Travel Expenses Reimbursement Process

Initial Setup Steps

To initiate reimbursement for Workshop attendees, the following documents are required to set up a new payee profile with Washington University in St. Louis that will be overseeing the reimbursement process:

• If you are a US Citizen or Resident Alien, please complete the W9 form.
• If you are a non-US Citizen, please complete the W8BEN form, FIIR form and provide a copy of your passport and VISA.
• If you would like to receive direct deposit and bank with a US Bank, please complete the EFT form. Otherwise, your reimbursement will be a paper check mailed to your home address (address listed on the W9).
• If you bank at a non-US bank, a wire transfer is required for reimbursement. Please complete the Wire Transfer Form.
• If your VISA is a H1B or J1 VISA, you cannot be reimbursed directly because of restrictions on your VISA. You will need to inform your sponsoring institution that they should send us an invoice for your travel expenses. We will pay the invoice to the institution for the travel expenses. Your institution is responsible for reimbursing you.

Documentation

Supporting documentation/receipts should provide evidence of origination from the vendor that contains purchasing details including date, description or itemization of expenses, price and proof of payment. Monthly credit card statements and canceled checks alone will not be accepted as supporting documentation. The use of estimated amounts is not allowed.

• Mileage will be reimbursed at the current Internal Revenue Services (IRS) standard business mileage rate ($0.67/2024) when a personal automobile is used for business purposes in the United States. Please provide a Google Maps printout showing the total mileage from your home to Washington University (1 Brookings Dr., St. Louis, MO 63130).
• Airfare is to be purchased at the lowest available economy/coach fare available that meets the business purpose of the trip. Supporting documentation should include name of the airline, the flight class, dates flown, and amount paid (including method of payment). Please make sure to fly on a US Air Carrier. The Fly America Act and Open Skies Agreement must be followed. (GSA Fly America Act: https://www.gsa.gov/policy-regulations/policy/travel-management-policy-overview/fly-america-act) Airfare upgrades are not allowed, including Early Bird check in fees or seating choices.
• Itemized receipts for all lodging expenses should be provided. Itemized receipts should show the balance as paid. Reimbursement will be made to the employee at the single occupancy rate. Additional accommodation costs over and above a single occupancy rate will generally not be reimbursed. In addition, costs associated with upgrades in accommodations will generally not be reimbursed unless standard accommodations are not available.
• Reimbursement for meals is based on the actual meal expense, not estimates. Please provide the full receipt for each meal. Receipts should include the restaurant name, date of meal, items ordered and amount paid. Alcoholic beverages are not allowed due to charges being posted to a sponsored fund. If meals are included in the conference registration fee or hotel rates, an additional meal charge will not be reimbursed. Exceptions for dietary, religious reasons, or other business purposes should be clearly documented.
• Travelers should seek out moderately priced automobiles for car rentals to minimize the cost. If you have an upgrade to your rental car over the standard/economy rate and feel you have a valid justification please send that justification so that it can be reviewed by our sponsored projects team. Gasoline expenses will be reimbursed based on actual gas purchases, not mileage. The university does not reimburse for the cost of insurance offered by rental agencies when traveling in the United States, Canada, and U.S. territories.
• Ground transportation, parking fees and toll costs will be reimbursed. Ground transportation includes taxi cabs, subways, Uber, etc. Please provide paid receipts that include the supplier's name, date of purchase and amount shown as paid. If using Uber or Lyft, please make sure that the receipt shows the pick up and drop off locations.

Submission

Reimbursement requests should include receipts, tax forms (W8BEN, FIIR and/or W9) and banking forms (EFT/Wire Transfer).

Receipts and other documentation should be emailed to Lindsay Roussin (lindsayr@wustl.edu) to process. She will be available for any questions that Workshop attendees might have.