6.13 Travel Reimbursements/TES Form |
General Guidelines
The Travel Expense
Statement must be used by employees to request reimbursement for expenses
associated with official travel. The policies provided in
topics 6.1- 6.18 indicate allowable expenses and required documentation. Certification/Approval of Travel Expense
Statements
The traveler (payee)
signs the travel certification attesting to the accuracy and completeness of
the claim for travel reimbursement. Travelers may not approve their own Travel Expense
Statement (TES). As a general
rule, the head of the campus unit or delegate, or the head of the next higher
administrative unit or delegate is to approve all Travel Expense
Statements: For example, a professor's travel may be approved by the
Dean, whereas the Dean's travel must be approved by the Provost. Approval
attests to the agreement by the approver that the travel was authorized,
directed, necessary, and that the claim is complete, correct and proper. In
no case is a subordinate authorized to approve travel expenses for his/her
superior. The following guidelines
should be followed to ensure prompt reimbursement of travel expenses: The Travel
Expense Statement (TES) must always be signed by the traveler.
Electronic signatures and signature stamps are not allowed at this time.
Reimbursement requests are to be
submitted to Accounts Payable within 30 calendar days of the last day of
travel. TES’s submitted to
Accounts Payable more than 60 calendar days after the last day of travel will
require additional documentation.
A memo must be completed
and signed by the traveler and the school/department head explaining the
delay in submission and or processing and be submitted to Accounts Payable
for review. The signature
of the school/department head may not be delegated in this case. For the purpose of calculation of
late submission by more than 60 days, periods that include official
Institution holidays will exclude those days.
Georgia Tech’s IRS accountable plan rules regarding travel
reimbursements require timely submission of TES and related receipts. Reimbursement requests that are not
supported with a reasonable justification for late submission may be reported
as taxable income on the employee’s W-2, as per IRS regulation. Reimbursement to an individual may cover only those
expenses pertaining to that individual. It may not include expenses
pertaining to other individuals, regardless of who paid the expense. All receipts and paid bills should be the
original. If originals are not available, a memorandum must accompany the Travel Expense
Statement (TES). Itemized
receipts are required for lodging, rental car, air travel, supplies and
registration fees. Forms
The Travel Expense Statement (TES)
may be completed on line, printed, approved and a complete TES/TAR package
should be submitted to Accounts Payable. Any questions regarding the TES may
be directed to travel.ask@business.gatech.edu. Sensitive,
Confidential Information
The traveler should also remove/block any
sensitive information (SS#, all except last four digits of credit card #'s)
on the TES and/or receipts. The unit administrators should also review the
documentation at time of approval to ensure that all sensitive information is
blocked out.
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