Canada Revenue Agency
www.cra.gc.ca
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Travelling expenses
Travelling expenses include food, beverage, and lodging expenses but not motor vehicle expenses. You can deduct travelling expenses as long as you meet all of the following conditions:
- You were normally required to work away from your employer's place of business or in different places.
- Under your contract of employment, you had to pay your own travelling expenses.
- You did not receive a non-taxable allowance for travelling expenses. Generally, an allowance is non-taxable as long as it is a reasonable amount.
- You keep with your records a copy of Form T2200, Declaration of Conditions of Employment, which has been completed and signed by your employer.
You can deduct food and beverage expenses if your employer requires you to be away for at least 12 consecutive hours from the municipality and the metropolitan area (if there is one) of your employer's location where you normally reported for work.
The most you can deduct for food and beverage expenses is 50% of the lesser of:
- the amount you actually paid; and
- an amount that is reasonable in the circumstances.
The 50% limit also applies to the cost of food and beverages you paid for when you travelled on an airplane, train, or bus, as long as the ticket price did not include these amounts.
Note
If you are a transportation employee, you may be able to claim a deduction for meals and lodging (including showers). For more information, see Transportation employees.
For more information, see Interpretation Bulletin IT522, Vehicle, Travel and Sales Expenses of Employees, and Interpretation Bulletin IT518, Food, Beverages and Entertainment Expenses.
Completing your tax return
Include these expenses on the Food, beverages, and entertainment expenses line (8523) of Form T777, Statement of Employment Expenses, and attach it to your paper return.
Enter on line 229, the allowable amount of your employment expenses from the total expenses line of Form T777.
