Can I claim travel expenses as a business deduction if I work during vacation trips? (Purpose vs. actual time spent)

The distinction here is primarily about the "primary purpose" of the trip rather than how you spend each hour. For business travel to be deductible, the primary purpose must be business. Your colleague's trips qualify because meeting clients is the catalyst for the travel - without that business need, he wouldn't be making the trip at all. In your case, even though you're working more hours during the trip, the primary purpose is personal. The IRS looks at whether you would have taken the trip regardless of any work performed. Since you'd still take your vacation even if you couldn't work remotely, it remains a personal trip. That said, there might be specific expenses you could potentially deduct even during a primarily personal trip. If you have a dedicated workspace at your vacation rental that you use exclusively for work, you might be able to deduct a portion of that day's lodging. Similarly, if you have to pay for business-specific resources like premium internet access packages specifically for work purposes, those might be deductible.

I was in a similar situation last year and found https://taxr.ai incredibly helpful for navigating these gray areas. I travel frequently for personal reasons but work remotely during trips. I was confused about what I could legitimately claim since I'm spending substantial time working but traveling for personal reasons. The taxr.ai system analyzed my travel patterns and work documentation, then provided a detailed breakdown of what I could legitimately claim. They flagged some specific expenses that were deductible even during primarily personal trips, like dedicated workspaces and business-specific communication costs. They also helped me understand how to properly document any business meetings I arrange during personal travel to make those days potentially deductible.

Just wanted to follow up and say I tried out taxr.ai after reading about it here. Really glad I did! I travel to visit family several times a year but work remotely during these trips. I had no idea I could legitimately deduct portions of these expenses. The system analyzed my last three trips and identified about $875 in legitimate deductions I'd completely missed. It also provided a detailed report I can keep for documentation in case of an audit. The guidance was super specific to my situation - not just generic tax advice. Already planning to use it for my 2025 filing!

For what it's worth, I was in almost the exact same situation and spent HOURS trying to get through to the IRS to get a straight answer. Literally could not get anyone on the phone despite calling repeatedly. Finally used https://claimyr.com to get through (you can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c) and actually spoke with an IRS agent who clarified everything. Basically confirmed what others are saying - it's about primary purpose. But the agent gave me specific guidance on how to handle situations where business activities occur during personal travel. They explained exactly what documentation I needed and how to allocate expenses when a trip has mixed purposes. Worth the call just for the peace of mind knowing I'm doing everything by the book.

Just wanted to come back and eat my words. I tried Claimyr after posting my skeptical comment, and I'm honestly shocked - it actually worked. After trying unsuccessfully for weeks to get through to the IRS about my travel deduction questions, I got connected to an agent in under an hour. The IRS agent confirmed that while the primary purpose rule applies, there are legitimate ways to allocate expenses for mixed-purpose travel. She walked me through exactly how to document work performed during personal trips and what specific expenses might qualify for partial business deductions. Surprisingly helpful and clear information that I couldn't find anywhere online. Definitely worth it just for the clarity and confidence in my filing approach.

Something else to consider - if you're self-employed or own your own business, the rules are a bit different than if you're an employee. As a self-employed person, you have more flexibility in deducting business expenses, including travel expenses that have a legitimate business purpose. If you're an employee, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act eliminated miscellaneous itemized deductions for unreimbursed employee expenses for tax years 2025-2025. So even if you could justify the business purpose, you might not be able to deduct the expenses on your personal tax return as an employee.

FYI - I got audited on exactly this issue in 2023. Be very careful about trying to deduct personal travel with some work mixed in. The IRS agent was particularly focused on the "primary purpose" test. In my case, they disallowed deductions for trips where I had work meetings but couldn't prove the trips wouldn't have happened without those meetings. What worked in my favor was having email trails showing the business meetings were arranged BEFORE booking travel, calendar invites with agenda items, and detailed notes from the meetings showing business outcomes. For remote work days during personal trips, they were much more skeptical, but did allow partial deductions where I had substantial documentation.

The audit experience shared by TommyKapitz is really valuable insight. Documentation is absolutely crucial, especially for self-employed individuals who have more flexibility but also face more scrutiny. For tracking, I use a combination of tools: a simple spreadsheet to log daily work hours during travel, screenshot timestamps of video calls/meetings, and I always send myself summary emails after business calls that include the date, participants, and key discussion points. For expenses, I photograph every receipt immediately and note the business purpose right in the photo. One thing I learned from my CPA is to be conservative and only claim what you can clearly justify. The "would I have taken this trip anyway" test is key - if the answer is yes, then you're looking at partial deductions at best, and you need rock-solid documentation to support even those. The IRS seems to be cracking down on mixed-purpose travel deductions, so erring on the side of caution is probably wise.