Travel expense reimbursement requests must be submitted within 60 calendar days after return from the trip, or 30 calendar days if a Travel Cash Advance has been issued.
The mileage reimbursement rate is $0.67 effective January 1, 2024.
Always check with your business manager about Department guidelines on receipt requirements.
Receipt Requirements
- Itemized receipts are required for everything except travel meals
- Domestic travel meal rate = $60 maximum per day, no receipts required
- International travel meal rate = $75 maximum per day without receipts; $90 maximum per day with receipts
- Original, scanned, or digital receipts are acceptable.
- If expense is on a credit card, keep both the itemized and summary slips.
- When traveling in a developing country, or for long trips, keep a log or journal. Use a Generic Receipt if no receipt is provided.
- Pay for services abroad using the W8Ben with Receipt form.
Receipt Requirements Type of Expense Itemized Receipts Required? Dollar Threshold? Travel - non-meal Yes No Travel - meal Domestic
No Up to $60 maximum International
No Up to $75 maximum International
Yes $90 maximum, all receipts International - underdeveloped countries
No, keep journal $90 maximum Multiple UVM employees
Yes $60/$90 maximum per day per employee still applies Business Meal Yes No Business Meal while on travel Yes Included in $60/$90 maximum per day per employee
Direct Deposit for T&E Reimbursement
You can enjoy immediate access to your funds by having your travel and expense reimbursements automatically deposited to your bank account. If you have only one bank account for payroll direct deposit in PeopleSoft HR, this will be the default account for direct deposit of travel and expense reimbursements. If you have multiple bank accounts in PeopleSoft HR, the balance account (999) or the account with the highest deposit order will be the default account for direct deposit of travel and expense reimbursements.
For complete instructions, see the Travel & Expense Direct Deposit Reimbursement User Guide (PDF). If you have questions, please email travel@uvm.edu.
Process/Instructions
Find your College/School or Division below for instructions on submittting expense reimbursements
Reimbursement FAQs
If I spent $45 on my travel meal, paid with my PurCard, should I submit an expense report for the balance of $15 less than the $60 per day maximum for meal reimbursement?
No, the actual meal expense was $45. Since the $60 maximum is not a per diem, there is no additional amount due to the employee.
I had room service at the hotel. Do I just leave this as part of the hotel charge on my expense report?
No, room service meals need to be broken out from the room charge when entering the expense report. Room service meals should be charged to a "travel meal" expense type.
Since the room service is on the hotel bill, do I need an itemized receipt for it?
If you are anticipating an international meal reimbursement greater than $75 for that day, and a room service meal is part of that expense, you should obtain the itemized receipt.
If meals are provided at a domestic conference, do I still get $60 per day?
Actual meal expenses are reimbursed, up to $60 per day. If a conference provides a meal(s), then the actual expense of the remaining meals should be submitted for reimbursement.
What about snacks?
Snacks are included in the daily total meal maximum.
If I have $65 for domestic travel meals and have all of my receipts, for what amount will I be reimbursed?
The reimbursement will be for $60.
I’m traveling and taking three coworkers with me. Since I paid for all of the meals, I plan to include all of their reimbursements on my expense report, each for $60 per day. Correct?
No. Per the travel policy, any meal paid for by a UVM employee for multiple employees requires the itemized receipt to document the expense report. This would be true for every meal.
Do I always need to keep a log of expenses?
If you are traveling to an underdeveloped country, where receipts are not likely available, keep a log. If you are traveling for a lengthy period of time, it may be useful to keep a log. If it helps you to keep a log, by all means do so.
I traveled internationally. My meals totaled $83 each day. Some days I have the receipts, some days not. Will I be reimbursed $90 for each day?
No. For the days that there are no meal receipts, the maximum of $75 per day is allowed. For the days that there are receipts totaling $83, the reimbursement will be $83.
I had a meal in New York City at 6pm, awaiting my flight to Paris, France. Is this a domestic or foreign travel meal?
This is considered a foreign/international meal. Generally, all expenses toward a trip are categorized by the destination.
Is travel to Canada considered foreign or domestic travel?
If the destination is Canada, the trip is considered domestic. Meals in Canada for a trip with a Canadian destination are subject to the domestic meal rate.
If the destination is outside Canada, the trip is considered international. (For example, driving to Montreal to fly out to Paris, France – the mileage is international travel.)
N.B.: National Institutes of Health definition: Foreign travel is defined as any travel outside of Canada and the United States (U.S.) and its territories and possessions.
Are tax and tip on meals separate from or included in the daily meal maximums?
Tax and tip are included in the daily meal maximums. In other words, the domestic daily meal maximum is $60, including tax and tip.
My domestic travel meal was $58, the tax was $5 and the tip was $9. Can I submit the tax and tip on a separate line on my expense report?
No, the meal total includes tax and tip. In this case, it would sum to $72. The reimbursement amount would be $60.
I am a delegate entering a report for a traveler and the meal receipt did not indicate a gratuity. Can I add a tip to the expense report?
No, only expenses submitted can be entered on an expense report. (Perhaps the service was poor or the dining establishment was self-service.)
How are tips calculated?
Tips are generally calculated based on the pre-tax amount. Generally, 15% to 20% is acceptable.
I had a business meal during my trip. Does it count toward the daily maximum allowable meal limit?
Yes, business meals are included in the daily maximums of $60 per day domestic and $90 per day international.
Do business meals require receipts?
Yes. Business meals require the itemized receipt, the attendees of the meal, and clear business purposes, based on the IRS accountable plan rules.
Other than travel meals, what travel receipts are required?
Itemized receipts are still required for the following:
- Lodging
- Airfare
- Other transportation
- Vehicle rental
How can I tell if a check has been issued for my expense report?
You will receive an email notification when your check or direct deposit reimbursement has been issued. You may also review the status of the Expense Report in PeopleSoft:
Navigation = Employee Self Service > Travel and Expense Center > Expense Report > View
If it has been approved by the Expense Manager and the Prepay Auditor, and the Status = Paid, a check or direct deposit has been issued.
To view check number and check date: Navigation = Employee Self Service > Travel and Expenses > Review Payments
Can I be reimbursed for an expense before the trip?
No. According to the Travel Policy, "No travel expenses will be reimbursed before the trip has occurred. If expenses must be incurred before the trip (e.g., airfare, conference registration, hotel, etc.), a UVM purchasing card should be used as means of payment."
How should I enter travel meals on the expense report?
By each day, with all meals included (up to $60 / day domestic, $90 per day international)
What if I’m travelling for a month or more?
Keep a log of expenses. Sum meals by the week (or less often for longer trips). Attach the log to the expense report. A spreadsheet is fine for this purpose.
What if I’m buying groceries?
Enter separate lines for groceries. Do not enter multiple lines for one grocery store receipt.