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Travel-nurse money & tax guides

Plain-English explainers on stipends, per-diem, and keeping your pay tax-free. Educational only — not tax advice.

Travel Nurse Tax Home: What It Is and How to Keep Your Stipends Tax-Free

Your tax home is the single most important concept behind every tax-free stipend you earn. Here's what the IRS actually requires and the practical steps to qualify.

Are Travel Nurse Stipends Taxable? Taxable vs. Non-Taxable Pay Explained

A plain-English breakdown of a travel nurse pay package: which dollars are taxable, which can be tax-free, and the rules that decide which is which.

How GSA Per Diem Rates Set Your Travel Nurse Housing & Meal Stipend

Your agency's tax-free housing and M&IE stipends are capped by federal GSA per diem rates for your assignment city. Here's how to look yours up and check that an offer is legit.

How to Tell If a Travel Nurse Pay Package Is Actually Good (Blended Rate)

Recruiters love big stipend numbers. Here's how to cut through the noise with one number — the blended rate — and spot the red flags that put your tax-free pay at risk.

Travel Nurse Tax Audit Checklist: What Records to Keep

A calm, practical guide to the documents that defend your tax-free housing and M&IE stipends if the IRS ever asks — proof of tax home, duplicate-rent receipts, mileage logs, contracts, and return-trip evidence.

Tools

  • Stipend calculator
  • Per-diem rate lookup

Guides

  • Travel Nurse Tax Home: What It Is and How to Keep Your Stipends Tax-Free
  • Are Travel Nurse Stipends Taxable? Taxable vs. Non-Taxable Pay Explained
  • How GSA Per Diem Rates Set Your Travel Nurse Housing & Meal Stipend
  • How to Tell If a Travel Nurse Pay Package Is Actually Good (Blended Rate)
  • Travel Nurse Tax Audit Checklist: What Records to Keep

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Per-diem rates are sourced from the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), FY2026 (effective 2025-10-01); a U.S. Government work in the public domain. StipendHQ is an independent educational resource and is not affiliated with the GSA, IRS, or any agency. Nothing here is tax, legal, or financial advice. © 2026 StipendHQ.