Business Meals for Entertainment Purposes are Still Deductible Under the New Law

Posted on March 18, 2019

The IRS recently clarified that the new tax law does allow you to deduct business meals for entertaining clients under the new tax law provided that certain rules are met. Before this clarification, most businesses believed that the 50% deduction for meals while entertaining clients and customers was no longer available under the new tax law. The new tax law eliminated the deduction for entertainment expenses such as golf outings, cruises and concert tickets. Most tax professionals also believed that the deduction for meals while entertaining clients and customer was also eliminated. The IRS has now said that the cost of business meals is still deductible as long as it is reflected on a separate receipt. For example, a business meal purchased after a round of golf can be deducted. However, the round of golf itself cannot be deducted. If food and beverages are provided during entertainment events, such as a sporting event that includes food and drink, both the sporting event and the food and drink associated with that sporting event are not eligible for the deduction.