Work related expense question

[ontheroad]

I work for a company in Minnesota they recently downsized my work group and replaced my manager. During this downsizing they expanded my work territory to include areas up to 200 miles from my home. The new territory requires me to be away from my home office 80-90% of the time. My manager has also limited my expense reimbursement to a very low level and increased his expectations of being on the road 80-90% of the time. My manager will not pay for my hotel, meals or mileage over 700 miles per month. I am out of town overnight about 15 days per month. I have been told this is mandatory requirement of my job and to write this off on my taxes. I have accumulated about 2000 miles per month not to mention other expenses. I have worked for this company for quite some time and when they did the down sizing I was told I was kept for my exceptional work history. I feel like I am being taken advantage of and they are doing something unethical. This is also happening to my peers. Is this legal?

[Pattymd]

I don't disagree with you that your expenses should be reimbursed, but there is no law in Minnesota (nor any other state except California and, possibly, Maine) that requires the employer to do so. You should keep a careful record of unreimbursed business expenses as, if they exceed 2% of AGI, you can deduct them on your 1040. You also might want to consult a tax preparer or advisor for information on what you can deduct and what type of records you should keep.