Business Expense Reimbursement
It is the policy of the College to reimburse members of the faculty and professional staff for their own reasonable, necessary, and authorized business-related expenses. This policy applies to employees of the College who travel on authorized College business or who incur other pre-authorized expenses on behalf of the College. Business Expense Reports Completion of the College's travel / business Expense Report is required in order to receive reimbursement for business-related expenses. The Expense Report is available from the Business Office and in the Business Office public folder in eDisk. A properly completed Expense Report is to be submitted to the Business Office, Race Avenue, within 30 days of when the expenses were incurred. Expense Reports submitted after this 30day period must be approved by the Senior Officer for your area or the Senior Officer’s authorized designee. All original receipts are to be included when submitting the Expense Report. Detailed, itemized receipts showing the specific goods and services purchased must be attached to the Expense Report. A credit card activity statement is not sufficient documentation of an expense. The Expense Report must also include a description of the business-related purpose for the expense(s), date the expense was incurred, and the employee’s signature. The Expense Report is to be forwarded to the employee’s manager or department chair for signature / authorization. The manager or department chair is responsible for carefully reviewing the Expense Report and attached documentation to verify that all expenses were related to authorized business travel. The manager / department chair is to then sign the Expense Report to authorize reimbursement of business-related expenses, and send to the Business Office. Making Travel Arrangements Business travel arrangements may be made through Travel Time Travel Agency, Inc., (717) 299-6600, unless more favorable rates can be obtained. Employees are encouraged to explore online sources in order to obtain favorable rates (such as www.expedia.com, www.travelocity.com, www.orbitz.com, or www.priceline.com). Train travel should be booked and tickets purchased directly through Amtrak. Note: If traveling abroad, please register with the Finance office. See the Foreign Business Travel Services web page (http://www.fandm.edu/x15251) for details. Travel Advances Cash advances are available in connection with travel for College business, provided the employee submits a “Disbursement Voucher – Advance Only” form by the standard Accounts Payable processing deadline. Advances will be issued for amounts greater than $50.00. To request a cash advance, an employee may complete a “Disbursement
Voucher – Advance Only” form and obtain his/her manager’s or department chair’s signature on the form. The form must then be sent to Accounts Payable. Immediately following the business trip, an Expense Report must be completed with original receipts attached, as outlined above, to account for all of the funds expended. The Expense Report is to be sent to the Business Office after the manager / department chair approves it. Any unused cash remaining from the advance must be promptly returned to the Cashier window at the Business Office, Race Avenue (cash is not to be stored in offices). Credit Cards If a credit card is needed because of job requirements, the College will provide a credit card upon approval from the appropriate Senior Officer. Personal, non-business-related expenses may not be charged to a College credit card. Itemized receipts for business-related travel and purchases are to be attached to monthly credit card statements. Statements must then be reviewed and approved by the manager or department chair. Department account numbers are to be assigned, and statements must then be promptly submitted to Accounts Payable, Business Office. It is essential that credit card statements and receipts be forwarded to the Business Office promptly so late payment fees are not incurred. If fraud is suspected or a College-issued credit card is lost or stolen, Elan Financial Services must be contacted immediately by the card holder, at (800) 644-3526. The Office Manager, Business Office, is also to be promptly notified at 291-3927. In many instances, the College cannot take advantage of its tax-exempt status when a credit card is used to make purchases. Therefore, whenever possible, the normal purchase order process should be used when making purchases. An employee must return his/her College-provided credit card, to Human Resources, on or prior to the last day of employment. Allowable Business Expenses Air Travel-- Airfare is reimbursed if an employee must travel by air for College business. If an employee must travel by air, the College requires that travel is via economy class. Flights should be booked far enough in advance to obtain an economy class seat. Travel arrangements may be made through Travel Time Travel Agency, Inc., (717) 299-6600, unless more favorable rates can be obtained elsewhere. Employees are encouraged to explore online sources in order to obtain favorable rates. Train Travel-- Train fare will be reimbursed when an employee is traveling for College business. Train travel should be booked and tickets purchased directly through Amtrak. Use of Personal Automobile-- If an employee is authorized to use his/her personal auto for College business, the employee will be reimbursed based on mileage. Reimbursement will be at the rate established each year by the IRS for business travel expense reporting. The current rate, effective January 1, 2009, is 55 cents per mile. (Please note: employees must read and adhere to the College’s Vehicle Safety Policy, www.fandm.edu/vsp.)
Use of a Rental Car-- Fees for a rental car will be reimbursed when traveling for business. A request should be made for a compact or mid-sized car whenever possible. Public Transportation-- The cost of public transportation (taxi, subway, bus) is reimbursable when traveling on authorized College business. Parking Fees-- Reasonable parking fees will be reimbursed by the College. Long-term airport parking should be used for overnight trips. Lodging-- While on out-of-town business that requires an overnight stay, reasonable costs for an employee’s lodging at a hotel or motel will be reimbursed by the College. Itemized receipts detailing all purchases are required when submitting the Expense Report. Business-related Meals-- An employee will be reimbursed for the reasonable cost of his/her meals while traveling on pre-authorized College business. Employees who dine with “clients” must receive approval, in advance, from their manager to be reimbursed for the expense. Employees will not be reimbursed for the cost of alcoholic beverages. (Please note: Federal law prohibits the College from reimbursing an employee for the cost of alcoholic beverages through a Federal grant.) Tips for business meals may not exceed 20% of the cost of the meal. An itemized receipt showing food and drinks purchased, plus a handwritten notation of the individuals in attendance, are required for reimbursement of meals. Laundry Service-- The cost of laundry and dry cleaning is reimbursable when on a business trip of two weeks or longer. Entertainment-- Entertainment expenses must be directly related to College business and pre-authorized by the department manager in order to be reimbursed. Gifts may not be purchased for “clients” without pre-approval from the department manager or Senior Officer. Additional Information Anyone who performs work for the College must be paid solely through the payroll system, or through accounts payable if the individual qualifies as an independent contractor. This includes prizes, awards, honoraria, and similar payments for services rendered. Employees, including student employees, and other individuals may not be compensated via personal checks, gift cards, or other similar items. Additionally, payments to employees for services related to College business must be authorized in advance by the Assistant Director or Director, Human Resources, and are to be paid through the normal payroll process. Items that will not be reimbursed by the College unless pre-approved by a Senior Officer include flowers, gift cards, and charitable donations.
Rev. 8/2009