1.274-5A—Substantiation requirements.
(2)
Any activity which is of a type generally considered to constitute entertainment, amusement, or recreation, or with respect to a facility used in connection with such an activity, including the items specified in section 274(e), or
(3)
Gifts defined in section 274, unless the taxpayer substantiates such expenditure as provided in paragraph (c) of this section. This limitation supersedes with respect to any such expenditure the doctrine of Cohan v. Commissioner (C.C.A. 2d 1930) 39 F. 2d 540. The decision held that, where the evidence indicated a taxpayer incurred deductible travel or entertainment expense but the exact amount could not be determined, the court should make a close approximation and not disallow the deduction entirely. Section 274(d) contemplates that no deduction shall be allowed a taxpayer for such expenditures on the basis of such approximations or unsupported testimony of the taxpayer. For purposes of this section, the term entertainment means entertainment, amusement, or recreation, and use of a facility therefore; and the term expenditure includes expenses and items (including items such as losses and depreciation).
(b) Elements of an expenditure—
(1) In general.
Section 274(d) and this section contemplate that no deduction shall be allowed for any expenditure for travel, entertainment, or a gift unless the taxpayer substantiates the following elements for each such expenditure:
(ii)
Time and place of travel or entertainment (or use of a facility with respect to entertainment), or date and description of a gift;
(iv)
Business relationship to the taxpayer of each person entertained, using an entertainment facility or receiving a gift.
(i) Amount.
Amount of each separate expenditure for traveling away from home, such as cost of transportation or lodging, except that the daily cost of the traveler's own breakfast, lunch, and dinner and of expenditures incidental to such travel may be aggregated, if set forth in reasonable categories, such as for meals, for gasoline and oil, and for taxi fares;
(ii) Time.
Dates of departure and return for each trip away from home, and number of days away from home spent on business;
(iii) Place.
Destinations or locality of travel, described by name of city or town or other similar designation; and
(iv) Business purpose.
Business reason for travel or nature of the business benefit derived or expected to be derived as a result of travel.
(3) Entertainment in general.
Elements to be proved with respect to an expenditure for entertainment are:
(i) Amount.
Amount of each separate expenditure for entertainment, except that such incidental items as taxi fares or telephone calls may be aggregated on a daily basis;
(iii) Place.
Name, if any, address or location, and designation of type of entertainment, such as dinner or theater, if such information is not apparent from the designation of the place;
(iv) Business purpose.
Business reason for the entertainment or nature of business benefit derived or expected to be derived as a result of the entertainment and, except in the case of business meals described in section 274(e)(1), the nature of any business discussion or activity;
(v) Business relationship.
Occupation or other information relating to the person or persons entertained, including name, title, or other designation, sufficient to establish business relationship to the taxpayer.
(4) Entertainment directly preceding or following a substantial and bona fide business discussion.
If a taxpayer claims a deduction for entertainment directly preceding or following a substantial and bona fide business discussion on the ground that such entertainment was associated with the active conduct of the taxpayer's trade or business, the elements to be proved with respect to such expenditure, in addition to those enumerated in subparagraph (3)(i), (ii), (iii), and (v) of this paragraph, are:
(iii) Business purpose.
Nature of business discussion, and business reason for the entertainment or nature of business benefit derived or expected to be derived as the result of the entertainment;
(iv) Business relationship.
Identification of those persons entertained who participated in the business discussion.
(iv) Business purpose.
Business reason for the gift or nature of business benefit derived or expected to be derived as a result of the gift; and
(v) Business relationship.
Occupation or other information relating to the recipient of the gift, including name, title, or other designation, sufficient to establish business relationship to the taxpayer.
(c) Rules for substantiation—
(1) In general.
A taxpayer must substantiate each element of an expenditure (described in paragraph (b) of this section) by adequate records or by sufficient evidence corroborating his own statement except as otherwise provided in this section. Section 274(d) contemplates that a taxpayer will maintain and produce such substantiation as will constitute clear proof of an expenditure for travel, entertainment, or gifts referred to in section 274. A record of the elements of an expenditure made at or near the time of the expenditure, supported by sufficient documentary evidence, has a high degree of credibility not present with respect to a statement prepared subsequent thereto when generally there is a lack of accurate recall. Thus, the corroborative evidence required to support a statement not made at or near the time of the expenditure must have a high degree of probative value to elevate such statement and evidence to the level of credibility reflected by a record made at or near the time of the expenditure supported by sufficient documentary evidence. The substantiation requirements of section 274(d) are designed to encourage taxpayers to maintain the records, together with documentary evidence, as provided in subparagraph (2) of this paragraph. To obtain a deduction for an expenditure for travel, entertainment, or gifts, a taxpayer must substantiate, in accordance with the provisions of this paragraph, each element of such an expenditure.
(2) Substantiation by adequate records—
(i) In general.
To meet the “adequate records” requirements of section 274(d), a taxpayer shall maintain an account book, diary, statement of expense or similar record (as provided in subdivision (ii) of this subparagraph) and documentary evidence (as provided in subdivision (iii) of this subparagraph) which, in combination, are sufficient to establish each element of an expenditure specified in paragraph (b) of this section. It is not necessary to record information in an account book, diary, statement of expense or similar record which duplicates information reflected on a receipt so long as such account book and receipt complement each other in an orderly manner.
(ii) Account book, diary, etc.
An account book, diary, statement of expense or similar record must be prepared or maintained in such manner that each recording of an element of an expenditure is made at or near the time of the expenditure.
(a) Made at or near the time of the expenditure. For purposes of this section, the phrase made at or near the time of the expenditure means the elements of an expenditure are recorded at a time when, in relation to the making of an expenditure, the taxpayer has full present knowledge of each element of the expenditure, such as the amount, time, place and business purpose of the expenditure and business relationship to the taxpayer of any person entertained. An expense account statement which is a transcription of an account book, diary, or similar record prepared or maintained in accordance with the provisions of this subdivision shall be considered a record prepared or maintained in the manner prescribed in the preceding sentence if such expense account statement is submitted by an employee to his employer or by an independent contractor to his client or customer in the regular course of good business practice.
(b) Substantiation of business purpose. In order to constitute an adequate record of business purpose within the meaning of section 274(d) and this subparagraph, a written statement of business purpose generally is required. However, the degree of substantiation necessary to establish business purpose will vary depending upon the facts and circumstances of each case. Where the business purpose of an expenditure is evident from the surrounding facts and circumstances, a written explanation of such business purpose will not be required. For example, in the case of a salesman calling on customers on an established sales route, a written explanation of the business purpose of such travel ordinarily will not be required. Similarly, in the case of a business meal described in section 274(e)(1), if the business purpose of such meal is evident from the business relationship to the taxpayer of the persons entertained and other surrounding circumstances, a written explanation of such business purpose will not be required.
(c) Confidential information. If any information relating to the elements of an expenditure, such as place, business purpose or business relationship, is of a confidential nature, such information need not be set forth in the account book, diary, statement of expense or similar record, provided such information is recorded at or near the time of the expenditure and is elsewhere available to the district director to substantiate such element of the expenditure.
(iii) Documentary evidence.
Documentary evidence, such as receipts, paid bills, or similar evidence sufficient to support an expenditure shall be required for:
(a) Any expenditure for lodging while traveling away from home, and
(b) Any other expenditure of $25 or more, except, for transportation charges, documentary evidence will not be required if not readily available.
Provided, however, that the Commissioner, in his discretion, may prescribe rules waiving such requirements in circumstances where he determines it is impracticable for such documentary evidence to be required. Ordinarily, documentary evidence will be considered adequate to support an expenditure if it includes sufficient information to establish the amount, date, place, and the essential character of the expenditure. For example, a hotel receipt is sufficient to support expenditures for business travel if it contains the following: name, location, date, and separate amounts for charges such as for lodging, meals, and telephone. Similarly, a restaurant receipt is sufficient to support an expenditure for a business meal if it contains the following: name and location of the restaurant, the date and amount of the expenditure, and, if a charge is made for an item other than meals and beverages, an indication that such is the case. A document may be indicative of only one (or part of one) element of an expenditure. Thus, a cancelled check, together with a bill from the payee, ordinarily would establish the element of cost. In contrast, a cancelled check drawn payable to a named payee would not by itself support a business expenditure without other evidence showing that the check was used for a certain business purpose.
(iv) Retention of documentary evidence.
The Commissioner may, in his discretion, prescribe rules under which an employer may dispose of documentary evidence submitted to him by employees who are required to, and do, make an adequate accounting to the employer (within the meaning of paragraph (e)(4) of this section) if the employer maintains adequate accounting procedures with respect to such employees (within the meaning of paragraph (e)(5) of this section).
(v) Substantial compliance.
If a taxpayer has not fully substantiated a particular element of an expenditure, but the taxpayer establishes to the satisfaction of the district director that he has substantially complied with the adequate records requirements of this subparagraph with respect to the expenditure, the taxpayer may be permitted to establish such element by evidence which the district director shall deem adequate.
(3) Substantiation by other sufficient evidence.
If a taxpayer fails to establish to the satisfaction of the district director that he has substantially complied with the “adequate records” requirements of subparagraph (2) of this paragraph with respect to an element of an expenditure, then, except as otherwise provided in this paragraph, the taxpayer must establish such element:
(i)
By his own statement, whether written or oral, containing specific information in detail as to such element; and
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(4) Substantiation in exceptional circumstances.
If a taxpayer establishes that, by reason of the inherent nature of the situation in which an expenditure was made:
(i)
He was unable to obtain evidence with respect to an element of the expenditure which conforms fully to the “adequate records” requirements of subparagraph (2) of this paragraph,
(ii)
He is unable to obtain evidence with respect to such element which conforms fully to the “other sufficient evidence” requirements of subparagraph (3) of this paragraph, and
(iii)
He has presented other evidence, with respect to such element, which possesses the highest degree of probative value possible under the circumstances, such other evidence shall be considered to satisfy the substantiation requirements of section 274(d) and this paragraph.
(5) Loss of records due to circumstances beyond control of taxpayer.
Where the taxpayer establishes that the failure to produce adequate records is due to the loss of such records through circumstances beyond the taxpayer's control, such as destruction by fire, flood, earthquake, or other casualty, the taxpayer shall have a right to substantiate a deduction by reasonable reconstruction of his expenditures.
(6) Special rules—
(i) Separate expenditure—
(a) In general. For the purposes of this section, each separate payment by the taxpayer shall ordinarily be considered to constitute a separate expenditure. However, concurrent or repetitious expenses of a similar nature occurring during the course of a single event shall be considered a single expenditure. To illustrate the above rules, where a taxpayer entertains a business guest at dinner and thereafter at the theater, the payment for dinner shall be considered to constitute one expenditure and the payment for the tickets for the theater shall be considered to constitute a separate expenditure. Similarly, if during a day of business travel a taxpayer makes separate payments for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, he shall be considered to have made three separate expenditures. However, if during entertainment at a cocktail lounge the taxpayer pays separately for each serving of refreshments, the total amount expended for the refreshments will be treated as a single expenditure. A tip may be treated as a separate expenditure.
(b) Aggregation. Except as otherwise provided in this section, the account book, diary, statement of expense, or similar record required by subparagraph (2)(ii) of this paragraph shall be maintained with respect to each separate expenditure and not with respect to aggregate amounts for two or more expenditures. Thus, each expenditure for such items as lodging and air or rail travel shall be recorded as a separate item and not aggregated. However, at the option of the taxpayer, amounts expended for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, may be aggregated. A tip or gratuity which is related to an underlying expense may be aggregated with such expense. For other provisions permitting recording of aggregate amounts in an account book, diary, statement of expense or similar record see paragraph (b)(2)(i) and (b)(3) of this section (relating to incidental costs of travel and entertainment).
(ii) Allocation of expenditure.
For purposes of this section, if a taxpayer has established the amount of an expenditure, but is unable to establish the portion of such amount which is attributable to each person participating in the event giving rise to the expenditure, such amount shall ordinarily be allocated to each participant on a pro rata basis, if such determination is material. Accordingly, the total number of persons for whom a travel or entertainment expenditure is incurred must be established in order to compute the portion of the expenditure allocable to each such person.
(iii) Primary use of a facility.
Section 274(a) (1)(B) and (2)(C) denies a deduction for any expenditure paid or incurred before January 1, 1979, with respect to a facility, or paid or incurred at any time with respect to a club, used in connection with an entertainment activity unless the taxpayer establishes that the facility (including a club) was used primarily for the furtherance of his trade or business. A determination whether a facility before January 1, 1979, or a club at any time was used primarily for the futherance of the taxpayer's trade or business will depend upon the facts and circumstances of each case. In order to establish that a facility was used primarily for the furtherance of his trade or business, the taxpayer shall maintain records of the use of the facility, the cost of using the facility, mileage or its equivalent (if appropriate), and such other information as shall tend to establish such primary use. Such records of use shall contain:
(a) For each use of the facility claimed to be in furtherance of the taxpayer's trade or business, the elements of an expenditure specified in paragraph (b) of this section, and
(b) For each use of the facility not in furtherance of the taxpayer's trade or business, an appropriate description of such use, including cost, date, number of persons entertained, nature of entertainment and, if applicable, information such as mileage or its equivalent. A notation such as “personal use” or “family use” would, in the case of such use, be sufficient to describe the nature of entertainment.
If a taxpayer fails to maintain adequate records concerning a facility which is likely to serve the personal purposes of the taxpayer, it shall be presumed that the use of such facility was primarily personal.
(iv) Additional information.
In a case where it is necessary to obtain additional information, either:
(a) To clarify information contained in records, statements, testimony, or documentary evidence submitted by a taxpayer under the provisions of paragraph (c)(2) or (c)(3) of this section, or
(b) To establish the reliability or accuracy of such records, statements, testimony, or documentary evidence, the district director may, notwithstanding any other provision of this section, obtain such additional information as he determines necessary to properly implement the provisions of section 274 and the regulations thereunder by personal interview or otherwise.
(7) Specific exceptions.
Except as otherwise prescribed by the Commissioner, substantiation otherwise required by this paragraph is not required for:
(i)
Expenses described in section 274 (e)(2) relating to food and beverages for employees, section 274(e)(3) relating to expenses treated as compensation, section 274(e)(8) relating to items available to the public, and section 274(e)(9) relating to entertainment sold to customers, and
(ii)
Expenses described in section 274(e)(5) relating to recreational, etc., expenses for employees, except that a taxpayer shall keep such records or other evidence as shall establish that such expenses were for activities (or facilities used in connection therewith) primarily for the benefit of employees other than employees who are officers, shareholders or other owners (as defined in section 274(e)(5) ), or highly compensated employees.
(d) Disclosure on returns.
The Commissioner may, in his discretion, prescribe rules under which any taxpayer claiming a deduction for entertainment, gifts, or travel or any other person receiving advances, reimbursements, or allowances for such items, shall make disclosure on his tax return with respect to such items. The provisions of this paragraph shall apply notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (e) of this section.
(e) Reporting and substantiation of expenses of certain employees for travel, entertainment, and gifts—
(1) In general.
The purpose of this paragraph is to provide rules for reporting and substantiation of certain expenses paid or incurred by taxpayers in connection with the performance of services as employees. For purposes of this paragraph, the term business expenses means ordinary and necessary expenses for travel, entertainment, or gifts which are deductible under section 162, and the regulations thereunder, to the extent not disallowed by section 274(c). Thus, the term business expenses does not include personal, living or family expenses disallowed by section 262 or travel expenses disallowed by section 274(c), and advances, reimbursements, or allowances for such expenditures must be reported as income by the employee.
(2) Reporting of expenses for which the employee is required to make an adequate accounting to his employer—
(i) Reimbursements equal to expenses.
For purposes of computing tax liability, an employee need not report on his tax return business expenses for travel, transportation, entertainment, gifts, and similar purposes, paid or incurred by him solely for the benefit of his employer for which he is required to, and does, make an adequate accounting to his employer (as defined in subparagraph (4) of this paragraph) and which are charged directly or indirectly to the employer (for example, through credit cards) or for which the employee is paid through advances, reimbursements, or otherwise, provided that the total amount of such advances, reimbursements, and charges is equal to such expenses.
(ii) Reimbursements in excess of expenses.
In case the total of the amounts charged directly or indirectly to the employer or received from the employer as advances, reimbursements, or otherwise, exceeds the business expenses paid or incurred by the employee and the employee is required to, and does, make an adequate accounting to his employer for such expenses, the employee must include such excess (including amounts received for expenditures not deductible by him) in income.
(iii) Expense in excess of reimbursements.
If an employee incurs deductible business expenses on behalf of his employer which exceed the total of the amounts charged directly or indirectly to the employer and received from the employer as advances, reimbursements, or otherwise, and the employee wishes to claim a deduction for such excess, he must:
(a) Submit a statement as part of his tax return showing all of the information required by subparagraph (3) of this paragraph, and,
(b) Maintain such records and supporting evidence as will substantiate each element of an expenditure (described in paragraph (b) of this section) in accordance with paragraph (c) of this section.
(3) Reporting of expenses for which the employee is not required to make an adequate accounting to his employer.
If the employee is not required to make an adequate accounting to his employer for his business expenses or, though required, fails to make an adequate accounting for such expenses, he must submit, as a part of his tax return, a statement showing the following information:
(i)
The total of all amounts received as advances or reimbursements from his employer, including amounts charged directly or indirectly to the employer through credit cards or otherwise; and
(ii)
The nature of his occupation, the number of days away from home on business, and the total amount of business expenses paid or incurred by him (including those charged directly or indirectly to the employer through credit cards or otherwise) broken down into such categories as transportation, meals and lodging while away from home overnight, entertainment, gifts, and other business expenses.
In addition, he must maintain such records and supporting evidence as will substantiate each element of an expenditure (described in paragraph (b) of this section) in accordance with paragraph (c) of this section.
(4) Definition of an “adequate accounting” to the employer.
For purposes of this paragraph an adequate accounting means the submission to the employer of an account book, diary, statement of expense, or similar record maintained by the employee in which the information as to each element of an expenditure (described in paragraph (b) of this section) is recorded at or near the time of the expenditure, together with supporting documentary evidence, in a manner which conforms to all the “adequate records” requirements of paragraph (c)(2) of this section. An adequate accounting requires that the employee account for all amounts received from his employer during the taxable year as advances, reimbursements, or allowances (including those charged directly or indirectly to the employer through credit cards or otherwise) for travel, entertainment, and gifts. The methods of substantiation allowed under paragraph (c)(4) or (c)(5) of this section also will be considered to be an adequate accounting if the employer accepts an employee's substantiation and establishes that such substantiation meets the requirements of such paragraph (c)(4) or (c)(5). For purposes of an adequate accounting the method of substantiation allowed under paragraph (c)(3) of this section will not be permitted.
(5) Substantiation of expenditures by certain employees.
An employee who makes an adequate accounting to his employer within the meaning of this paragraph will not again be required to substantiate such expense account information except in the following cases:
(i)
An employee whose business expenses exceed the total of amounts charged to his employer and amounts received through advances, reimbursements or otherwise and who claims a deduction on his return for such excess;
(ii)
An employee who is related to his employer within the meaning of section 267(b) but for this purpose the percentage referred to in section 267(b)(2) shall be 10 percent; and
(iii)
Employees in cases where it is determined that the accounting procedures used by the employer for the reporting and substantiation of expenses by such employees are not adequate, or where it cannot be determined that such procedures are adequate. The district director will determine whether the employer's accounting procedures are adequate by considering the facts and circumstances of each case, including the use of proper internal controls. For example, an employer should require that an expense account must be verified and approved by a responsible person other than the person incurring such expenses. Accounting procedures will be considered inadequate to the extent that the employer does not require an adequate accounting from his employees as defined in subparagraph (4) of this paragraph, or does not maintain such substantiation. To the extent an employer fails to maintain adequate accounting procedures he will thereby obligate his employees to separately substantiate their expense account information.
(f) Substantiation by reimbursement arrangements or per diem, mileage, and other traveling allowances.
The Commissioner may, in his discretion, prescribe rules under which:
(1)
Reimbursement arrangements covering ordinary and necessary expenses of traveling away from home (exclusive of transportation expenses to and from destination),
(2)
Per diem allowances providing for ordinary and necessary expenses of traveling away from home (exclusive of transportation costs to and from destination), and
(3)
Mileage allowances providing for ordinary and necessary expenses of transportation while traveling away from home, will, if in accordance with reasonable business practice, be regarded as equivalent to substantiation by adequate records or other sufficient evidence for purposes of paragraph (c) of this section of the amount of such traveling expenses and as satisfying, with respect to the amount of such traveling expenses, the requirements of an adequate accounting to the employer for purposes of paragraph (e)(4) of this section. If the total travel allowance received exceeds the deductible traveling expenses paid or incurred by the employee, such excess must be reported as income on the employee's return. See paragraph (h) of this section relating to the substantiation of meal expenses while traveling.
(g) Reporting and substantiation of certain reimbursements of persons other than employees—
(1) In general.
The purpose of this paragraph is to provide rules for the reporting and substantiation of certain expenses for travel, entertainment, and gifts paid or incurred by one person (hereinafter termed “independent contractor”) in connection with services performed for another person other than an employer (hereinafter termed “client or customer”) under a reimbursement or other expense allowance arrangement with such client or customer. For purposes of this paragraph, the term business expenses means ordinary and necessary expenses for travel, entertainment, or gifts which are deductible under section 162, and the regulations thereunder, to the extent not disallowed by section 274(c). Thus, the term business expenses does not include personal, living or family expenses disallowed by section 262 or travel expenses disallowed by section 274(c), and reimbursements for such expenditures must be reported as income by the independent contractor. For purposes of this paragraph, the term reimbursements means advances, allowances, or reimbursements received by an independent contractor for travel, entertainment, or gifts, in connection with the performance by him of services for his client or customer, under a reimbursement or other expense allowance arrangement with his client or customer, and includes amounts charged directly or indirectly to the client or customer through credit card systems or otherwise. See paragraph (h) of this section relating to the substantiation of meal expenses while traveling.
(2) Substantiation by independent contractors.
An independent contractor shall substantiate, with respect to his reimbursements, each element of an expenditure (described in paragraph (b) of this section) in accordance with the requirements of paragraph (c) of this section; and, to the extent he does not so substantiate, he shall include such reimbursements in income. An independent contractor shall so substantiate a reimbursement for entertainment regardless of whether he accounts (within the meaning of subparagraph (3) of this paragraph) for such entertainment.
(3) Accounting to a client or customer under
Section 274(e)(4)(B) provides that section 274(a) (relating to disallowance of expenses for entertainment) shall not apply to expenditures for entertainment for which an independent contractor has been reimbursed if the independent contractor accounts to his client or customer to the extent provided by section 274(d). For purposes of section 274(e)(4)(B), an independent contractor shall be considered to account to his client or customer for an expense paid or incurred under a reimbursement or other expense allowance arrangement with his client or customer if, with respect to such expense for entertainment, he submits to his client or customer adequate records or other sufficient evidence conforming to the requirements of paragraph (c) of this section.
(4) Substantiation by client or customer.
A client or customer shall not be required to substantiate, in accordance with the requirements of paragraph (c) of this section, reimbursements to an independent contractor for travel and gifts, or for entertainment unless the independent contractor has accounted to him (within the meaning of section 274(e)(4)(B) and subparagraph (3) of this paragraph) for such entertainment. If an independent contractor has so accounted to a client or customer for entertainment, the client or customer shall substantiate each element of the expenditure (as described in paragraph (b) of this section) in accordance with the requirements of paragraph (c) of this section.
(h) Authority for an optional method of computing meal expenses while traveling.
The Commissioner may establish a method under which a taxpayer may elect to use a specified amount or amounts for meals while traveling in lieu of substantiating the actual cost of meals. The taxpayer would not be relieved of substantiating the actual cost of other travel expenses as well as the time, place, and business purpose of the travel. See paragraph (b)(2) and (c) of this section.
(i) Effective date—
(1) In general.
Section 274(d) and this section apply with respect to taxable years ending after December 31, 1962, but only with respect to period after that date.
(2) Certain meal expenses.
Paragraph (h) of this section is effective for expenses paid or incurred after December 31, 1982.