University Employee Travel Official Business All official travel
University Employee Travel
Official Business • All official travel must be for the use and benefit of the mission of the University. State law specifies that travel expenses may be reimbursed only when the purpose of travel is clearly for the conduct of the State’s official business and in consonance with the legal responsibilities of the agency of the state represented. – Social functions are not considered official business. • • Funerals Weddings Retirement Dinners University sporting events unless you’re required to be there
Before You Go • Is this travel authorized? Trip specific RTA – No blanket RTAs – – • Is this form current? Check the webpage forms as most are updated regularly. – • You can find that right here. Specific city must be listed. Can I pay above the allowed rate? – – – • Bookmark link to forms page instead of saving the form. What are the allowed meals and lodging rates? – – • One RTA per voucher, each RTA used only once All signatures should be in place before travel occurs. Sometimes for hotels with accountholder approval when using local funds Only with Procurement & Contract Services approval when using State funds (10 accounts) Never for meals. Are these State contracted vendors? – – Rental Car – must be a contracted rental agency regardless of fund type being used. Hotel – important when using State funds. Airline – use the Contract Vendor Exception form and ‘lower cost option’ regardless of fund type being used. Travel Agency – if using a travel agency, it must be one of the two contracted vendors.
Car Rental • Enterprise Rent-A-Car – – – • Avis Rental Car System, Inc. – – – • 1 -866 -398 -5080 State Rate Identifier: TX 731 Use link provided on TWU Travel website 1 -800 -331 -1212 State Rate Identifier: F 999731 Not all locations honor State contract Hertz – – 1 -800 -654 -3131 State Rate Identifier: 2120731
Hotel • Find a contracted hotel here. – Choose to ‘Join an existing company account. ’ • Make sure to request the allowed rate according to the GSA website. • Do not pay state hotel tax in Texas. – Print State Hotel Occupancy Tax Exemption from found here. • Internet is allowed for TWU business only. – You must state that on the Travel Voucher when seeking reimbursement. • Invoice must show a zero balance.
Meals • • • Max allowed rate may never be exceeded. Tips are reimbursable only when using local funds. Alcohol is never reimbursable. Departments should require meal receipts. You are reimbursed your actual expenses according to your receipts, we do not pay per diem. – There’s no rule as to how much you can spend per meal. – You are not required to spend less on your first or last day of travel. – As long as the daily allowance is not exceeded, you’re fine.
Most Common Mistakes • Account number is different on the voucher vs the RTA – RTA is missing altogether • Necessary signatures are missing – – • • • Traveler Supervisor Accountholder ORSP No “on behalf of” signatures are acceptable. Date & time of departure and/or arrival are not shown - mileage More than the allowable rate is claimed for meals Texas state hotel tax is claimed The Business Purpose/Itinerary Section is incomplete or inaccurate – Give the full story – 5 Ws Contract Vendor Exception form is not included
Most Common Mistakes (continued) • There is no travel money in the account – Money must be in the travel line of your budget. – Student Travel pays from M&O, not Travel – Registration fees pay from M&O, not Travel • Google Maps not used for mileage claims when not using odometer readings. – No other internet mapping site is accepted. • Outdated forms – Save a link to our Forms and Instructions area of the website. • • Airfare claimed when Air Card was used Registration claimed when PCard was used
Itinerary Section
Travel Resources • State Travel Management Program – All contracted vendors can be found here • Textravel – Information on state travel laws and rules • Meal & Lodging Allowable Rates • Foreign Currency Converter
Questions
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