Tax Law and News IRS Issues Guidance on TCJA Changes to Business Expense Deductions for Meals and Entertainment Read the Article Open Share Drawer Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) Written by Intuit Accountants Team Modified Aug 9, 2019 1 min read On Oct. 3, 2018, the Internal Revenue Service issued guidance related to business expense deduction for meals and entertainment following law changes in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA). The 2017 TCJA eliminated the deduction for any expenses related to activities generally considered entertainment, amusement or recreation. Taxpayers may continue to deduct 50 percent of the cost of business meals if the taxpayer (or an employee of the taxpayer) is present and the food or beverages are not considered lavish or extravagant. The meals may be provided to a current or potential business customer, client, consultant or similar business contact. Food and beverages that are provided during entertainment events will not be considered entertainment if purchased separately from the event. Prior to 2018, a business could deduct up to 50 percent of entertainment expenses directly related to the active conduct of a trade or business or, if incurred immediately before or after a bona fide business discussion, associated with the active conduct of a trade or business. The Department of the Treasury and the IRS expect to publish proposed regulations clarifying when business meal expenses are deductible and what constitutes entertainment. Until the proposed regulations are effective, taxpayers can rely on guidance in Notice 2018-76. Updates on the implementation of the TCJA can be found on the Tax Reform page of IRS.gov. Editor’s note: You can find more information about tax reform from the Intuit® Tax Reform Resource Center, or read more about changes to the meals and entertainment deduction. Previous Post Last Crack at Lower Medical Expense Deduction Floor Next Post Tax Preparer Ethics in the Modern World, Part 1 Written by Intuit Accountants Team The Intuit® Accountants team provides ProConnect™ Tax, Lacerte® Tax, ProSeries® Tax, and add-on software and services to enable workflow for its customers. Visit us online or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. More from Intuit Accountants Team Comments are closed. Browse Related Articles Practice Management Short survey: How did tax season go for you? Webinars Increase Client Lifetime Value: May 21 Webinars What’s New in ProConnect™ Tax: May 8 Webinars Succession Planning Considerations: June 4 Practice Management Celebrate! Really bad Dad tax jokes Tax Law and News Tax breaks in disaster-affected areas Tax Law and News May 2025 tax and compliance deadlines Practice Management Elimination vs. delegation vs. automation Virtual Conference Elevate 2025: May 14-15 Client Relationships 7 tips for more efficient client communications