Because the employee is not required to return this excess portion, the reasonable period of time provisions of § 1.62–2(g) (relating to the return of excess amounts) do not apply to this portion.

.09 Under § 1.62–2(h)(2)(i)(B)( 4 ), the Commissioner may, in his or her discretion, prescribe special rules regarding the timing of withholding and payment of employment taxes on per diem allowances.

.10 Section 1.274–5(j)(1) grants the Commissioner the authority to establish a method under which a taxpayer may elect to use a specified amount for meals paid or incurred while traveling away from home in lieu of substantiating the actual cost of meals.

.11 Section 5.04 of this revenue procedure contains revisions to the list of highcost localities and to the high-low rates for purposes of section 5.

.12 Sections 3.02, 4.04(5), and 5.06 provide transition rules for the last 3 months of calendar year 2001 due to changes in the effective date of the CONUS rates published by GSA.