- 21 - the business purpose of the expense or other item, and (D) the business relationship to the taxpayer of persons entertained, using the facility or property, or receiving the gift. * * * Thus, under section 274(d), deductions for automobile expenses, travel expenses, and meals and entertainment expenses may not be estimated. Instead the taxpayer must provide adequate records or corroborate testimony with other evidence. If a taxpayer travels to a destination and, while at such destination, engages in both business and personal activities, traveling expenses to and from such destination are deductible only if the trip is primarily related to the taxpayer's trade or business. See sec. 1.162-2(b)(1), Income Tax Regs. If a trip is primarily personal in nature, traveling expenses to and from the destination are not deductible even if the taxpayer engaged in some business activities at the destination. See id. However, expenses while at the destination that are properly allocable to the taxpayer's trade or business are deductible even though the traveling expenses to and from the destination are not deductible. See id. Whether travel is related primarily to the taxpayer's trade or business, or is primarily personal, is a question of fact. See sec. 1.162-2(b)(2), Income Tax Regs.; see also Holswade v. Commissioner, 82 T.C. 686, 698, 701 (1984). The amount of time during the period of the trip that is spent on personal activity, compared to the amount of time spent on activities directlyPage: Previous 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Next
Last modified: May 25, 2011