Can I claim business meals if I paid with cash?

Yes. Paying for a business meal with cash does not by itself prevent you from claiming the expense. What matters is that you can substantiate it.

For U.S. tax purposes, keep records showing:

• the amount paid,
• the date,
• the place or restaurant,
• the business purpose, and
• who attended the meal and their business relationship.

In general, a receipt or other documentary evidence is required for many meal expenses, and you should keep one whenever you have it. Even when a receipt is not strictly required, you should still keep a contemporaneous record such as a note, calendar entry, or expense-log entry.

Best practice: write the business purpose and attendee names on the receipt, and save a photo or digital copy.