Out Of Town Trip Expenses

[Blackcat31]

What is the rule for claiming any out of town expenses?

My DH and I travel 80 miles (160+ miles round trip) to specifically purchase supplies for day care. We are gone most the day.

Can I claim the lunch we eat as an expense?

Do we have to travel a specific amount of miles away to be able to count this expense or can I also claim lunch if I am shopping in the town I live in for daycare supplies?

[TomCopeland]

Out of town expenses

You can deduct $.555 per mile in 2012 for trips that are primarily for business purposes. You could only deduct meals for such trips if you had a legitimate business purpose for the lunch. That is, you would need to keep records showing who you had lunch with and what you discussed. Deducting such meals with your spouse could be done a few times a year, but I wouldn't try to claim many of these meals.

Business meals are deductible, regardless of how many miles you drive. If you are eating by yourself, you can never deduct meals unless you stay away from your home that night on a business trip.

[Blackcat31]

Thank you for clarifying.