Can I claim Standard Meal Allowance along with Hotel Meal Credits on business trip?

The standard meal allowance (per diem) is designed to simplify expense tracking for business travelers, but there are specific rules when food is provided or paid for in other ways. Since you received $200 in meal credits that were effectively "free" with your hotel booking, you should technically reduce your standard meal allowance claim by that amount. The IRS doesn't allow you to claim the standard meal allowance for meals that were provided to you at no cost. So instead of claiming the full $333, you should claim $133 ($333 - $200). This is because you've already received a benefit worth $200 for meals, and claiming the full standard meal allowance would indeed be double-dipping from a tax perspective. The hotel room itself can still be deducted in full if it was a legitimate business expense, as that's separate from the meal allowance calculation.

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My accountant told me a slightly different approach for this. She said if the meal credits are considered a "marketing promotion" by the hotel (which many of these programs are), and not an actual reduction in room rate, you might be able to claim the full per diem. The key is how the hotel categorizes and reports these credits. If they're truly just a promotional offer and not a "meal included with lodging" situation, they might not count against your per diem. Check your folio carefully - if the room rate is the standard rate, and the credits are listed separately as a promotion or bonus, you might have a case for taking the full deduction.

I actually just filed my taxes for a similar situation. One thing to consider is whether the meal credits were specific to the hotel restaurants or if they could be used anywhere. If the credits only worked at hotel restaurants, I would treat them as "meals provided during travel" and reduce my per diem. If they were general credits that could be used anywhere (like a credit card statement credit), then they're more like a discount on the overall trip and might not reduce your per diem. Hope that helps!

This is a great discussion with some really helpful perspectives! As someone who travels frequently for work, I've learned that the key is always being able to document your reasoning clearly. Based on everything shared here, it sounds like the consensus is that you should reduce your standard meal allowance by the actual value of the hotel meal credits you used (not just what was offered). Since your credits were restricted to hotel restaurants only, they definitely qualify as "meals provided during travel." One additional tip I'd add: when calculating your adjustment, make sure to account for any taxes or gratuities that weren't covered by the credits. If you used $150 of credits but paid an additional $30 in tips and taxes out of pocket, you might be able to factor that into your calculation. Keep detailed records of everything - your hotel folio, receipts showing credit usage, and a simple calculation sheet explaining your math. The IRS appreciates transparency, and having a clear paper trail will give you confidence in your filing.