Group Travel

Accounts Payable

View policy pdf: Group Travel Policy

Policy Statement
Group travel exists when a third party is being paid for travel expenses of an employee on official UGA business. More than one individual does not have to be involved to qualify for group travel. A third party may refer to a business or another individual. Payments under group travel requires information about the traveler, regardless of who actually paid, to comply with the Georgia Transparency in Government Act report requirements.

Reason for Policy

This policy is to define the University of Georgia's regulations for processing group travel. The University follows reporting requirements set forth by the State Accounting Office, Board of Regents, and Internal Revenue Service. The University maintains an accountable plan for travel reimbursements. By complying with IRS rules with an accountable plan, travel reimbursements generally are not taxable income.

Procedure

Direct Billing of Travel Expenses: The University will pay suppliers for travel expenditures on behalf of employees who are traveling on official business for the University under certain circumstances.

If no provisions exist to direct pay the supplier, then:

University employees are responsible for seeking reimbursement of travel expenditures through university procedures as stated in the UGA Travel Policy.

If provisions exist to direct pay the vendor:

After travel is completed, the department should submit a payment request to the third-party vendor with an invoice from the supplier. The appropriate employee travel account code should be assigned to the payment request. A Distribution Form should be attached providing the traveler's name and amount reportable for the traveler.

Employee Reimbursement for Group Travel: In the event an employee covers travel expenditures for another employee, the request for reimbursement must be treated as group travel.

If all parties involved are employees, an expense report should be created to reimburse the employee that paid for the transaction. The Group Attendees section of the expense report should be completed indicating the names and amounts reportable for the other employees. The proper expense types for group travel should be used when creating the expense report.

Record Retention

Research Grant Records Number 0472-09-006

These records relate to funded research grant proposals and research activity associated with grant funded

projects. Examples of records include supporting statistics, demographic data, draft proposals, suggested revisions, final proposals, forms, protocols, applications, research/activity reports, progress reports, and summary reports.

Retention: Final research report is permanent. All other records: 7 years after the end of the grant period.

Accounting Records Number 0472-03-001

This series includes bank statements, purchase requests, purchase orders, requisitions, financial reports, accounts payable and receivable records, write-off records, discrepancy, payment schedules, operating statements, year-end projections, reconciliation and expenditure reports, cancelled checks, check stubs, moving expense records, cost accounting reports, refund/disbursement request records, returned checks, deposit slips, travel records, credit voucher requisition records, cash balances and reconciliations, sales and cash reconciliation records, journal entries, outstanding obligations, refund/disbursement requests, receipts and invoices.

Retention: Monthly and quarterly reports: 1 year. All other records: 5 years.

Related Information

UGA Travel Policy

Multiple training resources for processing payment requests and expense reports are available in the OneSource Knowledge Base:

Creating a Payment Request

Creating a Payment Request with Multiple Expense Lines

Creating a Payment Request with Multiple Accounting Distributions on the same line Approving a Payment Request

Denying a Payment Request

Creating an Expense Report

Creating an Expense Report as a Delegated User Submitting an Expense Report

Submitting an Expense Report Prepared by a Delegate Reviewing the Status of an Expense Report

Approving an Expense Report as an HR Reports To Supervisor Approving an Expense Report as an Expense Manager