Resources| Travel and Reimbursement |
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Travel Prior approval for all business travel is required for absences of employees from the campus or other designated headquarters for periods of half a day or more during the normal working period, whether or not there is a cost to The University. This prior approval is obtained via the Request for Travel Authorization (RTA) form. If classes are to be missed, a qualified member of the instructional staff shall be identified on the RTA. The Office of Accounting does not require travel authorization for personal absences such as vacation. ALL fields in the Request for Travel Authorization (RTA) form must be completed and submitted to the administrative staff who will process their travel before the travel has occurred.
Travel to Washington D.C. Before an employee travels to Washington D.C., the Office of State-Federal Relations (OSFR) must be informed about the timing and purpose of the trip. The section regarding Washington D.C. travel must be completed in addition to the other required information on the RTA. A report based on the that information is generated and sent to OSFR. Office of State-Federal Relations (OSFR)
Foreign Travel Some foreign destinations are considered restricted regions and travel must be approved by the International Oversight Committee. For information on this policy and its procedures, go to the International Office’s UT Travel Policy to Restricted Regions Web page. Foreign Travel Using State Accounts Section 2.02(B) of the State of Texas Travel Allowance Guide states that a state agency may pay or reimburse a state employee for travel expenses incurred while traveling to or from, or staying at a duty point in a foreign country only if the agency's chief administrator, or someone designated by the chief administrator, provides prior written approval. This approval is not required for Canada, Mexico, or U.S. possessions. At UT Austin, foreign travel using a state-funded account requires prior approval from the Dean/Vice President either in writing or, alternatively, electronically via the the Request for Travel Authorization. Once your RTA is submitted it will follow the appropriate approval path to finall approval. Your administrative staff who processed the RTA will contact you with any concerns.
Contracts & Grants When foreign travel expenses are to be paid from grant and/or contract funds, required approvals must be obtained. Specific authorization for the foreign travel may be stated in the approved grant or contract; if not, the Principal Investigator (PI) must obtain approval from the sponsor. The approval of the foreign travel may be delivered via email. It is the responsibility of the PI to secure all necessary approvals; failure to do so will result in disallowance of the travel expenses. Reimbursement for Travel ExpensesTo process a reimbursement for travel expenses we must have the following items (no exceptions): 1) A Request for Travel Authorization (RTA). This must be completed in full on the individual traveling in advance of the dates of travel. 2) ITEMIZED RECEIPTS and PROOF OF PURCHASE for ALL travel expenses that you are submitting for reimbursement. (Travel Reimbursement Form). If you are paying with a credit card the proof of purchase is sometimes a separate receipt from the itemized receipt and we must have both. When seeking reimbursement for your hotel expenses, we will need the detailed room folio as well as a "Zero Hotel Bill" indicating that the account has been paid by the person seeking reimbursement. Notes: • We cannot reimburse for TEXAS SALES TAX (If traveling within Texas, print this form and take it with you to exempt you from State Sales Tax) • TIPS (up to 20%) are acceptable if clearly marked • If the individual being reimbursed is not in the UT Vendor or UT Payroll Systems there will be some additional paperwork that they must complete (Once we have the EID AND MAILING ADDRESS we can determine this). • In most cases AIRFARE and RENTAL CAR can be charged directly to the department, avoiding reimbursement. In some cases local hotel charges can also be directly billed to the department. Check with appropriate department staff before you make reservations yourself. Reimbursement for Entertainment ExpensesTo process a reimbursement for entertainment expenses we must have the following items (no exceptions): 1) NAME, EID, and MAILING ADDRESS OF INDIVIDUAL BEING REIMBURSED (this is the mailing address where you want the reimbursement check sent) 2) ITEMIZED RECEIPT and PROOF OF PURCHASE on ALL items on which you are requesting reimbursement. We must have BOTH of these receipts. An example of an itemized receipt: 3 large cheese pizzas at $10/each, 2 medium pepperoni pizzas at $5/each. Proof of payment receipt shows the total (With tip, if applicable) and the total amount paid: $40.00 subtotal + $8.00 tip = $48.00 paid via cash or credit card. MealsPayment for meals is reimbursed only for official visitors, including prospective faculty and invited lecturers, and other official occasions as defined above. The Cockrell School has established the average per‐person reimbursement limits for meals (See below). Departments may establish lower reimbursement limits. The meal limits include tax and tip (up to 20%) regardless of account used for payment. The "No Sales Tax" rule does not apply when you are eating at the restaurant. Tax is not reimbursable for takeout or catered events. In such cases, a University of Texas Tax Exempt form must be given to the vendor. Tax Exempt Form Meal limits per person: Breakfast: $20/person Expenses for alcohol may not be the primary expenditure submitted for reimbursement, that is, greater than 50% of the total expense. In general, alcohol only expenses will not be reimbursed except in development meetings with donors or prospective donors. The justification for alcohol only reimbursement must be documented on the Official Occasion Expense Form. Attendees at faculty recruiting meals should be limited to the number who can reasonably interact with the faculty candidate. For example, meals generally should involve no more than four people (the candidate and three faculty members) or a total of six people if inclusion of spouses is justified (the candidate and spouse, two faculty members and spouses). Reimbursement for spouses or guests at a business meeting or meal is almost always not appropriate. There are special circumstances that allow reimbursement, such as during recruiting visits, provided the faculty recruit brings his/her own spouse or guest. Reimbursements for children are not appropriate, except for justified development purposes. Reimbursement for alcohol is not allowed on any student recruiting visits. Meals with colleagues and/or staff are almost always not reimbursable expenses. However, there may be special circumstances that justify reimbursement. For example, if a meeting must occur during the lunch hour because the conflicting schedules of the participants prevent the meeting at any other times, this expense is reimbursable. Material PurchasesNOTE: All material purchases for research, teaching or any other work-related activities must be made using a University Procard, standard purchase order, or the new UT Market System. You cannot use your personal credit card for material purchases and then seek reimbursement. The only reimbursements that can be processed are for official travel and official entertainment related expenses.
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