Code of Federal Regulations · Section

§ 1.274-5 — -5 Substantiation Requirements

26 C.F.R. § 1.274-5

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(a) -(b) [Reserved]. For further guidance, see § 1.274-5T(a) and (b).

(c) Rules of substantiation—(1) [Reserved]. For further guidance, see § 1.274-5T(c)(1).

(2) Substantiation by adequate records—(i) and (ii) [Reserved]. For further guidance, see § 1.274-5T(c)(2)(i) and (ii).

(iii) Documentary evidence—(A) Except as provided in paragraph (c)(2)(iii)(B), documentary evidence, such as receipts, paid bills, or similar evidence sufficient to support an expenditure, is required for—

(1) Any expenditure for lodging while traveling away from home, and

(2) Any other expenditure of $75 or more except, for transportation charges, documentary evidence will not be required if not readily available.

(B) The Commissioner, in his or her discretion, may prescribe rules waiving the documentary evidence requirements in circumstances where 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, the number of people served, 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) -(v) [Reserved]. For further guidance, see § 1.274-5T(c)(2)(iv) and (v).

(3) -(7) [Reserved]. For further guidance, see § 1.274-5T(c)(3) through (7).

(d) -(e) [Reserved]. For further guidance, see § 1.274-5T(d) and (e).

(f) Reporting and substantiation of expenses of certain employees for travel, entertainment, gifts, and with respect to listed property—(1) through (3) [Reserved]. For further guidance, see § 1.274-5T(f)(1) through (3).

(4) Definition of an adequate accounting to the employer—(i) In general. For purposes of this paragraph (f) an adequate accounting means the submission to the employer of an account book, diary, log, statement of expense, trip sheet, or similar record maintained by the employee in which the information as to each element of an expenditure or use (described in paragraph (b) of this section) is recorded at or near the time of the expenditure or use, together with supporting documentary evidence, in a manner that 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 the 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, gifts, and the use of listed property. 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 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.

(ii) Procedures for adequate accounting without documentary evidence. The Commissioner may, in his or her discretion, prescribe rules under which an employee may make an adequate accounting to an employer by submitting an account book, log, diary, etc., alone, without submitting documentary evidence.

(iii) Employer. For purposes of this section, the term employer includes an agent of the employer or a third party payor who pays amounts to an employee under a reimbursement or other expense allowance arrangement.

(5) [Reserved]. For further guidance, see § 1.274-5T(f)(5).

(g) Substantiation by reimbursement arrangements or per diem, mileage, and other traveling allowances—(1) In general. The Commissioner may, in his or her discretion, prescribe rules in pronouncements of general applicability under which allowances for expenses described in paragraph (g)(2) of this section 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 the expenses and as satisfying, with respect to the amount of the expenses, the requirements of an adequate accounting to the employer for purposes of paragraph (f)(4) of this section. If the total allowance received exceeds the deductible expenses paid or incurred by the employee, such excess must be reported as income on the employee's return. See paragraph (j)(1) of this section relating to the substantiation of meal expenses while traveling away from home, and paragraph (j)(2) of this section relating to the substantiation of expenses for the business use of a vehicle.

(2) Allowances for expenses described. An allowance for expenses is described in this paragraph (g)(2) if it is a—

(i) Reimbursement arrangement covering ordinary and necessary expenses of traveling away from home (exclusive of transportation expenses to and from destination);

(ii) Per diem allowance providing for ordinary and necessary expenses of traveling away from home (exclusive of transportation costs to and from destination); or

(iii) Mileage allowance providing for ordinary and necessary expenses of local transportation and transportation to, from, and at the destination while traveling away from home.

(h) [Reserved]. For further guidance, see § 1.274-5T(h).

(i) [Reserved]

(j) Authority for optional methods of computing certain expenses—(1) Meal expenses while traveling away from home. The Commissioner may establish a method under which a taxpayer may use a specified amount or amounts for meals while traveling away from home in lieu of substantiating the actual cost of meals. The taxpayer will not be relieved of the requirement to substantiate the actual cost of other travel expenses as well as the time, place, and business purpose of the travel. See paragraphs (b)(2) and (c) of this section.

(2) Use of mileage rates for vehicle expenses. The Commissioner may establish a method under which a taxpayer may use mileage rates to determine the amount of the ordinary and necessary expenses of using a vehicle for local transportation and transportation to, from, and at the destination while traveling away from home in lieu of substantiating the actual costs. The method may include appropriate limitations and conditions in order to reflect more accurately vehicle expenses over the entire period of usage. The taxpayer will not be relieved of the requirement to substantiate the amount of each business use (i.e., the business mileage), or the time and business purpose of each use. See paragraphs (b)(2) and (c) of this section.

(3) Incidental expenses while traveling away from home. The Commissioner may establish a method under which a taxpayer may use a specified amount or amounts for incidental expenses paid or incurred while traveling away from home in lieu of substantiating the actual cost of incidental expenses. The taxpayer will not be relieved of the requirement to substantiate the actual cost of other travel expenses as well as the time, place, and business purpose of the travel.

(k) Exceptions for qualified nonpersonal use vehicles—(1) In general. The substantiation requirements of section 274(d) and this section do not apply to any qualified nonpersonal use vehicle (as defined in paragraph (k)(2) of this section).

(2) Qualified nonpersonal use vehicle—(i) In general. For purposes of section 274(d) and this section, the term qualified nonpersonal use vehicle means any vehicle which, by reason of its nature (that is, design), is not likely to be used more than a de minimis amount for personal purposes.

(ii) List of vehicles. Vehicles which are qualified nonpersonal use vehicles include the following:

(A) Clearly marked police, fire, and public safety officer vehicles (as defined and to the extent provided in paragraph (k)(3) of this section).

(B) Ambulances used as such or hearses used as such.

(C) Any vehicle designed to carry cargo with a loaded gross vehicle weight over 14,000 pounds.

(D) Bucket trucks (cherry pickers).

(E) Cement mixers.

(F) Combines.

(G) Cranes and derricks.

(H) Delivery trucks with seating only for the driver, or only for the driver plus a folding jump seat.

(I) Dump trucks (including garbage trucks).

(J) Flatbed trucks.

(K) Forklifts.

(L) Passenger buses used as such with a capacity of at least 20 passengers.

(M) Qualified moving vans (as defined in paragraph (k)(4) of this section).

(N) Qualified specialized utility repair trucks (as defined in paragraph (k)(5) of this section).

(O) Refrigerated trucks.

(P) School buses (as defined in section 4221(d)(7)(c)).

(Q) Tractors and other special purpose farm vehicles.

(R) Unmarked vehicles used by law enforcement officers (as defined in paragraph (k)(6) of this section) if the use is officially authorized.

(S) Unmarked firefighter, rescue squad, or ambulance crew vehicles (as defined in paragraph (k)(7) of this section).

(T) Such other vehicles as the Commissioner may designate.

(3) Clearly marked police, fire, or public safety officer vehicles. A police, fire, or public safety officer vehicle is a vehicle, owned or leased by a governmental unit, or any agency or instrumentality thereof, that is required to be used for commuting by a police officer, fire fighter, or public safety officer (as defined in section 402(l)(4)(C) of this chapter) who, when not on a regular shift, is on call at all times, provided that any personal use (other than commuting) of the vehicle outside the limit of the police officer's arrest powers or the fire fighter's or public safety officer's obligation to respond to an emergency is prohibited by such governmental unit. A police, fire, or public safety officer vehicle is clearly marked if, through painted insignia or words, it is readily apparent that the vehicle is a police, fire, or public safety officer vehicle. A marking on a license plate is not a clear marking for purposes of this paragraph (k).

(4) Qualified moving van. The term qualified moving van means any truck or van used by a professional moving company in the trade or business of moving household or business goods if—

(i) No personal use of the van is allowed other than for travel to and from a move site (or for de minimis personal use, such as a stop for lunch on the way between two move sites);

(ii) Personal use for travel to and from a move site is an irregular practice (that is, not more than five times a month on average); and

(iii) Personal use is limited to situations in which it is more convenient to the employer, because of the location of the employee's residence in relation to the location of the move site, for the van not to be returned to the employer's business location.

(5) Qualified specialized utility repair truck. The term qualified specialized utility repair truck means any truck (not including a van or pickup truck) specifically designed and used to carry heavy tools, testing equipment, or parts if—

(i) The shelves, racks, or other permanent interior construction which has been installed to carry and store such heavy items is such that it is unlikely that the truck will be used more than a de minimis amount for personal purposes; and

(ii) The employer requires the employee to drive the truck home in order to be able to respond in emergency situations for purposes of restoring or maintaining electricity, gas, telephone, water, sewer, or steam utility services.

(6) Unmarked law enforcement vehicles—(i) In general. The substantiation requirements of section 274(d) and this section do not apply to officially authorized uses of an unmarked vehicle by a “law enforcement officer”. To qualify for this exception, any personal use must be authorized by the Federal, State, county, or local governmental agency or department that owns or leases the vehicle and employs the officer, and must be incident to law-enforcement functions, such as being able to report directly from home to a stakeout or surveillance site, or to an emergency situation. Use of an unmarked vehicle for vacation or recreation trips cannot qualify as an authorized use.

(ii) Law enforcement officer. The term law enforcement officer means an individual who is employed on a full-time basis by a governmental unit that is responsible for the prevention or investigation of crime involving injury to persons or property (including apprehension or detention of persons for such crimes), who is authorized by law to carry firearms, execute search warrants, and to make arrests (other than merely a citizen's arrest), and who regularly carries firearms (except when it is not possible to do so because of the requirements of undercover work). The term “law enforcement officer” may include an arson investigator if the investigator otherwise meets the requirements of this paragraph (k)(6)(ii), but does not include Internal Revenue Service special agents.

(7) Unmarked firefighter, rescue squad, or ambulance crew vehicles—(i) In general. The substantiation requirements of section 274(d) and this section do not apply to an unmarked firefighter, rescue squad, or ambulance crew vehicle required to be used for commuting by the firefighter or member of a rescue squad or ambulance crew, who, when not on a regular shift, is on call at all times. Personal use (other than commuting) of the vehicle outside the firefighter's or rescue squad or ambulance crew member's obligation to respond to an emergency must be prohibited by the governmental unit, or any agency or instrumentality thereof, that owns or leases the vehicle and employs the firefighter, member of a rescue squad, or ambulance crew member.

(ii) Unmarked firefighter, rescue squad, or ambulance crew vehicle defined. An unmarked firefighter, rescue squad, or ambulance crew vehicle is an unmarked vehicle used by a firefighter, or member of a rescue squad or ambulance crew, that is owned or leased by a governmental unit, or any agency or instrumentality thereof, and that is specially outfitted to allow firefighters or members of rescue squads and ambulance crews to travel safely and efficiently to the scene of an emergency and provide emergency services. Onboard equipment on the vehicles includes but is not limited to lights and sirens, medical emergency equipment, life-saving devices such as defibrillators, and radios that assist firefighters, rescue squads, or ambulance crews in communicating with a central source or other emergency response crews regarding, for example, traffic or hospital capacity. Onboard equipment may also include items such as personal protective equipment (e.g., helmet, coat, boots), emergency oxygen tanks, reference manuals, and laptop computers that enable workers to access important information related to the emergency. A license plate marking or insignia does not disqualify a vehicle from being an unmarked firefighter, rescue squad, or ambulance crew vehicle for purposes of this paragraph (k)(7).

(iii) Firefighter. The term firefighter means an individual who is employed by a governmental unit, or any agency or instrumentality thereof, that is responsible for firefighting, rescue activity, or the provision of emergency medical care, and other related emergency services to prevent injury to persons or property and has the official authority to engage in fire suppression and provide related emergency services.

(iv) Member of a rescue squad or ambulance crew. For purposes of this paragraph (k)(7), the term member of a rescue squad or ambulance crew has the same meaning as in 34 U.S.C. 10284(10)(A).

(8) Trucks and vans. The substantiation requirements of section 274(d) and this section apply generally to any pickup truck or van, unless the truck or van has been specially modified with the result that it is not likely to be used more than a de minimis amount for personal purposes. For example, a van that has only a front bench for seating, in which permanent shelving that fills most of the cargo area has been installed, that constantly carries merchandise or equipment, and that has been specially painted with advertising or the company's name, is a vehicle not likely to be used more than a de minimis amount for personal purposes.

(9) Examples. The following examples illustrate the provisions of paragraph (k)(3) and (6) of this section:

(i) Example 1. Detective C, who is a “law enforcement officer” employed by a state police department, headquartered in City M, is provided with an unmarked vehicle (equipped with radio communication) for use during off-duty hours because C must be able to communicate with headquarters and be available for duty at any time (for example, to report to a surveillance or crime site). The police department generally has officially authorized personal use of the vehicle by C but has prohibited use of the vehicle for recreational purposes or for personal purposes outside the state. Thus, C's use of the vehicle for commuting between headquarters or a surveillance site and home and for personal errands is authorized personal use as described in paragraph (k)(6)(i) of this section. With respect to these authorized uses the vehicle is not subject to the substantiation requirements of section 274(d) and the value of these uses is not included in C's gross income.

(ii) Example 2. Detective T is a “law enforcement officer” employed by City M. T is authorized to make arrests only within M's city limits. T, along with all other officers of the force, is ordinarily on duty for eight hours each work day and on call during the other sixteen hours. T is provided with the use of a clearly marked police vehicle in which T is required to commute to his home in City M. The police department's official policy regarding marked police vehicles prohibits its personal use (other than commuting) of the vehicles outside the city limits. When not using the vehicle on the job, T uses the vehicle only for commuting, personal errands on the way between work and home, and personal errands within City M. All use of the vehicle by T conforms to the requirements of paragraph (k)(3) of this section. Therefore, the value of that use is excluded from T's gross income as a working condition fringe and the vehicle is not subject to the substantiation requirements of section 274(d).

(iii) Example 3. Director C is employed by City M as the director of the City's rescue squad and is provided with a vehicle for use in responding to emergencies. Director C is trained in rescue activity and has the legal authority and legal responsibility to engage in rescue activity. The city's rescue squad is not a part of City M's police or fire departments. The director's vehicle is a sedan which is painted with insignia and words identifying the vehicle as being owned by the City's rescue squad. C, when not on a regular shift, is on call at all times. The City's official policy regarding clearly marked public safety officer vehicles prohibits personal use (other than for commuting) of the vehicle outside of the limits of the public safety officer's obligation to respond to an emergency. When not using the vehicle to respond to emergencies, City M authorizes C to use the vehicle only for commuting, personal errands on the way between work and home, and personal errands within the limits of C's obligation to respond to emergencies. With respect to these authorized uses, the vehicle is not subject to the substantiation requirements of section 274(d) and the value of these uses is not includable in C's gross income.

(iv) Example 4. Coroner D is employed by County N to investigate and determine the cause, time, and manner of certain deaths occurring in the County. Coroner D also safeguards the property of the deceased, notifies the next of kin, conducts inquests, and arranges for the burial of indigent persons. D is provided with a vehicle for use by County N. The vehicle is to be used in County N business and for commuting. Personal use other than for commuting purposes is forbidden. D is trained in rescue activity but has no legal authority or legal responsibility to engage in rescue activity. D's vehicle is a sedan which is painted with insignia and words identifying it as a County N vehicle. D, when not on a regular shift, is on call at all times. D does not satisfy the criteria of a public safety officer under 28 CFR 32.3 (2008). Thus, D's vehicle cannot qualify as a clearly marked public safety officer vehicle. Accordingly, business use of the vehicle is subject to the substantiation requirements of section 274(d), and the value of any personal use of the vehicle, such as commuting, is includable in D's gross income.

(v) Example 5. Emergency medical technician, X, is a member of a rescue squad employed by City M. X is provided with an unmarked vehicle (equipped with sirens and medical equipment) for use in responding to emergencies. X, along with other members of the rescue squad, is ordinarily on duty for a regular shift and on call during the other hours of the day. X is required to use the unmarked rescue squad vehicle to commute to X's home in City M. The rescue squad's official policy regarding unmarked rescue squad vehicles prohibits personal use (other than commuting) of the vehicles outside the city limits. When not using the vehicle on the job, X uses the vehicle only for commuting, personal errands while commuting, and personal errands within City M. All use of the vehicle by X conforms to the requirements of paragraph (k)(7) of this section. Therefore, the value of that use is excluded from X's gross income as a working condition fringe and the vehicle is not subject to the substantiation requirements of section 274(d).

(l) Definitions. For purposes of section 274(d) and this section, the terms automobile and vehicle have the same meanings as prescribed in § 1.61-21(d)(1)(ii) and (e)(2), respectively. Also, for purposes of section 274(d) and this section, the terms employer, employee and personal use have the same meanings as prescribed in § 1.274-6T(e).

(m) Applicability date. This section applies to expenses paid or incurred after December 31, 1997. However, paragraph (j)(3) of this section applies to expenses paid or incurred after September 30, 2002, and paragraph (k) of this section applies to clearly marked public safety officer vehicles, as defined in paragraph (k)(3) of this section, only with respect to uses occurring after May 19, 2010. The rules of paragraphs (k)(2)(ii)(S), (k)(7) and (k)(9)(v) of this section apply to taxable years ending on or after March 20, 2026.

26 C.F.R. § 1.274-4 26 C.F.R. § 1.274-5A

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