TRAVEL & EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENT POLICY PURPOSE The purpose of this policy is to bring awareness to everyone s responsibilities relative to submitting and approving travel and business expenses incurred in support of GBTA-NCC. This policy is intended to provide guidance and direction to control all expenses (travel and otherwise), to facilitate accounting and to ensure compliance with applicable regulatory agency requirements. This policy is also necessary to ensure travel and business expense reimbursements made to GBTA-NCC members will NOT be considered taxable income. Pursuant to Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regulations, travel and business expenses reimbursed to members are excluded from gross income only if they meet certain conditions which are set forth throughout this policy. In conformance with IRS regulations, expenses reimbursed and later found not to be in compliance with GBTA-NCC policy must be refunded to GBTA-NCC. All members of GBTA-NCC should be familiar with this policy which applies to all GBTA- NCC members, speakers and/or other individuals incurring expenses in performing business for GBTA-NCC. POLICY STATEMENT Reimbursable expenses, including operational expenses as well as travel expenses for members and speakers should only be incurred in order to advance the goals and objectives of GBTA-North Central Chapter (GBTA-NCC.) This policy is intended to ensure fair, consistent, equitable, prudent and responsible use of GBTA-NCC funds. All GBTA-NCC members are required to comply with this policy and will be responsible for ensuring that expenditures incurred are for authorized purposes. THE POLICY It is the policy of GBTA-NCC to reimburse individuals or to pay external vendors for all necessary and appropriate operating and travel-related costs that are incurred for official GBTA-NCC business. Speakers or presenters will be reimbursed for travel related cost only as specified in their written agreement with GBTA-NCC.
TRAVEL AUTHORIZATION & ARRANGEMENTS Travel Authorization Requirements Requests for travel must be approved in advance by a member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors (i.e. President, Vice President, Treasurer or Secretary) before making travel reservations. Only the following are considered pre-approved and need no additional authorization: 1) President (or designee) to attend GBTA Chapter President Council (CPC) meetings. 2) President (or designee) to attend GBTA Annual Conference and CPC meeting. 3) President (or designee) and NBTA-NCC PAC Committee Chairperson to attend GBTA s annual Legislative Summit. Travel Arrangements Travelers may be required to use airline tickets obtained by GBTA-NCC as part of a chapter or event sponsorship. All travel requests must be submitted to the President of GBTA-NCC who will provide further direction for making reservations. Payment Methods Use of Chapter Credit Card GBTA-NCC has three corporate credit cards which are held by: 1) President 2) President Elect or Chairperson 3) Treasurer The corporate credit card should be used whenever practical. Contact the treasurer for assistance when needing to charge an expense to a chapter credit card. Personal Funds Whether the traveler makes travel-related purchases with personal funds or uses the corporate card, he/she must submit a completed GBTA-NCC expense report (available on the chapter website) to the President. The President will review and either approve or reject the request. Approved expense reports will be forwarded to the Treasurer with the President s approval for payment or reimbursement. Rejected expense reports will be returned to the requester with an explanation for the rejection. If air travel arrangements are made in advance and reimbursement is required prior to the travel date, the expense report must include proof of purchase including the airline ticket number. Travel Advances GBTA-NCC does not provide travel advances. Any exception to the rule must be preapproved by the President at least two weeks prior to the travel start date. Transportation Commercial Air GBTA-NCC will reimburse coach class tickets only aboard a regularly scheduled commercial carrier. Travelers are expected to use the lowest airfare available at the time of booking, taking into consideration low-fare alternatives including: specially negotiated rates; non-refundable fares; penalty fares (super-savers); minimum stay excursion fares; off-peak flights; promotional fares and consolidated fares. Luggage fees will be reimbursed
but travelers are asked to keep bags to a minimum. Fees charged by the airlines to select a airline seat in a more favorable location will not be reimbursed. Speaker requests for First Class airfare must be pre-approved by the Board of Directors. When net cost savings exist, Saturday-stay fares are encouraged. Saturday stay travel arrangements require pre-approval by the GBTA-NCC President. Saturday night stays and their associated costs are reimbursed when the total cost of the trip, including air ticket plus extra hotel, rental car and meal allowances, is less than the lowest available fare without a Saturday night stay. Travelers must provide documented proof of the savings for pre-approval and must include this documentation with their expense report in order to obtain reimbursement for these expenses. Transportation To/From Airport Terminal and Destination* The most economical mode of transportation should be used when traveling to and from airport terminals and your destination. These expenses (including reasonable gratuities) are reimbursable. Modes of transportation to be considered (in ascending order of cost) are as follows: 1. Complimentary hotel shuttle busses; 2. Mass transportation (e.g., bus, subway); 3. Public transportation (e.g., hotel shuttle bus, scheduled airport limousine services, taxi or car service); 4. Personal automobile; or automobile rental. If a personal automobile is used, the traveler will be reimbursed for mileage to and from the airport. Travelers will also be reimbursed for airport parking as long as the most economical arrangement is used (e.g. long-term or off-site parking.) 5. Any use of private limousine and car services must be approved, in advance, by the President. *Travelers should always use the mode of travel that is most practical and results in the lowest cost to the GBTA-NCC. Rental Cars If driving to your destination is more time or cost-effective than airline or rail travel, you may rent a car. When traveling by air or rail, you may rent a car when you reach your destination if it is less expensive than other transportation modes such as taxis, airport limousines, or airport shuttles. Unless otherwise pre-approved by the President, members will be reimbursed for compact or intermediate sized cars only. Full size vehicles or vans are allowed for groups of four or more using the same vehicle. The only exception to this size requirement is if the renter has access to free upgrades while paying the compact or intermediate rate. Reimbursement will be made only to the traveler who signed the rental contract and paid for the rental car. Rental cars should be returned to the original rental city whenever possible to avoid costly one-way rental charges. Rental cars must be returned with a full tank of gas, or filled to the same level in which the car was picked up (rules differ by rental car company) in order to avoid costly refueling charges.
Personal Vehicle Usage Guidelines You may use your personal vehicle for business travel when it is more time or costeffective than air or rail travel and it is less expensive or more efficient than renting a car, taking a taxi or utilizing other, alternate modes of transportation. GBTA-NCC reimburses personal vehicle utilization based on the IRS's allowable mileage rate**. The IRS rate is intended to cover the costs of gasoline, oil, repairs, and the insurance costs of operating a vehicle, therefore requests for additional reimbursement of these types of costs will not be reimbursed. Travelers will generally not be reimbursed for travel expenses incurred within the MSP metro area (except for travel to and from one of the airport terminals.) Mileage reimbursement rates are established by the IRS and change from time to time. The current reimbursement rate is available on the IRS website: www.irs.gov To be reimbursed for use of a personal vehicle for chapter business, you will be required to provide the following on the expense report: 1. the purpose of the trip; 2. the dates of travel; 3. the origin & destination; 4. # of miles traveled **Board members attending the annual, off-site strategic planning session reimbursed at a lump sum rate determined by the Treasurer and less than the IRS reimbursement rate. Board of Director Members are strongly encouraged to carpool whenever possible to save expense. Use of Personal Automobile: Insurance Coverage Whenever an individual operates his/her own automobile for GBTA-NCC business, he/she is exposed personally to potential liability in the event of an accident. It is not possible for GBTA-NCC to obtain insurance which will protect the individual against liability to others even though on GBTA-NCC business. Each individual using his/her own vehicle must obtain this insurance. Therefore, all members using their personal automobiles for GBTA-NCC business must carry liability insurance as required by state law. Hotels/Lodging GBTA-NCC will reimburse expenses for standard room accommodations only. The original hotel bill or folio must provide detail of all lodging expenses. The detailed bill or folio must specify daily rate, date(s) of stay, evidence of payment and must be attached to the expense report prior to submission. Express checkout receipts are acceptable for reimbursement if itemized, but the receipt must indicate a $0 balance due. Credit card receipts without detailed back-up are not adequate support for reimbursement. The Board of Directors must pre-approve any lodging not associated with travel.
Meals GBTA-NCC will reimburse members for meals while traveling on chapter business. Each meal (breakfast, lunch, dinner) must be tracked and reported separately on the expense report. This portion of the policy addresses expenditures for individual meals while traveling. Business meal reimbursement for meals with other people who are not GBTA- NCC members is covered under the business expense policy. Members must submit itemized, original receipts with proof of payment for all meals in order to be reimbursed. The receipt must include the member s name, date of the meal, the name(s) of any other person(s) on the bill, and purpose of the meal (if other people s meals are paid for.) The meal reimbursement guidelines are as follows: Breakfast = $12.00 Lunch = $15.00 Dinner = $30.00 Beverages containing alcohol will not be reimbursed (does not apply to Holiday Gala or Volunteer Appreciation Events.) Note: There will be no reimbursement for meals and incidental expenses when traveling locally. Registration Fees GBTA-NCC will reimburse members for conference or professional meeting registration fees when pre-approved by the President. A bill or registration confirmation which clearly notes the fee is required to be submitted with an expense report that substantiates the business purpose and the time period of the trip. Telecommunication Expenses GBTA-NCC will reimburse members for telephone calls, faxes, and internet access fees that are incurred for GBTA-NCC business only. Any of these items not appearing on the hotel/motel bill must be provided on a detailed receipt to be attached to the expense report. Other Reimbursable Expenses 1. Air freight for GBTA-NCC business purposes 2. Business-related phone calls 3. Laundry/dry cleaning for trips exceeding 5 business days 4. Parking Caution: This list of reimbursable expenses is intended to be representative, not comprehensive. Tips & Gratuities Tipping a porter, bellman, chambermaid, waiter, or valet should be based on the quality of service rendered. GBTA-NCC will reimburse reasonable gratuities, not to exceed $2/bag for porter/bellman, $2/valet parking attendant, $3/day for housekeeping and a maximum of 20% for meals.
Expense Reporting Travel and business expense reimbursement may be requested by submitting a completed expense report to the President for review and approval. The President will review the request, compare to the Travel & Expense Reimbursement Policy then either approve or reject. Approved expense reports will be forwarded to the Treasurer with the President s approval for payment or reimbursement. Rejected expense reports will be returned to the requester with an explanation for the rejection. Travelers may not seek reimbursement for goods or services (including transportation, lodging, etc.) that are provided free of charge, paid for by another source or are not related to GBTA-NCC business. To ensure proper accounting, prompt reimbursement and compliance with IRS regulations, travelers must submit their expense report within 30 days of incurring an expense or completing a trip. All receipts must be attached to the Expense Reimbursement Report before submitting for approval. In the case of a lost receipt, you are responsible for obtaining a copy prior to submitting for approval. If you are unable to obtain a copy, a detailed, written explanation is required. The Board of Directors reserves the right to reject any expense report that is not properly completed and supported. Expense reports that are submitted 90 or more days after the date of expense WILL NOT accepted. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requires GBTA-NCC to maintain an accountable plan in order to exclude travel reimbursements from being considered employee income. Expenses not meeting all three of the following conditions may be considered taxable to the traveler and therefore subject to W-2 reporting under IRS regulations for an accountable plan: 1) There must be a business connection and only for business expenses that are ordinary and necessary in the performance of duties as a member. 2) All business expenses must be substantiated with the date, amount, place and business purpose of the expense being submitted to the employer within a reasonable time period. Specific documentation requirements are noted throughout the policy. 3) Members are required to return all amounts in excess of substantiated expenses. GBTA-NCC reports reimbursements as taxable income when required to do so by IRS code. The most common instances in which taxable income is likely to occur include, but are not limited to: Reimbursement for family travel; Reimbursement for any expense that is not adequately documented; Advances for travel that are not relieved in a timely manner (generally within three months of the date of the advance)
Non-Reimbursable Expenses Please remember that, in accordance with GBTA-NCC policies, a traveler will not be reimbursed for the following miscellaneous expenses. 1. additional insurance on rental vehicles 2. airline upgrades 3. airline club membership dues 4. airline fees for seats in a more favorable area of the aircraft 5. annual fees for personal credit cards 6. beverages containing alcohol 7. clothing (i.e., socks, pantyhose) 8. credit card delinquency fees/finance charges 9. expenses for travel companions/family (unless authorized in advance by Board of Directors) 10. expenses related to vacation or personal days while on business trip 11. flowers 12. health club facilities, saunas, massages 13. lost baggage 14. magazine, books, newspapers 15. minibar refreshments 16. optional travel or baggage insurance 17. parking or traffic tickets 18. personal accident insurance 19. personal entertainment, including sports events, movies, etc. 20. personal toiletries such as toothpaste, toothbrush, etc. 21. personal postage costs, including postcards 22. rental car upgrades 23. routine car maintenance/tune-ups/car washes/oil changes 24. shoeshine 25. souvenirs/personal gifts 26. spouse or companion travel 27. tobacco products