# Would i be able to deduct Hotel/Motel expenses as an Uber Driver?



## Jdelacruz129 (Oct 6, 2016)

So when i drove for Uber (and sometimes when i was doing Uber Eats) I would get a Motel room for the night since I lived 2 Hours/113 miles from the Bay Area (I live in the Central Valley of California) and didn't want to drive another 2 hours back home as i was tired and drove uber all day (I would usually get a motel during the weekends) I've been seeing travel isn't deductible for uber drivers but in different situations. so can someone confirm if i can deduct these expenses. Thanks


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## SEAL Team 5 (Dec 19, 2015)

Jdelacruz129 said:


> So when i drove for Uber (and sometimes when i was doing Uber Eats) I would get a Motel room for the night since I lived 2 Hours/113 miles from the Bay Area (I live in the Central Valley of California) and didn't want to drive another 2 hours back home as i was tired and drove uber all day (I would usually get a motel during the weekends) I've been seeing travel isn't deductible for uber drivers but in different situations. so can someone confirm if i can deduct these expenses. Thanks


Not only can you deduct your hotel room, but a percentage of your meals away from home also. I don't know the exact amount, but it's definitely worth it.


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## Taxi2Uber (Jul 21, 2017)

SEAL Team 5 said:


> Not only can you deduct your hotel room, but a percentage of your meals away from home also. I don't know the exact amount, but it's definitely worth it.


I not so sure. The OP's tax home is considered the Bay Area, even though he resides in Central Valley.

An excerpt from IRS Business Travel Expense topic 511. (https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc511)
"Generally, your tax home is the entire city or general area where your main place of business or work is located, regardless of where you maintain your family home. For example, you live with your family in Chicago but work in Milwaukee where you stay in a hotel and eat in restaurants. You return to Chicago every weekend. You may not deduct any of your travel, meals or lodging in Milwaukee because that's your tax home. Your travel on weekends to your family home in Chicago isn't for your work, so these expenses are also not deductible. If you regularly work in more than one place, your tax home is the general area where your main place of business or work is located."

I spoke to a couple of managers at HR block about something similar, and both said basically the same thing. They said that(and I'm paraphrasing), in the IRS's eyes, staying overnight is more of a convenience to you, rather than a necessity for your business.


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## SEAL Team 5 (Dec 19, 2015)

Taxi2Uber said:


> I not so sure. The OP's tax home is considered the Bay Area, even though he resides in Central Valley.
> 
> An excerpt from IRS Business Travel Expense topic 511. (https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc511)
> "Generally, your tax home is the entire city or general area where your main place of business or work is located, regardless of where you maintain your family home. For example, you live with your family in Chicago but work in Milwaukee where you stay in a hotel and eat in restaurants. You return to Chicago every weekend. You may not deduct any of your travel, meals or lodging in Milwaukee because that's your tax home. Your travel on weekends to your family home in Chicago isn't for your work, so these expenses are also not deductible. If you regularly work in more than one place, your tax home is the general area where your main place of business or work is located."
> ...


I'm thinking 113 miles is away from his general area. That's like Sacramento to San Fran. If he was to drive from San Fran to Sacramento in rush hour traffic that would come close to a 4 hour drive.


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## RamzFanz (Jan 31, 2015)

SEAL Team 5 said:


> I'm thinking 113 miles is away from his general area. That's like Sacramento to San Fran. If he was to drive from San Fran to Sacramento in rush hour traffic that would come close to a 4 hour drive.


God, dude, just stop. Read the explanation.

Your tax home is your tax home. It's where you do business.


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## SEAL Team 5 (Dec 19, 2015)

RamzFanz said:


> God, dude, just stop. Read the explanation.
> 
> Your tax home is your tax home. It's where you do business.


The OP suggested that his original tax home is 113 miles away. If you know for sure that OP signed up for Uber for San Fran driving only and never drove for Uber in his home town (tax home) then you're correct. However if you can conclude that by just his post then what the hell are you doing being a taxi driver? You should be a forensic scientist.


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## Taxi2Uber (Jul 21, 2017)

SEAL Team 5 said:


> The OP suggested that his original tax home is 113 miles away. If you know for sure that OP signed up for Uber for San Fran driving only and never drove for Uber in his home town (tax home) then you're correct. However if you can conclude that by just his post then what the hell are you doing being a taxi driver? You should be a forensic scientist.


I hope that wasn't directed at me (since you made reference to a taxi driver) and that wasn't me responding.
Anyway, the OP resides in Central Valley and said he "usually" gets a hotel in Bay Area on weekends while working there. So assuming he primarily works in the Bay Area, that is his tax home, not Central Valley, his residing home. Therefore I suggest he's not eligible for deductions. JMO.


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## SEAL Team 5 (Dec 19, 2015)

Taxi2Uber said:


> I hope that wasn't directed at me (since you made reference to a taxi driver) and that wasn't me responding.
> Anyway, the OP resides in Central Valley and said he "usually" gets a hotel in Bay Area on weekends while working there. So assuming he primarily works in the Bay Area, that is his tax home, not Central Valley, his residing home. Therefore I suggest he's not eligible for deductions. JMO.


Anyone who drives passengers for money is a cab driver. Don't get your feathers ruffled. You can easily see that my post was a reply to RamzFanz post.



Taxi2Uber said:


> So assuming he primarily works in the Bay Area.


That was the scope of my post. Does OP work his home town during the week and travel to San Fran on the weekends or does OP only work San Fran on the weekend?


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## Taxi2Uber (Jul 21, 2017)

SEAL Team 5 said:


> Anyone who drives passengers for money is a cab driver. Don't get your feathers ruffled. You can easily see that my post was a reply to RamzFanz post.
> 
> That was the scope of my post. Does OP work his home town during the week and travel to San Fran on the weekends or does OP only work San Fran on the weekend?


Oh, you're one of those.


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## SEAL Team 5 (Dec 19, 2015)

Taxi2Uber said:


> Oh, you're one of those.


Yep, been an AZ licensed livery driver for 18 years now. I'm a taxi driver in a nice SUV.


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## Taxi2Uber (Jul 21, 2017)

SEAL Team 5 said:


> Yep, been an AZ licensed livery driver for 18 years now. I'm a taxi driver in a nice SUV.


Oh, you're an adult troll? That's even sadder.


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## SEAL Team 5 (Dec 19, 2015)

Taxi2Uber said:


> Oh, you're an adult troll? That's even sadder.


So I was having a discussion with RamzFanz and you butt in, that's the saddest. Well this post went from a tax question to name calling in a hurry.


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## SEAL Team 5 (Dec 19, 2015)

Jdelacruz129 said:


> So when i drove for Uber (and sometimes when i was doing Uber Eats) I would get a Motel room for the night since I lived 2 Hours/113 miles from the Bay Area (I live in the Central Valley of California) and didn't want to drive another 2 hours back home as i was tired and drove uber all day (I would usually get a motel during the weekends) I've been seeing travel isn't deductible for uber drivers but in different situations. so can someone confirm if i can deduct these expenses. Thanks


Did you ever drive in your home town or immediate surrounding area or did you sign up for Uber specifically to drive in San Fran?


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## Jdelacruz129 (Oct 6, 2016)

SEAL Team 5 said:


> Did you ever drive in your home town or immediate surrounding area or did you sign up for Uber specifically to drive in San Fran?


Drove in both areas.


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## SEAL Team 5 (Dec 19, 2015)

Jdelacruz129 said:


> Drove in both areas.


So your hometown is your usual place of business. Then yes, your commute to/from San Fran, your lodging in San Fran, your meals in/to San Fran, any extra telecommunication/wireless fees in/to San Fran, any tolls/parking fees in/to San Fran are all tax deductible.


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## UberTaxPro (Oct 3, 2014)

SEAL Team 5 said:


> So your hometown is your usual place of business. Then yes, your commute to/from San Fran, your lodging in San Fran, your meals in/to San Fran, any extra telecommunication/wireless fees in/to San Fran, any tolls/parking fees in/to San Fran are all tax deductible.


A lot of travel expenses are only 50% deductible. https://www.irs.gov/publications/p463#en_US_2017_publink100033863
The standard meal allowance varies but for most areas its $51 a day. You could live on rice and make a little extra $ while your away!!


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## Taxi2Uber (Jul 21, 2017)

Jdelacruz129 said:


> Drove in both areas.


Just because you work in both areas doesn't automatically make the hotels and meals in San Fran deductible, despite what others may have said.
Again, taking from the IRS Business Travel Expense document https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc511 :
"If you regularly work in more than one place, your tax home is the general area where your main place of business or work is located"
So it depends on where you primarily work. (You didn't say)
If you primarily work in San Fran, say, 70% of the time, and work near your residence the other 30%, San Fran is your tax home and the items are not deductible. If its the other way around, then yes, some of those things would be deductible with conditions.


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