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University of Houston Human Resources

BUSINESS NOTES AND NEWS
OCTOBER 2008


In This Month's Issue:

 SPOTLIGHT
FY09 Mandatory Training
FY09 Mandatory Training
  Queries

Cougars Helping Cougars
  Hurricane Ike Relief Fund

October Calendar

 HUMAN RESOURCES
ePAR Status Update
ePAR Homepage Changes
  to eFORMS Homepage

I – 9 Reminders 
 
 FINANCE
FY08 Department Fraud
  Risk Survey

Accruals and Reallocations
  in Period 998

Reimbursement Requests
  Submission Deadline

IRS Changes Deadline for
  Texans Affected by Ike

HUB Statistics
 

 

 PRINTABLE VERSION

If you have comments or would like to submit an article for the Spotlight, contact Sara Carter at scarter@uh.edu


Contents Edited by the Administration & Finance Customer Service Center

 

 



Deadline for Submitting Reimbursement Requests


The sections of MAPP 04.01.03, MAPP 04.02.01A, and MAPP 04.02.01B related to timeliness of reimbursements were revised for two primary reasons: (1) IRS standards require companies to set deadlines for employee reimbursements in order for those reimbursements to be considered non-taxable (60 days is the deadline suggested by the IRS) and (2) employees are more likely to receive duplicate reimbursements when vouchers are allowed to be processed several months after the purchase or travel date.

MAPP 04.01.03 (section VII.C), Vouchers was revised on April 7, 2008 to say the following:

All requests for reimbursement, including required documentation, must be submitted to the department business office no later than 60 days after the date of purchase. Requests submitted after 60 days may not be forwarded to Accounts Payable for reimbursement, unless approved by the appropriate division vice president.

The department should make every effort to submit vouchers for employee and student reimbursements to Accounts Payable as soon as possible but no later than 15 days following receipt of all required documentation from the employee or student.

MAPP 04.02.01A (section IX.B.), Travel Paid from State Appropriated Funds and MAPP 04.02.01B (section VIII.B.), Travel Paid from Local Funds were also revised on April 7, 2008 with the same requirement:

Employees, prospective employees, and students must submit their request for reimbursement, including required documentation, to the department business office no later than 60 days after travel is completed. Requests submitted after 60 days may not be forwarded to Accounts Payable for reimbursement, unless approved by the appropriate division vice president.

The department should make every effort to submit vouchers for employee, prospective employee, and student travel reimbursements to Accounts Payable as soon as possible but no later than 15 days following receipt of all required documentation from the traveler.

Only the department knows if the employee submitted his/her receipts within 60 days of the transaction or end of the trip. If the employee did not submit his/her receipts on time, the department should request VP approval for the reimbursement. Academic Affairs and the Research Division have issued memos or statements to reinforce the change in late reimbursements policy. Other divisions may decide to do the same.

The only type of reimbursement where the 60 day rule does not apply is non-overnight transportation (account 54807). Non-overnight mileage, parking, and tolls may be accumulated up to a year before these expenses are submitted for reimbursement, because it is not cost effective to reimburse employees for small dollar amounts once every 60 days. MAPP will be updated to indicate this exception. In the meantime, departments should not apply the 60 day rule to non-overnight transportation.

If you have any questions, please call Samantha Yurus, Director of Accounts Payable, at 713.743.8721.