Before you book
Most employers have a written travel policy, and the expense report is judged against it line by line. Find out whether you must use a company booking tool or travel agency, what fare class is allowed, which is nearly always economy for domestic flights, the nightly hotel cap for the city, and the meal limit. Some employers pay a per diem, a flat daily allowance for meals and incidentals that usually needs no meal receipts. Book flights two weeks or more ahead when you can. If you have no corporate card and cannot comfortably carry the costs until you are repaid, ask for a travel advance.
On the road
Photograph each receipt the moment you get it. The receipt that counts is the itemized one showing what was bought, not the card slip showing only the total. Ask the hotel for the full folio at checkout. For meals with clients or colleagues, note who attended and the business purpose on the receipt. If you drive your own car, log the date, destination, purpose and miles for each trip. Most employers reimburse at the per-mile rate the IRS publishes each year, and your normal commute does not qualify. Before renting a car, check whether the policy tells you to accept or decline the rental company's insurance.
Filing the report
- File within a week of returning.
- Give every line a business purpose in a few words, such as "Dinner with client team after site visit."
- Attach a receipt to everything the policy requires, which at many companies means anything above twenty-five dollars.
- Separate personal charges on the hotel bill and leave them off the report.
- Keep your own copies until the money has reached your account.
Many companies refuse reimbursement after thirty to ninety days, and the card bill is due in the meantime.
Gray areas
Alcohol is often excluded or capped, so check before ordering wine for the table. Minibar items, in-room films, gym fees and a companion's costs are yours. If you add vacation days to a work trip, you pay for the extra nights and any increase in airfare, and you should get approval first. Airline miles and hotel points usually stay with you, though you may not pick a costlier flight to earn them. Padding a report, even by ten dollars, is treated as theft and is a firing offense.
Tip Pack a carry-on only when you can. It saves the checked-bag fee and removes the chance of arriving at a client meeting without your clothes.
