[IGPP Everyone] [EPSS Everyone] AGU travel receipts now due

[Brown, Carlene]

Dear Everyone,

Just a reminder that UC Policy requires all travel reimbursements to be processed by the department AND submitted to Travel Accounting within 45 days of the end of travel, and more than one month has passed since the AGU meeting ended on 12/16/16.

If you have not yet submitted your receipts please turn them in to Mike Rathjen (he’s back!) ASAP.

Thank you for your help.

Carlene

Carlene Brown
CAO, Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences
Phone: 310-825-9784
Fax: 310-825-2779

From: Brown, Carlene
Sent: Wednesday, December 21, 2016 2:54 PM
To: EPSS Everyone <everyone at epss.ucla.edu>; 'everyone at igpp.ucla.edu' <everyone at igpp.ucla.edu>
Subject: IMPORTANT: AGU follow-up

Dear Everyone,

I hope everyone had a safe and productive trip to AGU, and I would like to call your attention to some important guidelines concerning travel reimbursement requests:


·         Please allow extra time for processing of reimbursements since the staff is very shorthanded AND this is the busiest travel season of the year for EPSS;

·         To expedite processing, please organize your receipts, include notes of explanation, and subtotal them according to category;

·         Note that any missing receipts, unusual expenses, or exceptions to policy will significantly delay your reimbursement;

·         Also note that Travel Accounting may disapprove requests that are against policy;

·         All reimbursement requests should be submitted as early as possible, preferably within two weeks following return from travel, so the reimbursement request can be fully processed within the Travel Accounting 45-day window;

·         PLEASE REVIEW THE REVISED GUIDELINES BELOW CONCERNING RECEIPTS

·         Here is a link to the updated EPSS Travel Expense Reimbursement form: http://epss.ucla.edu/media/documents/forms/epss_travel_expense_reimbursement_form.pdf

RECEIPT GUIDELINES:

·         Travel Accounting does not require receipts for any expenses less than $75, EXCEPT the following categories:

o   Airfare

o   Car Rentals

o   Lodging

o   Conference Registration
Itemized receipts AND proof of payment are required for all of these expenses, regardless of the amount;


·         Meals & Incidentals – claim actual expenses (not per diem) up to a max of $74/day; no receipts needed.

o   IF YOU CONSISTENTLY CLAIM THE DAILY MAXIMUM YOU SHOULD KEEP YOUR OWN RECEIPTS ON FILE (FOR YEARS), AS A PRECAUTION, SINCE AUDITORS MAY QUESTION A PATTERN OF SPENDING SO MUCH EVERY DAY.

·         Refer to additional guidelines in previous email (below).

Thanks very much for your help, and your patience.

Best regards,

Carlene

Carlene Brown
CAO, Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences
Phone: 310-825-9784
Fax: 310-825-2779

From: Brown, Carlene
Sent: Tuesday, December 06, 2016 2:42 PM
To: EPSS Everyone <everyone at epss.ucla.edu<mailto:everyone at epss.ucla.edu>>
Subject: Travel reminders - please read

Dear Everyone,

With so many folks traveling to AGU next week, please keep in mind the following University travel policies, guidelines and tips:


·         Submit travel expenses for yourself only; travel policy does not allow anyone to be reimbursed for someone else’s travel expenses. Note: you may share a hotel room with another meeting participant and be reimbursed for the entire room but you cannot be reimbursed for someone else’s expenses that are charged to a separate room.


·         Provide a clear business justification (beyond convenience or any personal reasons) for all unusual travel itineraries, e.g. one-way flight; driving one direction/flying the other; three-way flights; or flight destinations other than the conference location and home/work.



·         Provide a strong business justification for any expenses incurred more than one day before or after the conference dates.



·         UCLA Travel discourages (and may not reimburse) the cost of driving alone to San Francisco, even at the lower equivalent airfare amount (due to risk factors). Driving vs. flying is okay IF there is at least one passenger who is also a meeting participant (since mileage for one car is less than two airfares), OR if you stay with friends/family in the Bay Area (at no cost) and commute to the meeting from there (thus saving the cost of lodging), OR if you need to transport large equipment items, etc. for the conference that would not be allowed on a plane. Note that the current mileage rate is $0.54 per mile and this includes gasoline expenses.


·         Avoid Internet package deals that combine airfare, lodging and/or rental cars (e.g. Priceline). Auditors need to see separate itemized costs, including taxes and fees, for each category of service so package deals will not be reimbursed.


·         Remember that travel reimbursement requests must be fully processed and submitted to UCLA Travel within 45 days of the trip end date, so please submit your claim ASAP – before the campus closure, if possible.



·         Most important, if you have any questions about what is/is not allowable, ASK BEFOREHAND.  Please do not assume that questionable expenses will be reimbursed.

Other important travel notes:


·         When traveling to a meeting which is not a major conference, provide documentation (agenda, website, correspondence with hosts, certification of attendance, etc.) to substantiate the travel as a business trip.


·         Meal costs cannot be reimbursed for trips of less than one day (24 hours).


·         Claiming lodging within a 40-mile radius from home or work (e.g. Pasadena or El Segundo) is not allowed.


·         Be careful about combining international business with personal travel.  Due to IRS regulations the number of days on business and transit MUST BE GREATER than the number of personal days; otherwise the expenses may not be fully reimbursable.

Thanks,

Carlene

Carlene Brown
CAO, Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences
Phone: 310-825-9784
Fax: 310-825-2779


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