Reimbursement Guide – Music
How to submit: forms and receipts can be submitted in person at 246B Morrison, placed in Galen Currens’ mailbox in 104 Morrison, or emailed to galen.currens@berkeley.edu as attachments. If emailed, note that the forms still require your signature, and that shared services will only accept digital signatures that “look” handwritten.
Forms can be downloaded at: http://sharedservices.berkeley.edu/finance/forms/
Quick Links:
Additional Travel Policy Resources
Non-Travel, Non-Entertainment Reimbursements
Sample Cover Sheet for International Travel
Sample Cover Sheet for Purchase Reimbursement
Entertainment Reimbursements
Receipts for food, drinks, or entertainment-related activities require a signed “Entertainment Reimbursement Claim Form”, along with the claimed receipts (the exception being if they can be included in a travel reimbursement).
- Fill out and sign the “Entertainment Reimbursement Claim Form” for the event.
- Complete the “Payee”, “Event Purpose”, “Attendees & Costs” and “Host Certification” sections. Be sure to sign under “Host Signature”.
- If you have specific funds you want used, please include a note as to which funds.
- Attach all receipts for which you are seeking reimbursement.
- Receipts must show that the bill was paid.
- Receipts over $75 must be itemized (showing the food purchased), or an additional form may be required. Please let me know if you only have a non-itemized receipt for over $75, or if you have lost a receipt for over $75.
NOTES:
- If you have multiple receipts all related to the same event, they can be submitted as one claim. In such cases, if it is impractical to include multiple purchases and dates on the Form, complete the “Payee” and “Host Signature” sections of the Form, and attach a cover sheet listing:
- Event purpose and description (e.g., student rehearsals for xx concert)
- Event dates (these must correlate to dates of attached receipts)
- Location(s)
- Indicate if alcohol was served (if not apparent from receipt)
- Guest list, class roster, or indicate if event was open to the public
- Attendance of a spouse requires a dean’s approval, which can significantly slow down the process, so please note this when preparing your guest list.
- If you have an unpaid bill or invoice from a vendor we pay directly (e.g., the Women’s Faculty Club, Market Hall Caterers, etc.), a different process applies. Please sign and submit an “Entertainment Purchase Order and Event Planner Card Expenses” form (link above), along with the bill.
Travel Reimbursements
For trips entirely within the U.S., a signed “Domestic Travel Reimbursement Claim Form” is required. Trips outside the U.S. require the “Int’l Travel Reimbursement Claim Form”.
If your reimbursement is simple and involves only a few receipts and no unusual circumstances, complete all relevant sections of the applicable form and attach all necessary receipts and itineraries (see below).
If your reimbursement is not simple and/or straightforward (numerous receipts, receipts in foreign currencies, business and personal time, per diem requests, etc.), though not required, it is generally easiest to compile a cover sheet detailing your activities and reimbursements sought, rather than trying to convey all of these details on the form. A sample cover sheet can be found at the end of this guide. For trips with multiple foreign destinations, organizing your receipts by date and location so that they correspond to your cover sheet will make your reimbursement much easier to process efficiently. NOTE: You still need to complete the “Payee” and “Traveler Signature” sections of the relevant form.
Your cover sheet should include:
- The business/academic purpose, dates and locations for each leg of your trip. All of your time and locations must be accounted for, so if your trip included personal days, you must indicate those dates and locations as well.
- Even if you are not seeking reimbursement for a specific expense or portion of your trip, be sure to describe your trip itinerary in sufficient detail for shared services to understand your travel activities. Generally, if you make a stop somewhere that includes an overnight stay (other than an airport layover), or you include a receipt in a city other than that in which you are staying, shared services will require an explanation for that time or expense.
Required Receipts, Itineraries and Documentation:
Airfare
- For ALL TRIPS that included air travel, itineraries are required even if you are not seeking reimbursement for that airfare.
- Reimbursement for airfare requires both an itinerary AND proof of payment (showing that you personally paid). Please check that this is included on the itinerary you submit. If it is not, you will need to include a bank statement showing the payment.
- If your airfare itinerary includes another passenger, the itinerary must show the airfare and fees associated with your ticket, or show that the cost of both tickets was identical.
- Flights must be economy/coach class; economy-premium, -plus, -elite, etc. are accepted.
Lodging
- Lodging reimbursement requires a receipt showing the nights charged, fees, etc., AND proof of payment (even if under $75)
- If you had guests stay with you, please note whether there was an additional charge for these guests. It must be subtracted from the reimbursement.
- If you did not pay for the room but paid the person who did, you will need to provide the complete room receipt, proof of their payment, and proof of your payment to them (bank statement, Paypal, etc. clearly showing the payee and payer).
- Lodging is only reimbursable if you’re more than 40 miles from your home or campus, whichever is closer to your away location, AND are away for more than 24 hours.
Rental Cars
- An itemized receipt is required (even if under $75).
- Only car costs up to an intermediate size are allowed.
- Rental car insurance is reimbursable.
Meals
- Meals are only reimbursable if at least 40 miles away AND you are away for more than 24 hours. The total daily limit for meals for domestic travel is $74; if the cost of your meals exceeds this, please let me know whether you’d like me to limit the request to $74 or if you’d prefer to provide an explanation for the higher cost and submit to the dean’s office for an exception.
- For shared meals – those where you’ve paid for other people to dine with you while traveling and which have an academic “business” purpose – you’ll need to submit names of guests, the business purpose, and an itemized receipt if over $75.
Ground Transportation
- Receipts under $75 are not required, however, you must make clear the type of transportation (taxi, train, etc.) AND the origin and destination of the undocumented trip.
- If you think it might not be obvious what a receipt is for due to its language or brevity, please make a note of its nature (train, taxi, etc.) and the origin and destination.
Other Expenses
- Any travel expense $75 or more requires a receipt showing proof of payment (flights, lodging, rental cars and conference registration always require receipts even if < $75).
- Conference registration: requires a receipt showing proof of payment.
- If you buy books, supplies or make other “business” related purchases while on a trip, you can include these in your travel reimbursement. Include the receipt showing: 1) proof of payment; 2) item(s) purchased; 3) the seller purchased from.
- Purchases made before the start date of a trip in “preparation” for a trip (e.g., copies of papers for a conference) should not be included in the travel reimbursement and should be submitted separately.
- Lost receipts: if you cannot obtain a duplicate receipt, provide an explanation including the details of the purchase, a declaration that the amount claimed is what you actually paid and that you have not and will not seek reimbursement from any other source, and attach a bank statement showing the payment.
International Travel
Per Diem (International Travel or Domestic Travel > 30 days)
- For international trips, it is often easiest to request per diem, up to the amount actually spent, rather than submit individual receipts for every expense on the trip. You may specify that you only want a portion of the maximum per diem allowed each day. The allowable per diems can be calculated using the State Department’s website here: http://www.defensetravel.dod.mil/site/perdiemCalc.cfm
- You can request per diem for Lodging and/or Meals & Incidental Expenses (M&IE).
- The limit for Lodging per diem is 300% the State Department’s rate for a given location.
- Per diem for M&IE are prorated on the first and last days of the stay in a given city based on the number of hours spent at that destination. E.g., if you arrive at 6pm local time you can only request 25% of the maximum for that city for that day.
- Surface transportation does not need to be included in your M&IE per diem, but if you’re meals and incidentals are far enough below the per diem maximum that these costs can be folded into the M&IE you’re requesting, it makes the reimbursement easier.
Foreign Currencies
- If you have expenses not in USD, please convert the grand total of your reimbursement to USD before submitting it, based on the date of your most recent expense. Oanda (https://www.oanda.com/currency/converter/) is the preferred resource for determining exchange rates. If you have receipts in multiple foreign currencies, convert the totals for each currency based on the date of the most recent expense in each currency.
Additional Travel Policy Resources
The authoritative and detailed UC travel policy document can be found at:
http://policy.ucop.edu/doc/3420365/G-28
The “Travel Policy in a Nutshell” webpage is also a good resource:
http://travel.berkeley.edu/understand-policy/travel-policy-nutshell
Non-Travel, Non-Entertainment Reimbursements
Reimbursements for expenses not related to travel or entertainment do not require any signed forms! All we need is documentation showing: 1) proof of payment; 2) item(s) purchased; 3) the seller purchased from. If you are submitting numerous receipts, including a cover sheet listing each purchase (see sample) will make processing your reimbursement more efficient.
For some large purchases (computers, concert tickets for an entire class, etc.) the department may be able to make the purchase using a University credit card, please inquire.
Note that the reimbursement process does not apply to services you may have purchased (e.g., hiring a copyist or graphic designer), but only to physical/non-physical items purchased (books, software licenses, supplies, etc.). Payments for services must be paid by the University directly to the provider. We cannot reimburse for services rendered (with rare exception for services in a foreign country while you are on travel status.)
Sample Cover Sheet for International Travel
Professor Jane Doe’s trip to Spain, 10/29/2016 – 11/6/2016
Business purpose: To attend the music conference at __ University in Madrid on 10/30/2017 and 10/31/2017, and to conduct research at __ library in Barcelona on 11/1/2017.
Details: Personal time taken in Valencia from 11/2/2016 – 11/5/2016. Flight itinerary includes tickets for two family members, all three tickets were the same price, $1,250 each with fees.
10/29/2016
$12 – Bart from Berkeley to SFO
$1,250 – Flight from SFO to Madrid
36 Euros – Taxi from airport to Hotel
$75 – Per Diem for Meals & Incidental Expenses, half-day rate for Madrid
10/30/2016
$190 – Per Diem for Lodging at University Hotel in Madrid
$150 – Per Diem for Meals & Incidental Expenses
70 Euros – Conference registration
10/31/2016
$190 – Per Diem for Lodging at University Hotel in Madrid
$150 – Per Diem for Meals & Incidental Expenses
35 Euros – Purchase of music CDs and books
11/1/2016
240 Euros – Train ticket from Madrid to Barcelona
$160 – Per Diem for Lodging at Library Hotel in Barcelona
20 Euros – Lunch at La Salita
380 Euros – Dinner at Café Catalonia to discuss future research topics with Professors __, __ and __ from __ University
11/2/2016 – 11/5/2016
Traveled by train to Valencia for vacation, stayed with family.
11/6/2017
Return flight from Madrid to SFO
$12 – Bart from SFO to Berkeley
Total
$2,992 USD
Sample Cover Sheet for Purchase Reimbursement
Professor John Doe
Reimburse from research funds
Scores
$10.45 Sheet music plus
$11.46 Sheet music plus
$40.98 Sheet music plus
$10.67 J.W. Pepper
Subtotal: $73.56
Computer Accessories
$99.99 Apple
$34.56 Amazon
$42.98 Amazon
Subtotal: $177.53
Books
$52.99 Amazon
$32 University Bookstore
Subtotal: $84.99
Total:
$336.08
Last Updated: 4/3/17 by Galen Currens