Can I Write Off My Vacation If I Work 4 Hours a Day?
Working from the hotel room does not make a trip deductible. What matters is why you went in the first place.
“Can I legally write off my vacation, or parts of it, if I work maybe four hours a day on the trip?”
The short version
- It depends on why you're traveling.
- Traveling for a legitimate business purpose, like a conference, checking on a business or a rental property, and working four hours a day would probably be fine.
- A personal trip where you just happen to work from your hotel is still a very personal trip that is not deductible.
The short answer
It depends on why you took the trip. If you travel for personal reasons and happen to work from your hotel, that doesn't count. If you travel for a legitimate business reason and work while you're there, it's probably fine.
The myth: working from the hotel makes it a business trip
A vacation is different, because there are personal reasons built into it.
Working from your hotel room doesn't change that. It's still a personal trip, and it's not deductible.
Why it doesn't hold up
Fly to Hawaii for a completely personal trip, work four hours a day from your hotel room, and it's still not deductible.
What a deductible trip looks like
Travel to a conference, to check on a business or to visit a rental property, work four hours a day while you're there, and that's likely fine.
Say you own an Airbnb on the beach. You go out to make repairs, and after the work is done you enjoy your evenings. That's completely fine.
Frequently asked questions
Does working remotely on vacation make the trip deductible?
If you're traveling for personal reasons and you just happen to work while you're at your hotel, that would not count. That is still a very personal trip that is not deductible.
What kind of travel can be deductible?
If you are traveling for a legitimate business purpose, like a conference or to check on a business or a rental property, and you work while doing that, that would probably be fine.
Can I enjoy myself on a business trip?
If you go out to your rental property to do repairs and have some enjoyment at night after you're done working, that's completely fine.