Travel and Non-Travel reimbursements are processed through the Create Expense Report business process in Workday. If your unit is supported by ePAS, please submit a request through the method identified in our Units We Support page. The ePAS team will submit fully complete requests (i.e., all receipts and documentation provided) within 5 business days. The Shared Environment Compliance team aims to review within 2 business days.
60 Day Policy
Faculty, Staff, and Students should request reimbursements within 60 days of:
a) the day you exited travel status (the date of your last day of travel)
b) the day you received the good (i.e., if you picked up the item from a store, it is that day. If you have an item shipped, it is the date you received the item)
Does this mean an employee can’t be reimbursed if they miss the 60 day deadline? No. It means that if an employee still seeks reimbursement, it will be reported as income to the payroll office.
Why is this happening?
Effective July 6, 2026, UW will adopt Rule 2 of the IRS Accountable Plan (also referenced in SAAM 10.80.70.b.). Under this policy, expenses must be substantiated within a reasonable time period. Failure to do so will result in the expense being treated as taxable income, and the reimbursement will be processed through payroll to ensure the applicable payroll withholding taxes are applied from the individual’s next semi-monthly earnings.
For purposes of this policy, as stated in the Safe Harbor established in IRS Section 1.62-2(g)(2)(i), a “reasonable period” will be defined as 60 days from the date of purchase of the expense. Please note: the reasonable period definition state above is applicable to non-travel expenses. For details on how a reasonable period is defined for travel expenses, please refer to Travel Service’s website here.
Expenses substantiated on an Expense Report within the 60 day time period state above will satisfy the reasonable time period requirement and will not be considered income.
If you are claiming an exception to this policy, substantial documentation must be attached to the delayed Expense Report and will be subject to review by Accounts Payable.
UW Policy may be found on Expense Report Webpage
Non-Travel Reimbursements for UW Employees
Best Practice: Consulting with your finance staff before making any purchases or travel arrangements is a wise decision. Your support staff have the expertise to navigate the complex web of financial regulations and travel policy, ensuring compliance and fiscal responsibility. Their guidance can help identify the most cost-effective options and prevent any potential issues with unapproved expenditures or reimbursement procedures. By involving them early in the process, requesters can safeguard against financial missteps and ensure a smoother transaction.
All Requesters should refer to the Procurement Services reimbursement page for items that are not allowed to be reimbursed through an expense report. Additionally, requesters should provide common backup documentation which includes but is not limited to:
- Itemized receipts (not quotes or shipping confirmations)
- Signed and dated packing slips or verification of receipt (this is not the same as shipping confirmations; if you have an Amazon purchase, check your “delivery status” in your account)
- If the purchase is food related:
- Business purpose
- Attendees list or invitation showing the number of invitees if the event involves an open invite
- Meeting agenda if provided during a meeting
- Food form, if applicable. Please remember that Gift funds are still subject to per diem rules. Only “big D” discretionary funds are not subject to per diem. All units should follow the UW Food Policy.
Travel-Related Reimbursements for UW Employees
Best Practice: Securing travel pre-approval is a smart move for any traveler! It’s a process that ensures all your travel-related expenses are accounted for and approved before you embark on business travel. By consulting with financial staff beforehand, you can avoid any hiccups that might arise from out-of-pocket expenses or last-minute bookings. For those supported by an ePAS team, the benefits are even more significant. They can handle the direct payment for hotels and airfare, making the process seamless for students, as long as the trip is strictly for official purposes and no personal time is taken. Similarly, faculty and staff can also enjoy the convenience of having their airfare taken care of, provided their travel does not mix business with personal time. It’s a system designed to streamline the administrative side of travel, allowing travelers to focus on the purpose of their trip without worrying about the financial logistics.
Best Practice: Download our Handy Travel Checklist
All units should follow their written departmental policies which may be more restrictive than the UW Travel Policy. Below is a list of the most common backup documentation elements required:
- Business purpose
- Meeting invitation or conference schedule
- Helps determine travel status start and stop times
- Helps determine if meals were provided
- Helps determine hotel exceptions for per diem
- Field work or sample collection travel? Provide the dates and location of work
- Final hotel folio (this shows all charges, the payment, and a zero balance)
- Airfare receipt
- Ride share receipts (Lyft, Uber) – you can retrieve these from their respective apps
- Baggage receipts
- Mileage maps for mileage reimbursements
- Ferry or toll tickets
Additional Best Practices:
- Save your receipts (except meal receipts if claiming meal per diem). Saving and submitting receipts saves time and effort for everyone and will result in faster reimbursements, especially because funding sources may have different requirements. This is good stewardship of University funding.
- Use AirBnB for Work, which allows CTA cardholders (processors who have “credit cards” used specifically for travel payments) to pay directly if no personal time is taken
- If using ride share services, download the Uber for Business or Lyft for Business apps to keep your business travel separate from your personal travel.