
If your per diem payment exceeds the preset rates, the excess amount is considered wages.
#DAILY EXPENSES MEANING CODE#
You should include per diem payments in box 12 of Form W-2 using code L. With per diem payments, the IRS says your employee accounted to you if the reimbursement does not exceed the established per diem rates. Per diem pay is used to reimburse mileage, meals, lodging, and some other fixed allowances. You might reimburse an employee with a per diem rate. Include the reimbursements and taxes on the employee’s Form W-2. You must report these wages and deposit taxes on them. Reimbursements under a nonaccountable plan are wages and are subject to taxes.


You do not have to withhold or contribute income, FICA, or unemployment taxes. If your business uses an accountable plan, reimbursements are not taxable. You can learn more about expense reimbursements in Publication 15. Whether or not you must withhold taxes depends on the plan used by your business.

The IRS expense reimbursement guidelines have two types of plans: accountable and nonaccountable. So, are reimbursed expenses taxable? Well, it depends. When you give money to an employee, you typically have to withhold and contribute taxes on the payment. They might need to pay for meals, lodging, gas, and entertaining clients. The employee pays for the gas themselves and asks you for a reimbursement when they return to the business.Įxpense reimbursements are common when employees travel for work. Let’s say an employee is driving the company vehicle between client meetings. Reimbursements are a way for you to pay employees back when they spend their own money on business expenses. Are reimbursements taxable? Do you need to report the reimbursement? Find out below. When that happens, you can reimburse the employee.Īn employee expense reimbursement does come with some complications. Sometimes, an employee might pay for a business expense out of their own pocket.
