<prompt> Human: Hi all, long time lurker and follower. I did a search to see if this has been addressed in the past, but was unsuccessful.I recently went to a conference in San Diego for work. Per the gsa.gov website, the per diem there is 71 for Meals and Incidental Expenses. My question is this: Do I automatically claim all 71 for each day of the trip? Or, do I only claim what I actually used i.e. slightly under that each day.Furthermore, I have a capped limit on the total reimbursement my employer will pay back, I suspect; do I keep track of what I am reimbursed from them, and deduct the rest from my 2014 taxes? I tried calling my supervisor regarding this, and havent yet heard back and was hoping someone could help me out!Thanks a lot!  <response>: This is really a situation you need to talk to your employer about.I travel frequently for work, and in my past life as a graduate student, and in most cases I just claimed the per diam rate. However, I do know some places want receipts and will pay you for what you spent. As far as I know there is no legal standard for which way you get compensated, I think it is employer based.As for the taxes...I never thought of that and cant really help you there. 