Standard mileage rate. For 2006, the standard mileage rate for the cost of operating your car for business use is 44½ cents per mile.
Car expenses and use of the standard mileage rate are explained in chapter 4.
Meal expenses when subject to “hours of service” limits. Generally, you can deduct only 50% of your business-related meal expenses while traveling away from home for business purposes.
You can deduct a
higher percentage if the meals take place during or incident to the Department of Transportation's “hours of service” limits. (These limits apply
to certain workers who are under certain federal regulations.) The percentage is 75% for 2006. Business meal expenses are
covered in chapter 1.
Gulf Opportunity (GO) Zone special depreciation allowance. In 2006, you can take a special depreciation allowance equal to 50% of your car's basis if your car is qualified Gulf Opportunity
(GO) Zone
property. However, the maximum amount of depreciation you can deduct for your car in 2006 is limited to $2,960. See Gulf Opportunity (GO) Zone
Special Depreciation Allowance in chapter 4.
You may be able to deduct the ordinary and necessary business-related expenses you have for:
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Travel,
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Entertainment,
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Gifts, or
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Transportation.
An ordinary expense is one that is common and accepted in your field of trade, business, or profession. A necessary expense
is one that is
helpful and appropriate for your business. An expense does not have to be required to be considered necessary.
This publication explains:
-
What expenses are deductible,
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How to report them on your return,
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What records you need to prove your expenses, and
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How to treat any expense reimbursements you may receive.
Who should use this publication.
You should read this publication if you are an employee or a sole proprietor who has business-related travel, entertainment,
gift, or
transportation expenses.
Users of employer-provided vehicles.
If an employer-provided vehicle was available for your use, you received a fringe benefit. Generally, your employer
must include the value of the
use or availability in your income as pay. However, there are exceptions if the use of the vehicle qualifies as a working
condition fringe benefit
(such as the use of a qualified nonpersonal use vehicle).
A working condition fringe benefit is any property or service provided to you by your employer for which you could
deduct the cost as an employee
business expense if you had paid for it.
A qualified nonpersonal use vehicle is one that is not likely to be used more than minimally for personal purposes
because of its design. See
Qualified nonpersonal use vehicles under
Actual Car Expenses in chapter 4.
For information on how to report your car expenses that your employer did not provide or reimburse you for (such as
when you pay for gas and
maintenance for a car your employer provides), see
Vehicle Provided by Your Employer in chapter 6.
Who does not need to use this publication.
Partnerships, corporations, trusts, and employers who reimburse their employees for business expenses should refer
to their tax form instructions
and chapter 13 of Publication 535, Business Expenses, for information on deducting travel, meals, entertainment, and transportation
expenses.
If you are an employee, you will not need to read this publication if all of the following are true.
-
You fully accounted to your employer for your work-related expenses.
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You received full reimbursement for your expenses.
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Your employer required you to return any excess reimbursement and you did so.
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There is no amount shown with a code “L” in box 12 of your Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement.
If you meet all of these conditions, there is no need to show the expenses or the reimbursements on your return. If you would
like more
information on reimbursements and accounting to your employer, see chapter 6.
If you meet these conditions and your employer included reimbursements on your Form W-2 in error, ask your employer for a
corrected Form W-2.
Volunteers.
If you perform services as a volunteer worker for a qualified charity, you may be able to deduct some of your costs
as a charitable contribution.
See
Out-of-Pocket Expenses in Giving Services in Publication 526, Charitable Contributions, for information on the expenses you can deduct.
Comments and suggestions.
We welcome your comments about this publication and your suggestions for future editions.
You can write to us at the following address:
Internal Revenue Service
Individual Forms and Publications Branch
SE:W:CAR:MP:T:I
1111 Constitution Ave. NW, IR-6406
Washington, DC 20224
We respond to many letters by telephone. Therefore, it would be helpful if you would include your daytime phone number,
including the area code, in
your correspondence.
You can email us at
*[email protected]. (The asterisk must be included in the
address.) Please put “
Publications Comment” on the subject line. Although we cannot respond individually to each email, we do appreciate your
feedback and will consider your comments as we revise our tax products.
Ordering forms and publications.
Visit
www.irs.gov/formspubs to download forms and publications, call 1-800-829-3676, or write to the address below and receive a response
within 10 business days after your request is received.
National Distribution Center
P.O. Box 8903
Bloomington, IL 61702-8903
Tax questions.
If you have a tax question, visit
www.irs.gov or call 1-800-829-1040. We cannot answer tax questions sent to
either of the above addresses.
