Employees must secure authorization to travel from their immediate supervisor and in accordance with travel policies and procedures established by their department or college. Employees are expected to make travel arrangements in compliance with applicable laws and in a manner that excludes consideration of personal gain. All travel and related expenses must have a business justification and the traveler must exercise reasonable judgment to ensure that travel is conducted in a cost-efficient manner. These guidelines apply for expenses being purchased either personally for reimbursement or on the Iowa State University Travel and Hospitality Card (T&H Card).
Note: Traveler's cannot seek personal reimbursement until after travel has concluded. Only T&H Card charges should be reconciled before travel.
Iowa State University has structured its travel policies so that, with only one exception noted below, reimbursements are qualified business expenses for tax purposes and, therefore, do not have to be reported as income to the traveler. As a general rule, the Accounting Office staff must rely on the representations of the traveler and the oversight of the supervisor approving travel reimbursement to ensure that only allowable business expenses are submitted for reimbursement. Particular care should be taken when combining business and personal travel.
The Internal Revenue Service defines meal reimbursements for trips that do not involve an overnight stay as taxable. Reimbursements in this category are subject to withholding and are reported on the employee's W-2. University reimbursements and vouchers are public records, and travelers should be aware that their expenses are subject to public scrutiny. To maintain the public's trust, it is advisable to be conservative in incurring expenses or requesting reimbursement.
Formal travel authorizations, called “spend authorizations” in Workday, are not required for domestic travel. A spend authorization is recommended for all foreign travel. Employees traveling abroad are required to register through the Risk Management Terra Dotta portal prior to departure. Furthermore, travelers purchasing air tickets both foreign and domestic are expected to book only economy or coach fares. More specific details, provisions, and exceptions are outlined in the Air Travel Policies and Procedures section (link to ‘Air Travel Policies and Procedures.’ Travelers may not select air carriers for the purpose of obtaining frequent flyer miles or other premiums that benefit the traveler personally.
- International travel registration portal, Risk Management
- Air Travel Policies and Procedures
Departments should consider using the university's preferred travel vendor(s) before looking elsewhere for tickets. While "special" fares sound tempting, our experience has shown that fewer that 1 in 4 fares which have been represented as being less costly than those provided by our contract agency actually were. There are no national or international standards which regulate or test the proficiency of travel agencies, consolidators, or ticket brokers. Procurement Services has very limited options to assist you if a travel agency or consolidator, not under contract with ISU, defaults on its obligations.
- Contact Procurement Services (procurement@iastate.edu) with questions about the university travel contract.