Arkansas Per Diem Allowance

Calculate Arkansas’s per diem rate based on GSA guidelines to simplify your business travels.

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For companies with employees traveling to Arkansas for projects, client meetings, or training, a clear and efficient per diem policy is essential for managing expenses.

This guide is designed to provide clarity on travel expenses in Arkansas. We will cover the official GSA per diem rates, explain the laws that govern employee reimbursement, and show you how to streamline the entire process.

Arkansas Per Diem Rate

Per diem rates for official travel in Arkansas are set by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA). These federal rates are mandatory for federal employees and serve as a common benchmark for private sector companies looking to create an IRS-compliant reimbursement policy.

For Fiscal Year 2025 (October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2025), key rates are broken down as follows:

Major Business and Tourist Centers

Arkansas's primary business and tourism hubs have their own designated Non-Standard Area (NSA) rates.

  • Little Rock (Pulaski County):
    • M&IE: $80 per day
    • Lodging: A flat rate of $120 per night.
  • Hot Springs (Garland County):
    • M&IE: $74 per day
    • Lodging: Seasonal, with a peak rate of $135 per night (Mar-Oct) and a rate of $117 per night for all other months.

The first and last day of travel, the M&IE rate is $60.00 for Little Rock and $55.50 for Hot Springs.

Standard CONUS Rate

For any county in Arkansas not specifically listed by the GSA—including other major cities like Fayetteville (Washington County) or Jonesboro (Craighead County)—the standard CONUS rate applies. For FY 2025, this rate is $178 ($110 for lodging and $68 for M&IE).

Arkansas Per Diem Rate Calculator

Find the exact per diem allowance for your business trip to Arkansas with our easy-to-use calculator. Select the fiscal year, choose your destination, and input your travel dates. The tool will instantly provide the correct lodging and M&IE rates based on the official GSA schedule.

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Your per diem allowance

Dates
Lodging (L)
Meals & Incidentals (M&IE)
Total (L + M&IE)
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Lodging (L)
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Meals & Incidentals (M&IE)
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Total (L + M&IE)
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*For the first and last day of travel, M&lE spend is limited to 75% of its normal, daily allowance.

Arkansas GSA Lodging Rates

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Arkansas Meals and Incidental Rates

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Some Important Arkansas Per Diem Laws

For private employers in Arkansas, state law provides flexibility, which makes a company's own policy the most important factor in managing travel expenses.

  • Reimbursement As A Matter of Company Policy: Arkansas state law does not have a statute requiring private employers to reimburse employees for business-related travel expenses. Therefore, establishing a clear, detailed, and consistently enforced travel policy is essential for setting expectations and managing expenses fairly.
  • Arkansas's State Employee Travel Regulations: The State of Arkansas has its own detailed travel regulations for its public employees. This policy sets specific reimbursement rates and rules for lodging and meals that are separate from the GSA's combined M&IE per diem system.

Arkansas Per Diem Laws vs Federal Law

It's important to understand the distinction between the federal GSA system and Arkansas's state law.

Primary Applicability

  • Federal Law (GSA): Mandatory for all U.S. federal government employees on official business in Arkansas. It is also the most common standard used by private businesses for an IRS-compliant accountable plan.
  • Arkansas State Law: Does not mandate expense reimbursement for private employers. The primary legal considerations are the employer's own policies and federal minimum wage laws (FLSA).

Rate Setting and Usage

  • Federal Law (GSA): Sets specific, non-negotiable per diem rates for various locations in Arkansas that federal agencies must use.
  • Arkansas State Law: Does not set or regulate per diem rates for private companies. Businesses are free to set their own reimbursement rates or policies, though using GSA rates is a common best practice.

Legal Focus

  • Federal Law (GSA): Aims to create a uniform, cost-controlled system for federal travel.
  • Arkansas State Law: Relies on the agreements made between an employer and employee, giving businesses flexibility while holding them accountable to their own written policies.

How Fyle Can Automate Per Diem and Expense Tracking

For any business with employees on the road in Arkansas, the goal of an expense policy is simple: be fair, be compliant, and be efficient. Fyle’s modern expense management platform is designed to help you achieve all three by automating manual work and giving you unprecedented control over your company's spending.

Here’s how Fyle transforms your Arkansas expense management:

  • Build a Smarter, Automated Travel Policy: Go beyond a paper policy. With Fyle, you can program your specific travel rules—from GSA per diem limits to project-based spending caps—directly into the system, which then automatically checks every expense for you.
  • Make Expense Reporting Effortless for Your Team: Empower your employees to submit expenses in seconds. A quick photo of a receipt with the Fyle app is all it takes to create a secure, digital record, which means no more lost receipts or tedious end-of-month reports.
  • Gain Real-Time Control Over Your Corporate Cards: Fyle integrates with your company's existing corporate cards to provide a live feed of transactions. This gives your finance team immediate visibility into spending as it happens, not weeks later when the statement arrives.
  • Get Accurate Mileage Records Without the Manual Logs: For employees driving across the state, Fyle's GPS-powered mileage tracker provides a simple, accurate, and IRS-compliant way to log business travel, ensuring fair reimbursement for every trip.
  • Connect and Sync With Your Accounting Software: Fyle communicates directly with major accounting systems like QuickBooks, NetSuite, and Xero. All your approved expense data flows automatically to the right accounts, eliminating manual data entry and helping your finance team close the books faster.

With Fyle, you can build a modern, efficient, and compliant expense management process that works for everyone in your Arkansas operations.

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The content on this page is for informational use. As legal standards and per diem rates are subject to change, users should verify current details with official GSA or government resources. This information does not serve as financial or legal counsel.