Travel Expense Reimbursement
Free Travel Expense Reimbursement calculator with clear step-by-step results.
About Travel Expense Reimbursement
Applies the mechanics most corporate travel policies actually use: a reduced per diem on the first and last days, a deduction for every meal the host provides, a lodging cap applied per night rather than per trip, and transport reimbursed on receipts.
Formulas
Per diem
Per diem = full days x rate + travel days x rate x travel-day percentage - provided meals x deduction
Lodging
Reimbursed = min(receipts, cap per night x nights)
Worked example
With the default values below, Travel Expense Reimbursement returns Total reimbursement of $1,133.50. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.
Inputs used
- Trip lengthaccepts 1–90 days
- 4 days
- Per diem rateminimum 0 $/day
- 65 $/day
- Rate on travel daysaccepts 0–100 %
- 75 %
- Lodging on receiptsminimum 0 $
- 620 $
- Lodging cap per nightminimum 0 $
- 160 $
- Airfare and ground transportminimum 0 $
- 480 $
- Meals provided by the hostaccepts 0–200
- 3
- Deduction per provided mealminimum 0 $
- 18 $
Results
- Total reimbursement
- $1,133.50
- Per diem after meal deductions
- $173.50
- Lodging reimbursed
- $480.00
- Lodging above the cap - not reimbursed
- $140.00
Step by step
- 1Values used
- 2Per diem
- 3Lodging
- 4Total reimbursement= $1,133.50
- 5Per diem after meal deductions= $173.50
- 6Lodging reimbursed= $480.00
- 7Lodging above the cap - not reimbursed= $140.00
Assumptions and limits
- The result is derived only from the 8 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
- In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
- Figures are rounded for display to 2 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.
- Per diem rates, lodging caps and the tax treatment of reimbursements are set by employer policy and tax authority rules that vary by destination and change annually. Confirm against current policy before claiming.
How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.
Per diem rates, lodging caps and the tax treatment of reimbursements are set by employer policy and tax authority rules that vary by destination and change annually. Confirm against current policy before claiming.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the first and last day reduced?
Because you are only travelling for part of those days. Seventy-five percent is the most common convention, though some policies use a meal-by-meal breakdown instead.
Is the amount over the lodging cap ever payable?
Usually only with pre-approved exception, for example during a conference when no compliant rate is available. Get that agreed in writing before booking.