Review the allowable miscellaneous expense and non-reimbursable expenses before your trip.<\/p>\n
Non-reimbursable expenses include, but are not limited to:<\/p>\n
The preferred method to initiate payment for memberships and subscriptions is with a purchase order or BSU purchasing card, rather than requesting reimbursement on an employee expense report. Memberships and subscriptions must be paid for in the appropriate fiscal year of their occurrence. Please do not leave memberships until the end of the fiscal year to pay, nor try to pay for them in a different fiscal year than they occur.<\/p>\n
Please see Procurement<\/a> for details.<\/p>\n Special expenses include, but are not limited to:<\/p>\n Itemized receipts are required for special expense meals.<\/p>\n Once a Travel Request has been approved and is on file with the Travel Office, employees can seek a Travel Advance Agreement<\/a> for upcoming travel.<\/p>\n Students should only seek an advance if there is no faculty\/staff on the trip and if it will become a financial burden. If faculty\/staff are traveling; the amount needed to cover the student(s) costs should be included and noted on their travel advance agreement. A Special Expense Request form will also need to be completed if faculty\/staff are paying for student items. See Student Travel Advance Agreement<\/a> for what advance can\/cannot be used for.<\/p>\n And approved Travel Request form will need to be on file. Employees should submit a Travel Advance Agreement Form. Advance is obtained through the employee’s bi-weekly paycheck. A paper check will only be issued if there is not sufficient time to request a payroll advance; however, the traveler must submit documentation as to why the timeline does not allow for a payroll advance. This documentation should be signed by a supervisor.<\/p>\n Please submit advance paperwork at least 3 weeks in advance of travel.<\/strong> Only one outstanding advance is allowed at a time, advance must be at least $50.00.<\/p>\n Upon your return<\/strong>, a final expense report should be submitted with applicable receipts within 28 days after final date of travel, make sure to include the items you received the advance for.<\/p>\n The Travel Office has a purchasing card that can be used towards a few employee travel expenses. An approved Travel Request Form must be on file. Please contact the Travel Office in order to set up a day\/time to come book. Please ensure you are contacting the Travel Office a day or two in advance to check days\/times for booking availability.<\/p>\n It is up to the person traveling\/booking the reservations to ensure that the correct details are selected. It would be the responsibility of the person traveling\/booking if the reservation needs to be canceled and a fee is assessed. Please make sure you double-check your reservations!<\/p>\n Minnesota State requires any credits or other benefits issued by an airline, hotel, credit card or other reward programs to a public employee, who uses public funds to pay for BSU\/NTC travel, to accrue to the benefit of the public body providing the funding. This includes hotels that may provide free lodging after staying a specified number of days. Employees or board trustees who frequently fly and have airline frequent flyer programs for their personal travel shall obtain a separate airline frequent flyer program number to record and report receipt of credits or other benefits when using state funds or remove the frequent flyer number before booking travel. Employees must certify that they have not claimed frequent flyer rewards or hotel rewards for personal use when applying for travel reimbursement. Any benefits received belong to the state.<\/p>\n If an employee is combining personal travel during their work travel, the employee can only be reimbursed for expenses that are incurred during the work portion of the trip. Ex: if you are flying and leaving three days prior from your work event because those three days are personal travel, you will need to pull an estimate flight for just the days required to travel for the work event. This document will need to be included with your Travel and Vehicle Request.<\/p>\n Employees are asked to use their discretion in selecting reasonably priced accommodations. Remember to ask for the Government Rate, many motel\/hotels in MN have cheaper rates for State employees.<\/p>\n Employees must stay at a licensed lodging facility. Employees cannot be reimbursed for staying at the house of a relative, friend or personally-owned property. (this includes Airbnb, VRBO, campsites, etc.)<\/p>\n Business expenses are to be submitted for reimbursement within 60 days after the expense was incurred. If not submitted within 60 days, the reimbursement becomes taxable for federal, state, FICA and Medicare: and withholding must be taken. Example: If you purchase an airline ticket, pay a registration fee or incur any other expense related to your travel more than 60 days prior to your trip date, you must submit your paid receipts along with an expense report before the 60-day deadline in order to avoid tax implications. You will be reimbursed for those ‘pre-trip’ expenses and then you will follow up with the remainder of your expenses at the end of your trip.<\/p>\n Original itemized receipts are required for all expenses except:<\/p>\n Credit card statements or canceled checks are not acceptable receipts.<\/p>\n Receipts should be itemized and show the following:<\/p>\n A notarized Affidavit for Travel Receipts should only be used as a last resort for an unobtainable receipt. Employees should always try to obtain the original receipt. We have on-campus notaries<\/a>, remember to bring a photo ID.<\/p>\n Employees are to claim actual expenses for meals, but reimbursement cannot exceed the maximum amounts listed below. Maximum rates are set by labor negotiations and Department of Employee Relations. These rates may change for any or all of the different Unions each time contracts are re-negotiated.<\/p>\nSpecial Expense Approval & Reimbursement<\/h2>\n
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Travel Advance<\/h2>\n
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\n Item<\/th>\n Can This be Included in Advance?<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n \n Airfare<\/td>\n Yes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Baggage Fees<\/td>\n Yes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Conference Registration<\/td>\n Yes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Taxi, Bus, Train Costs<\/td>\n Yes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Meals<\/td>\n Yes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Mileage<\/td>\n No<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n Obtaining a Travel Advance<\/h3>\n
Travel Office Purchasing Card<\/h2>\n
Items the Travel Office P-Card Can be Used For<\/h3>\n
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Rewards Program Policy for Airline, Hotel, Other<\/h2>\n
Personal Travel During Work Travel<\/h2>\n
Lodging and Accommodations<\/h2>\n
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IRS Tax Policy on Expenses<\/h2>\n
Receipts<\/h2>\n
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Receipt Information<\/h3>\n
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Food Reimbursement<\/h2>\n