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Purpose

New York University employees incur various types of expenses as they perform tasks and duties that support the operations of the institution and further its missions. This document is to ensure that employees who incur valid business expenses are reimbursed in a fair and equitable manner; that business expenses are reported, recorded, and reimbursed in a consistent manner throughout the University; and that the University complies with all applicable federal,state, and local rules and regulations.

Scope

This document applies to any member of the NYU Steinhardt Community who initiates, processes, approves, or records financial transactions that involves University funds.

Definitions

Initiator - An individual who generates a business transaction. The initiator should be in compliance with all University policies when executing a transaction.

Approver - The individual granted the authority to review and approve (or reject) transactions that require the use of University funds. The electronic signature (in AP Workflow) of the "Approver" signifies that the“Approver” has verified the request for compliance with applicable University policies.

Policy

For Initiator & Admin Initiator

When submitting a request for reimbursement or an advance via AP Workflow, please remember that your submission will be reviewed by several individuals. Therefore, it is important that your submission is very clear and informative as to the business purpose of your trip and any other trip details. If your submission is unclear, incomplete, or does not conform to NYU policy, you will experience delays and/or rejections of your requests.

Tips Before You Start

  • The more organized your submission, the quicker your request will be reviewed, approved, and processed.
  • Try to prepare one single reimbursement request for your trip, inclusive of all details and receipts, as applicable.
  • If you`re processing a reimbursement to a student, please following the instructions provided here. Student cannot be reimbursed via AP Workflow as it is only for individuals on Payroll.
  • You must submit your reimbursement and/or reconcile your advance within 60 days of returning from your trip. For more information, please refer to the NYU Expense Reimbursement Policy.

Prohibited Reimbursement Requests:

(You will not be reimbursed for the following expenses)

  • Personal Expenses
  • Purchase of any gift cards
  • Purchase of Cell phones, Computers, Printers, Tablets & other IT related devices (please contact Steinhardt Technology )
  • Honorariums & any other payments to individuals or research subjects
  • Contracting or Financial Services
  • Supplies available on iBUY (i.e. office supplies, BestBuy items etc)
  • Upgrades (air, hotel, car etc.) when traveling on University business (unless pre-approved by the Steinhardt Finance)
  • Delinquency fees on NYU Amex cards
  • Lodging exceeding $300 per night (unless pre-approved by the Steinhardt Finance)
  • Expenses that will be reimbursed from another source

Reimbursement/ Advance Descriptions

  • Make sure to provide a description that is accurate and concise, yet detailed enough to include:
    • Purpose
    • Location(s)
    • Dates
  • Avoid descriptions that simply say “travel reimbursements” or “expenses for August”
  • Appropriate examples include (note 50 character limit):
    • NASFA conference Oct 15 to 17 in New Orleans
    • Student recruitment WakeForestU Nov 3 to 4

Supporting Documentation

If related to travel, proof of travel must be included, even if the reimbursement request is not for the travel itself. Note there is a limit of Five file uploads for supporting documentation.

  • Receipts
    • Travelers must retain all receipts that will be reimbursed.
      • If you lose a receipt or did not receive one, a Missing Receipt Form must be filled out. Upload this form with your supporting documentation.
      • For hotels & airplane purchases, please provide a copy of credit card statement showing the expense as proof of purchase.
      • When submitting multiple receipts, ensure they are in chronological order.
    • Other expenses can be reimbursed when there is an appropriate business purpose, and you clearly document within your request. These include:
      • Internet access & long distance calling fees
      • Business supplies, that were not anticipated (i.e. presentation materials)
      • Postage for business documents
      • Baggage fees
      • Laundry fees when travel exceeds 5 business days
      • Visa, passport/ consulate fees (Only for foreign travel)
    • Gratuities for meals are deemed part of the meal cost and will be reimbursed by the University provided these are reasonable (do not erxceed 20% of total meal cost).
  • Pe Diem
    • The alternative to keeping receipts and other appropriate documentation for each meal during travel is per diem. Per diem only applies when overnight travel is involved.
    • If meals are included in hotel cost (e.g. breakfast is provided) or conference cost, those meals should be deducted from the per diem rate
    • Individuals traveling will be reimbursed as per the rates set by the U.S. government, which can be found here. The following exceptions apply to all travelers:
      • Travel days (the first and last day of business travel) will be reimbursed at 75% of the per diem rate.
      • The per diem rate covers all food expenses (e.g. meals, snacks, beverages, taxes, and gratuity) and other incidentals.
      • A copy of the U.S. government page showing city of traveled to and rates must be attached as support, when claiming per diem.
  • Boarding Passes, Tickets & Mileage Rates
    • If travel was via air, please retain and upload a copy of your boarding pass(es). If it is lost, submit a Missing Receipt Form.
    • If travel was via train or bus, please retain and upload a copy of your ticket(s).
    • If travel was via personal car, the University will reimburse you per the IRS Standard Mileage Rates for mileage and tolls (not gas as this is included in the mileage rate). For 2018, the mileage rate is 54.5 cents a mile. You must include your travel plan using Google Maps or another similar application, and print your route(s) to calculate mileage. You will need to include toll receipts.
  • Currency Conversions (as needed)
    • Reimbursements via AP Workflow are only in U.S. Dollars. If expenses were incurred in another currency, please convert all currencies via Oanda. Please attach a screenshot or evidence of the conversion to each applicable receipt.
    • Foreign currency rates can change daily. Please change the date of conversion to match that on the receipt.
    • If charges for foreign currency were incurred during business related travel, NYU will reimburse reasonable charges and fees associated with the conversion.
    • We strongly advise anyone travelling internationally for multiple days to summarize your receipts and currency conversion in a spreadsheet format so any reviewer can easily understand your expenses. The Travel Expense Breakdown Sheet is a helpful resource.
  • Business Meals
    • The names of all guests who attended the meal must be included.
    • Receipt for the meal must be retained and uploaded (Receipt show include what was purchased)
    • All business meals not including any guest should be included under the “Travel” tab
  • Conferences
    If you travel to attend a conference, the following must be provided as proof of attendance.
    • Conference Badge
    • Conference Schedule
  • IT Expenses
    Technology expenses must be pre-approved by Steinhardt Technology prior to purchase and reimbursement. This includes (but limited to) the following:
    • Purchase of Computers (i.e. Laptops, Desktops & Tablets)
    • Purchase of Phones & Devices
    • Purchase of Software (Licenses, Subscriptions etc)

Chartfields

Important Things to Note

  • AP Workflow has a 10MB file size limit per file. A good work around is to split up your supporting documents into multiple uploads. There is a maximum of five file uploads.
  • An approval of your reimbursement means that your designated approver within your Department or Steinhardt Finance has reviewed and approved your reimbursement. Your reimbursement may still be reviewed and subject to an audit by Accounts Payable.

For Reviewers & Approvers

When a request is submitted that requires your review or approval, you will receive an email notification from ServiceLink (see below example). The email subject will include the request number, requestor name, and the amount requested.

The email will include a summary of the request. You have the ability to view the supporting documentation by clicking “Details”. You can also view the approval workflow for the request by clicking “Track It!”.

After viewing the details of the request, you can approve or reject the reimbursement request directly in the email notification.

Below is a list of necessary information that should be included with each request:

Reimbursement Description

  • Ensure the provided description is correct, concise, detailed and includes purpose, place, and dates. Appropriate examples include:
    • NASPA conference Oct 15 to 17 New Orleans
    • Visiting Student recruitment Wake Forest University Nov 3 to 4

Supporting Documentation

  • Receipts
    • If reimbursement is related to travel, proof of travel must be included in supporting documentation.
    • When multiple receipts are provided, they should be listed in chronological order.
    • Each expense must have an associated receipt.
    • If a receipt is missing, a Missing Receipts Form should be filled out and included in its place.
  • Itinerary
    • An itinerary is preferable, but not required, supporting documentation.
  • Per Diems (if applicable)
    • Confirm that overnight travel was involved in order for the requestor to be eligible for a per diem.
    • Individuals traveling to locations within the U.S. will be reimbursed as per the rates set by the U.S. government, which can be found here. The following exceptions apply to all travelers:
      • Travel days (the first and last day of business travel) will be reimbursed at 75% of the per diem rate.
      • The per diem rate covers all food expenses (e.g. meals, snacks, water, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, taxes, and gratuity) and other incidentals.
  • Boarding Passes, Tickets & Mileage Rates
    • If travel was via air, please retain and upload a copy of your boarding pass(es). If it is lost, submit a Missing Receipt Form.
    • If travel was via train or bus, please retain and upload a copy of your ticket(s).
    • If travel was via personal car, the University will reimburse you per the IRS Standard Mileage Rates for mileage and tolls (not gas as this is included in the mileage rate). For 2016, the mileage rate is 54 cents a mile. You must include your travel plan using Google Maps or another similar application, and print your route(s) to calculate mileage. You will need to include toll receipts.
    • Currency Conversions (as needed)
      • Reimbursements via AP Workflow are only in U.S. Dollars. If expenses were incurred in another currency, please convert all currencies via Oanda. Please attach a screenshot or evidence of the conversion to each applicable receipt.
      • Foreign currency rates can change daily. Please change the date of conversion to match that on the receipt.
      • If charges for foreign currency were incurred during business related travel, NYU will reimburse reasonable charges and fees associated with the conversion (see Global Travel Policy for further information).
  • Business Meals
    • The name of all guests that attended the meal must be provided.
    • Receipt for the meal must be uploaded

Chartfields

  • Please make sure the appropriate account (e.g. 65182) is used when distributing expenses across chartfields.
    • Local travel within the metropolitan area should be booked to 65550 (Travel-Local)
    • Domestic travel and accommodation within the U.S. (but outside the metropolitan area) should be booked to 65510 (Travel & Living-Domestic)
    • International travel and accommodation (outside the U.S. should be booked to 65520 (Travel & Living-Foreign)
  • If alcohol was purchased, it must be isolated to account 65183 (Alcoholic Beverages)
  • The rest of the chartfield (Fund-Dept ID-Program-Project) should be reflective of your department’s chartfield (speak to your DA). Other chartfields may be used if the trip was funded by another department.

If you have any questions or concerns, please consult Steinhardt Finance at steinhardt.finance@nyu.edu.