Expense Reports

• Who – name of attendee(s) or participant(s) including their position and affiliation.
• What – name of the expense (dinner, travel tickets, dues) or event (name of conference, workshop, or meeting).
• Where – location where the event took place or destination traveled to.
• When – date(s) or date range of event or expense.
• Why – how does this benefit the University?
• No abbreviations, unless written out once within same expense report.

• Have all University policies and procedures been followed?
  • Visit the Expense Report chapter of the Procurement Toolkit for a list of policies and procedures related to Expense Reports.
• Does the receipt match the charge?
• Does the Out-of-Pocket (OOP) receipt include both proof of payment and the method of payment used in the purchase?
• Are the charging instructions correct? Confirm the COA with your Business Office.
• Have you attached the receipts >/= $75 (note that charges for lodging must be attached regardless of the dollar value).
• Are the receipts legible?
• If the expense is for a meal for 10 people or less include the following:
  • Each guest’s name and affiliation to Yale University
• If the expense is for a meal for greater than 10 people include the following:
  • Number of attendees
  • Affiliation to the University
• Do you have an itemized receipt for hotel bills?

• Reimbursement for mileage and parking in New Haven.
• In-room movies.
• “No-show” charges for hotel and car service.
• Personal parking tickets or traffic violations.
• Upgrades (air, hotel, car, train etc.).
• Domestic Car Rentals: Do Not Purchase insurance coverage when renting in the Continental United States, including the District of Columbia.
• If an exception has been granted by the Provost or Controller, written documentation is required to be submitted with the expense.

Note: Not an all-inclusive list, always review University policies and procedures for the most recent information.

• If you are allowed to fly business class, you must determine the difference between the cost of business class and economy class and itemize this difference to expenditure item (Domestic/Foreign Travel – Unallowable). For more information, refer to the Accounting for Air Travel Expenses guide.
• As a guideline, actual meal expenses should not be greater than the per diem allowance set by the federal government for the city visited.
• International Car Rentals.

International expense generally refers to any goods or services used in a country outside the United States or any expense related to travel for activities conducted outside the United States. It doesn’t matter if they are purchased in the US. Please see below for examples:

• Supplies purchased in the U.S. but shipped and used for activities conducted outside the U.S.
• A limo expense incurred to travel to JFK to board a flight to London to speak at a conference.
• A hotel expense while in London to speak at a conference.

• Expense Report Approver Resource Guide
• Expense Report Approver Quick Reference

• International Car Rentals: Do Purchase the LDW (Loss Damage Waiver; formerly called CDW or collision damage waiver) and LIS (Liability Insurance Supplement) insurance for all rentals outside of the Continental United States, including Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands.