SPESENFUCHS
Anyone who travels a lot on business is familiar with the problem: additional meal costs are incurred on business trips that are not incurred in everyday life. To compensate for this, the legislator provides for what is known as additional meal expenses. In this article, you will learn how to calculate the 2025 per diem meal allowance correctly, which current per diems apply – and how Spesenfuchs offers you a simple, digital solution for travel expense accounting.
What is the additional cost of meals?
The additional meal allowance is a tax-free lump sum that employees can claim for additional meal costs incurred during a business trip. Instead of individual receipts, the legislator allows the use of lump sums, depending on the duration of the absence and the country of travel.
These lump sums can be reimbursed tax-free by the employer or alternatively claimed as income-related expenses in the tax return.
Meal allowance 2025: Current rates in Germany
The following per diems apply in Germany for the calendar year 2025:
-
14 €: for absences of more than 8 hours and on arrival and departure days.
-
28 €: for all-day absence (24 hours).
These rates have remained unchanged since the last adjustment in 2020 and apply to all domestic travel.
Reduced flat rates for meals provided
If a meal is provided by the employer, hotel or an event organizer during the business trip, the per diem meal allowance must be reduced accordingly:
-
Breakfast: deduction of 20% of the daily flat rate.
-
Lunch and dinner: Deduction of 40% in each case.
Example: If you receive a lunch on a full day of travel (€ 28 lump sum), the deductible amount is € 11.20. The remaining amount is € 16.80. The remaining lump sum is € 16.80.
Additional expenses for meals abroad: country-specific rates
For business trips abroad, individual flat rates apply depending on the destination country, which are published annually by the Federal Ministry of Finance.
Example Switzerland:
-
64 € for 24 hours absence,
-
43 € for absences over 8 hours.
These country-specific flat rates should always be taken into account when calculating travel expenses for trips abroad.
How to calculate meal allowances correctly
You can choose either:
-
reimbursed tax-free by the employer (e.g. via an internal expenses policy),
-
as income-related expenses in your tax return if you are not reimbursed.
Precise details of the duration of absence, the destination and the meals provided are required for legally compliant accounting.
Digital expense report with Spesenfuchs
Manual accounting of additional meal expenses is error-prone and time-consuming. This is where Spesenfuchs comes into play – your digital solution for automated travel expense accounting. Spesenfuchs offers:
-
automatic calculation of the meals allowance,
-
Correct reduction for meals provided,
-
Support for domestic and international travel,
-
Legally compliant documentation and export functions.
With Spesenfuchs you save time, avoid billing errors and always have an overview of your expense report.
Conclusion: Correctly bill per diems for meals in 2025 with Spesenfuchs
The correct accounting of additional meal expenses is essential for companies and employees. With Spesenfuchs, you benefit from a digital, automated and legally compliant solution for expense reporting – for both domestic and international trips. Optimize your travel expense processes, reduce errors and use your time more efficiently.