Per Diem Calculator

Per Diem Allowance Calculator

Use this calculator to estimate the total per diem allowance for your business travel, taking into account standard daily rates and common first/last day reductions.

Enter 0 if no reduction applies. Common reduction is 25% (meaning 75% of the daily rate).

function calculatePerDiem() { var travelDaysInput = document.getElementById("travelDays").value; var dailyRateInput = document.getElementById("dailyRate").value; var reductionPercentageInput = document.getElementById("reductionPercentage").value; var travelDays = parseFloat(travelDaysInput); var dailyRate = parseFloat(dailyRateInput); var reductionPercentage = parseFloat(reductionPercentageInput); var resultDiv = document.getElementById("result"); resultDiv.innerHTML = ""; // Clear previous results if (isNaN(travelDays) || travelDays <= 0) { resultDiv.innerHTML = "Please enter a valid number of travel days (must be 1 or more)."; return; } if (isNaN(dailyRate) || dailyRate < 0) { resultDiv.innerHTML = "Please enter a valid daily per diem rate (cannot be negative)."; return; } if (isNaN(reductionPercentage) || reductionPercentage 100) { resultDiv.innerHTML = "Please enter a valid reduction percentage (between 0 and 100)."; return; } var reducedRateFactor = (100 – reductionPercentage) / 100; var reducedDailyRate = dailyRate * reducedRateFactor; var totalPerDiem = 0; var fullRateDaysAllowance = 0; var reducedRateDaysAllowance = 0; if (travelDays === 1) { totalPerDiem = reducedDailyRate; reducedRateDaysAllowance = reducedDailyRate; } else { var fullRateDays = travelDays – 2; var reducedRateDays = 2; // First and last day fullRateDaysAllowance = fullRateDays * dailyRate; reducedRateDaysAllowance = reducedRateDays * reducedDailyRate; totalPerDiem = fullRateDaysAllowance + reducedRateDaysAllowance; } resultDiv.innerHTML = "

Calculation Results:

" + "Total Per Diem Allowance: $" + totalPerDiem.toFixed(2) + "" + "Standard Daily Rate: $" + dailyRate.toFixed(2) + "" + "Reduced Daily Rate (for first/last day): $" + reducedDailyRate.toFixed(2) + "" + "Allowance for Full Rate Days (" + (travelDays > 1 ? (travelDays – 2) : 0) + " days): $" + fullRateDaysAllowance.toFixed(2) + "" + "Allowance for Reduced Rate Days (" + (travelDays > 1 ? 2 : 1) + " days): $" + reducedRateDaysAllowance.toFixed(2) + ""; } .per-diem-calculator-container { font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Geneva, Verdana, sans-serif; background-color: #f9f9f9; padding: 25px; border-radius: 10px; box-shadow: 0 4px 12px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); max-width: 600px; margin: 30px auto; border: 1px solid #e0e0e0; } .per-diem-calculator-container h2 { color: #333; text-align: center; margin-bottom: 20px; font-size: 1.8em; } .per-diem-calculator-container p { color: #555; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 15px; } .calculator-input-group { margin-bottom: 18px; display: flex; flex-direction: column; } .calculator-input-group label { margin-bottom: 8px; color: #333; font-weight: bold; font-size: 1.05em; } .calculator-input-group input[type="number"] { padding: 12px; border: 1px solid #ccc; border-radius: 6px; font-size: 1.1em; width: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; transition: border-color 0.3s ease; } .calculator-input-group input[type="number"]:focus { border-color: #007bff; outline: none; box-shadow: 0 0 5px rgba(0, 123, 255, 0.3); } .calculator-input-group small { color: #777; font-size: 0.85em; margin-top: 5px; } .calculate-button { display: block; width: 100%; padding: 14px 20px; background-color: #007bff; color: white; border: none; border-radius: 6px; font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: bold; cursor: pointer; transition: background-color 0.3s ease, transform 0.2s ease; margin-top: 25px; } .calculate-button:hover { background-color: #0056b3; transform: translateY(-2px); } .calculate-button:active { transform: translateY(0); } .calculator-result-area { margin-top: 30px; padding: 20px; background-color: #e9f7ff; border: 1px solid #cce5ff; border-radius: 8px; min-height: 80px; } .calculator-result-area h3 { color: #0056b3; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 15px; font-size: 1.5em; border-bottom: 2px solid #cce5ff; padding-bottom: 10px; } .calculator-result-area p { margin-bottom: 10px; color: #333; font-size: 1.05em; } .calculator-result-area p strong { color: #007bff; font-size: 1.1em; } .calculator-result-area .error { color: #dc3545; font-weight: bold; text-align: center; }

Understanding Per Diem: Your Daily Travel Allowance

Per diem, Latin for "by the day," refers to a daily allowance paid to employees to cover expenses incurred while traveling for business. This allowance is typically provided for lodging, meals, and incidental expenses (M&IE) and is a common practice in both government and private sectors to simplify expense reporting and reimbursement.

Why Use Per Diem?

The primary benefit of per diem is its simplicity. Instead of employees meticulously tracking and submitting receipts for every meal and minor expense, they receive a fixed daily amount. This saves time for both the employee and the accounting department, reducing administrative burden and potential disputes over expense validity.

• Simplified Expense Reporting: No need to collect and submit numerous small receipts.
• Predictable Budgeting: Employers can better forecast travel costs.
• Fairness: Ensures employees are adequately compensated for out-of-pocket expenses.
• Tax Advantages: In many cases, per diem payments up to certain limits (like those set by the GSA for federal employees) are non-taxable to the employee, provided they are substantiated business expenses.

How Per Diem Rates Are Determined

Per diem rates are not arbitrary; they are often based on established guidelines:

• Government Rates (GSA): For federal employees, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) publishes annual per diem rates for various locations within the continental United States. These rates vary significantly by city and state, reflecting the cost of living and typical expenses in that area. Many private companies also adopt GSA rates as a benchmark.
• Company Policy: Many private companies establish their own per diem rates, which might be flat rates across all locations or adjusted based on travel destination. These rates are usually outlined in the company's travel and expense policy.
• International Travel: For international travel, the U.S. Department of State sets foreign per diem rates, which are also widely used as a reference.

The First and Last Day Reduction

A common practice in per diem calculations, especially with GSA rates, is to apply a reduction for the first and last day of travel. This is because employees typically don't incur a full day's worth of expenses on their departure and return days. For instance, on the day of departure, an employee might only need to cover lunch and dinner, not breakfast. Similarly, on the day of return, they might only need breakfast and lunch.

The most common reduction is 75% of the standard daily M&IE rate for both the first and last day of travel. Our calculator incorporates this common reduction, allowing you to specify the percentage that applies to your situation.

Using the Per Diem Calculator

Our Per Diem Calculator simplifies the process of estimating your total allowance:

1. Total Travel Days: Enter the total number of days you will be traveling, including your departure and return days.
2. Standard Daily Per Diem Rate ($): Input the full daily per diem rate applicable to your travel destination, as determined by your employer or GSA guidelines.
3. First/Last Day Reduction (%): Specify the percentage reduction applied to the first and last day's allowance. A common value is 25% (meaning you receive 75% of the daily rate for those days). Enter 0 if no reduction applies.

The calculator will then provide a breakdown, showing the allowance for full-rate days and reduced-rate days, culminating in your total estimated per diem allowance.

Example Scenario:

Imagine you are traveling for 5 days to a city with a standard daily per diem rate of $60, and your company applies a 25% reduction for the first and last day.

• Total Travel Days: 5
• Standard Daily Rate: $60.00
• First/Last Day Reduction: 25%

The calculator would determine:

• Reduced Daily Rate (for first/last day): $60 * (1 – 0.25) = $45.00
• Allowance for 2 Reduced Rate Days (first & last): 2 * $45.00 = $90.00
• Allowance for 3 Full Rate Days (middle days): 3 * $60.00 = $180.00
• Total Per Diem Allowance: $90.00 + $180.00 = $270.00

This tool is designed to give you a quick and accurate estimate, helping you plan your travel finances more effectively.