business meals for sole prop

[oceanlovin'ea]

If you are a sole proprietor and you attend monthly meetings of your chapter or organization, are the meals a business expense? The meetings take place at a restaurant.
I believe that if you are an s corp they are deductible by the s corp. But i am fuzzy about a sole proprietor. I think I have heard both ways and want to be sure. I know that if you attend an out of town meeting or seminar, that meal would be a business expense. But these are local events.

Thanks

Linda, EA

[appelman]

See Pub. 334, p. 37

It looks as though you would have to be away overnight. I would think that an S-Corp would follow the same rules.

[taxea]

If you are a sole proprietor and you attend monthly meetings of your chapter or organization, are the meals a business expense? The meetings take place at a restaurant.
I believe that if you are an s corp they are deductible by the s corp. But i am fuzzy about a sole proprietor. I think I have heard both ways and want to be sure. I know that if you attend an out of town meeting or seminar, that meal would be a business expense. But these are local events.

Thanks

Linda, EA

This is an expense tied to a business meeting the nature, of which, is ordinary and necessary to your business. There is no need to be gone overnight. It is the same thing as meeting a client at a restaurant to discuss business. You can only take your share of the check.

[Burke]

I believe that if you are an s corp they are deductible by the s corp. But i am fuzzy about a sole proprietor. Thanks
Linda, EA

SCorps/sole proprietors follow the same rules in the deduction of meals and entertainment.

[Roberts]

It looks as though you would have to be away overnight.

These types of posts are what scare me about this board.

[oceanlovin'ea]

Roberts

Why would this post scare you? It is a legitimate question. There is no trick. I have never taken the meals I pay for at our chapter meetings each month. But if I am allowed to I want to take it.
I was just confused in my mind and wanted some clarification.

Linda, EA

[Roberts]

Why would this post scare you? It is a legitimate question. There is no trick. I have never taken the meals I pay for at our chapter meetings each month. But if I am allowed to I want to take it.
I was just confused in my mind and wanted some clarification.

Linda, EA

I wasn't talking about your question. I was talking about the answer that to take a deduction for a business meal you had to spend the night out of town.

[Gretel]

I wasn't talking about your question. I was talking about the answer that to take a deduction for a business meal you had to spend the night out of town.

I am interested in the answer as well. From all the answers I gather that it might be legitimate to treat these meal expenses the same way as entertainment expenses since business is discussed. Can you bring some clarity to this question?

[Super Mom]

still must be reduced by 50% right?

[appelman]

I'm just quoting Pub. 334.

I'm really sorry that I gave Roberts a scare. I'd like to see his citation supporting a meal deduction under the circumstances described by Linda. If you are going to try to call it entertainment, just who is it that you are entertaining?

[taxea]

These types of posts are what scare me about this board.

It only scares me if the Congress doesn't give the IRS the authorization they need to fully implement the RTPR program.