Building partnerships through collaboration.
Reimbursing Individuals
Reimbursements with state, Research Foundation or UB Foundation funds are paid to UB employees and non-employees who have incurred travel expenses or purchased business-related goods with out-of-pocket funds on behalf of the university.
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Not All Purchases Are Reimbursable
Seeking reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses is not a best practice. You are not guaranteed reimbursement. For specific questions regarding whether an expenditure is reimbursable, please contact accounts payable prior to making the expenditure.
Departments must consider using UB's preferred purchasing methods such as a purchase order, ShopBlue or Procurement Card for business transactions. Using these methods ensures contract pricing, liability and tax exemption requirements are met. When requesting reimbursement, you may be asked to explain why one of these preferred methods was not utilized.
Ownership of all items acquired with state, Research Foundation (RF) or UB Foundation (UBF) funds is vested with the respective entity and not the individual faculty or staff member. This includes items purchased:
- By an individual for which the cost was reimbursed.
- Using a university procurement method such as a purchase order, Procurement Card (PCard), or any eProcurement method.
Departments must also ensure appropriate asset management requirements are met.
- List the UB business purpose for the expense on the expense report or voucher.
- UB employees must get preapproval from their supervisor before traveling overnight. An approved request report must be attached to the expense report in the travel and expense reimbursement system (Concur).
- Attach original receipts to the expense report or voucher.
- Verification of payment. Depending on how the purchase was made, additional information may be requested to substantiate that the purchase of goods or services took place.
- For vouchers, the payee and the authorized individual must sign it. For expense reports, the payee must accept the electronic agreement. For more information, review the UB Approval Authority Policy.
The Allowable Use of Funds policy governs payment and reimbursement for food, beverage and related expenses associated with official university functions. Documentation (invoice, receipt, conference meeting agenda, etc.) is required to support and justify the business-related purpose of the expense.
Every effort should be made to obtain New York State sales tax exemption. If the vendor did not accommodate UB's tax-exempt status, you may be required to provide an explanation. Tax paid will not be reimbursed to the individual.
Reimbursement is typically requested for food purchases and registration costs for vendors that may not accept credit cards or purchase orders. Registration costs related to travel should be included on the expense report or voucher.
Not all items can be reimbursed on an expense report or voucher. The following expenses cannot be requested:
The Research Foundation of SUNY's policy for unrestricted funds identifies valid business purposes for non-compensation expenses and the types of expenditures permissible for payment or reimbursement by the RF. The policy provides criteria for determining a permissible expense and provides examples of common expenses.
Request Reimbursement
Research Foundation Reimbursements For Purchases
Reimbursements with RF funds are paid to UB employees who have purchased goods and services with out-of-pocket funds.
You can use Non-Sponsored Research funds for the immediate purchase of items with reimbursement at a later point, for supplies less than $2,500.00.
Employees use the travel and expense reimbursement system to request reimbursement with RF funds for business non-travel expenses.
Reimbursements with RF funds are paid to non-employees of UB who have purchased goods and services with out-of-pocket funds.
Non-employees include:
- Guests
- Faculty and staff job candidates
- Unpaid students
The host department or unit should submit a Non-Employee Personal Reimbursement Request to reimburse non-employees for business non-travel expenses. This form cannot be used for:
- Supplier payments
- Travel expenses
- RF moving expenses
- Independent contractor payments
- Non-resident alien scholarship
- Award payments
Research Foundation Reimbursements For Travel
Employees use the travel and expense reimbursement system to request reimbursement with RF funds for business travel expenses.
For travel advances, RF will reimburse pre-paid airfare only at 100%
Follow these instructions to Request Airfare Purchased in Advance of a Trip.
Research Foundation reimbursements for RF-funded employees are either direct deposited if an ACH form has been submitted, or mailed to the address in the payroll file.
Complete and submit an ACH Payment Enrollment form to have your RF reimbursements direct deposited; it is not associated with a payroll account.
Reimbursements with RF funds are paid to non-employees of UB for travel expenses incurred while conducting official university business. Non-employees include:
- Guests
- Faculty and staff job candidates
- Unpaid students
The host department or unit should submit a Non-Employee Travel Voucher for Research Foundation (RF) to reimburse non-employees for out-of-pocket business travel expenses.
Confirm Reimbursement
Payments can be confirmed by the department using the SIRI Money dashboard.
Research Foundation reimbursements for RF-funded employees are either direct deposited if an ACH form has been submitted, or mailed to the address in the payroll file
Reimbursement Timeline
Employee reimbursements for travel or other expenses will be paid on an ongoing basis and are not impacted by the payroll schedule. Employees will be reimbursed as expense reports are processed.
Advances
Research Foundation-funded advances are also a type of reimbursement. These types of payments are typically used for human-subject payments. In this case, the payee must:
- Provide a home OR campus address and must;
- Sign the Payee Certification above the Authorized Signature.
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Process
A Consent Form must be distributed to each human subject that includes information about Internal Revenue Service requirements for 1099 reporting. The Principal Investigator must retain all signed and dated consent forms.
Please forward a completed W-9 form for any individuals who earn more than $600 in a calendar year, along with the total amount paid for a 1099 Tax form to be issued.
Department Initiates Request by completing and submitting a RAP form to Non-Sponsored Group (418 Crofts Hall). The form should clearly state the intended use, time period & disposition of funds. The advance of funds should be a reasonable amount needed for a one-month time period.
Non-Sponsored Group will create a purchase order (PO) and encumber funds for $1.00 more than the amount requested. A check will be generated for the amount requested.
The Department is responsible for maintaining a ledger to record deposits and track the disbursements of the advance. The ledger should include the following: name of the payee, participant ID code, the date of the payment, method of payment and dollar amount.
The Principal Investigator (PI) assumes responsibility for the funds upon cashing the check (Funds should never be deposited into a personal bank account). Cash/ Gift Cards should be held in a locked cashbox separate from the ledger and receipts to ensure proper security and financial control. If funds become missing or stolen, report the loss immediately to facility security and to the Non-Sponsored Group.
At the end of each month, participant disbursements and receipts must be reconciled. A copy of the ledger with the payee’s names removed should be sent to SPS. All signed receipts are to be housed in the department and available upon request/audit. Please retain records in accordance with the retention requirements for Vendor Payments files.
If funds need to be replenished, please resubmit another RAP form and SPS will increase the existing Purchase Order and make payment. In lieu of the RAP form, an email request may be sent with the appropriate approvals.
Contact an Expert
For Compliance and Guidance
Brendan Davis
Accounting: Non-sponsored RF
Financial Management
Phone: 716-645-2602
