Here it is, hope I explain this correctly:

I work away from my home and family in Mesa, AZ. I work in San DIego, CA, live in a motorhome I bought. I have lot rent, motorhome payments and interest, and day to day expenses to eat, drive, etc. It is my understanding that any expenses while away from home are deductable. I work through a temp agency, the job is not permanent.

I have reciepts for food, gas, and my lot rent and more.

It looks like San DIego has a per diem rate of $195... do I claim that daily? Do weekends count or just week days? Or do I just add up all these reciepts and claim that?

I am trying to do my own taxes this year... so thanks for any help.

Rick

I am a contractor working through a contract house on a six months assignment in PA. My residence is in NC. You can claim per diem rate of 195 for the full time you are there (7 days per week). Caution though, you can only do it for up to 364 days in that year or else you will be considered a resident of that state

I was just going to claim it for the weekdays when I worked. Thanks for the info.

You can only deduct expenses if you are away from your "tax home". Your tax home is your main place of business. If you have no main place of business, you have no tax home and you cannot deduct away from home expenses. From what you have indicated, it is unclear if you have a tax home, and if you do, whether the tax home is in AZ or in CA.

My home of record/tax home is Mesa, AZ... I go there weekends a few times a month. We own a home there, cars titled there, etc.

As a w-2 contractor working for a contract house you can claim per diem everyday you are away from your perm tax residence. As Long as it is over 50 miles from your residence. I have been contracting of over 15 years and have been through a few audits and had no problem . A lot of tax people have never delt with W-2 contract workers.

Use this site to claim the aloted per diem rate. Also a lot of contract houses will break out aloted per diem from your paycheck.
GSA - Domestic Per Diem Rates (http://www.gsa.gov/Portal/gsa/ep/contentView.do?contentId=17943&contentType=GSA_BASIC)

Another good contractor web site is ContractJobHunter (http://www.cjhunter.com)

Do you work in AZ? If no, it cannot be your tax home.

I live and pay taxes in AZ... also pay taxes in CA where I work.

So you are saying that if I don't work in AZ, I have no claim for working away from home? I already said I was no genius on this subject, otherwise I wouldn't have asked.

OK.. let me try to add more details since I am not getting any answers...

I file married... wife works in AZ and I work in Calif... own a house in AZ and stay in my motorhome in CAlif while working. All my mail goes to my AZ address. My vehicles are registered in AZ. I work through a temp contract agency.

There is a difference between your "home" and your "tax home". If you want to deduct traveling away from home expenses, you must be away from your tax home. As I stated above, your tax home is your main place of business. If your main place of business is in CA, you are not traveling away from home when you are in CA.