Reimbursements

Travel/Professional Development Reimbursements

Approval

  • The Library Business Office only approves the funding source and availability of funds – we do not approve any actual travel or time away from the office.
    • Any request for travel must be approved by your supervisor prior to submitting the Professional Development Funding and Travel Form.
  • To request use of funds for any travel and/or professional development, please submit a Professional Development Funding and Travel Form.

Reimbursement Process

  • Upon your return, you will need to request reimbursement through the Purchasing and Reimbursement App within 5 business days. Our staff will create a Chrome River expense report for your approval within 3 business days of receiving reimbursement requests.
    • The University will only reimburse out of pocket expenses.
  • The Purchasing and Reimbursement App can also be found on the Business Office page here.
  • Once your ChromeRiver reimbursement request has been created, your approval is required for your reimbursement to be processed.
  • Any reimbursement requests that are submitted in Chrome River after 60 days of travel, are considered taxable income for the requester.
    • Taxable amounts will be submitted to University Payroll and tax of approximately 30% will be withheld from the employee’s paycheck.
    • The taxable gross amount will be displayed on your paystub under Earning Type as Taxable Reimbursement >60 Days
    • Exceptions: Reasonable justifications allowed by the IRS can be found 8.2.4 Provide Justification for Reimbursement Requests Older than 60 Days.

*Please add the Library Business Office staff as delegates to your Chrome River account so that we can complete your reimbursement request. Instructions to add delegates can be found here.

Documentation

Prepare all necessary documentation for your reimbursement to upload in the Purchasing App. Documents include:

  • All receipts that you are seeking reimbursement for, (i.e. airfare, hotel, Uber/Lyft/Taxi)
    • All receipts should contain the requester’s name, amount paid and date of transaction.
  • If you are traveling internationally, you must provide documentation of insurance enrollment to be uploaded to Chrome River
  • If you do not have a receipt, provide a copy of your bank or credit card statement that shows the charge you are requesting reimbursement for.
  • If you are planning to go early or stay longer for personal travel or if you drive instead of flying, a comparable airfare itinerary must also be prepared.
  • Per Diem Request Form (No need to submit meal receipts. Check the boxes on the form for all meals provided to you, even if you did not eat them (i.e. breakfast provided by a hotel).
  • Business Meals: include receipts, who attended, their affiliation with the University and the purpose of the Business meeting (how it benefited the University). Tips up to 20% will be reimbursed.
  • A PDF of your Professional Development approval email.
  • Receipts for any supplies purchased for travel and the business purpose for the supplies
  • Please note that the University will not reimburse for credits used, only out of pocket expenses

Miscellaneous Reimbursements* (up to $499)

  • Food Supplies
  • Printing conference presentation material
  • Professional memberships:a receipt with your name, membership level, amount and date of transaction

*The University is a tax exempt and therefore will not reimburse tax on miscellaneous reimbursements. When making purchases on behalf of the U of I System, please present suppliers with the U of I System’s sales State of IL Sales Tax Exempt Letter to avoid paying sales tax on purchases.

Last update 12/17/24