The WS/FCS In-County Travel Mileage Reimbursement Policy

performed while carrying out “official school than out-of-county travel expenses is a A Guide To… business as approved by the employee’s violation of Board of Education policy and department head.” Any miles traveled for may result in disciplinary action. personal or non-work-related reasons must The WS/FCS In-County Travel be subtracted from your odometer readings OBTAINING REIMBURSEMENT Mileage Reimbursement Policy when making a claim for reimbursement. In the absence of actual odometer readings, In order to be reimbursed for your In-County distance estimates are available from many Travel Expenses, you must first have been When you travel on school district Internet websites. given job responsibilities which require you business to locations within the to travel between locations within the boundaries of Forsyth County, school The IRS-approved rate changes from time to County. You are only entitled to district policy AR 4133 “Travel time, and so does the rate approved by the reimbursement if the locations you travel to Compensation and the Use of School Board of Education. Although the IRS rate are all necessary for you to go to because Vehicles” governs the procedures you typically changes on January 1st, more of your duly assigned job duties. are to use in paying for your travel recently it has also been adjusted during the expenses and in obtaining course of the year. The Board of Education Also, you must request reimbursement reimbursement for them. This brochure has not always adopted the IRS-approved within a reasonable time, or your explains the policy and how you can get rate immediately due to budget authorization to receive reimbursement for reimbursed for your properly approved considerations, but they often do by the your expenses will expire. Typically you are in-county travel expenses. beginning of the following fiscal year. expected to request reimbursement within 30 days of the end of the month in which WINSTON-SALEM/FORSYTH COUNTY COMMUTING RULES you traveled. Reimbursement requests for BOARD OF EDUCATION POLICY 4133 prior fiscal years may be denied due to the states that “The rate of mileage It is important to note that “commuting costs” fact that annual budgets do not provide for reimbursement shall be established by the (as defined by the Internal Revenue Service) travel reimbursements from prior years. Board of Education. Reimbursement shall are not reimbursable costs under Board of be paid for the use of privately owned Education policy. Policy 4133 also states To obtain reimbursement, complete one of vehicles when used on official school that “Travel from the place of residence to the our online forms found on the WS/FCS business as approved by the employee's initial work location and from the last work website. They may be found under the department head in accordance with the location home shall not be eligible for Financial Services Department’s website criteria established by the superintendent reimbursement even though these locations page under “Travel Forms.” Complete the in an administrative regulation.” may vary from day to day.” form online and print it out. You will need to obtain your Principal or Supervisor’s The Administrative Regulations associated Basically, for someone who works at more signature before forwarding it to the with Policy 4133 read as follows: than one job location from time to time, the Financial Services Department for “Administrative and support personnel who regulations only allow reimbursement for processing. are required to travel about the county in mileage driven after your arrival at your first the course and scope of their employment work destination in the morning, and before Please be sure that all information required shall be given direct mileage your final destination for the day. is completed! Incomplete forms cause reimbursement at the standard Internal delays in reimbursement. Also, please be Revenue Service (IRS) approved rate… SCHOOL DISTRICT GASOLINE CARDS aware that the distances you have claimed for the actual miles they have driven.” on travel reimbursement forms are often The use of school district-issued gasoline audited for accuracy, and may be reduced It is important to note that any travel for cards is strictly for OUT-OF-COUNTY travel without notice if deemed excessive. which you expect reimbursement must be only. Use of these cards for anything other (continued on reverse) The Financial Services Department strongly recommends that employees who travel complete their own travel reimbursement forms rather than asking a secretary or anyone else to do it for them. Completing your forms online is quick and easy, and it will save you, and everyone A Guide To… involved in the approval process, a lot of time and effort.

ACCURACY + COMPLETENESS = SPEED! The WS/FCS

When submitting travel reimbursement In-County Travel forms, be sure that: Mileage  ORIGINAL receipts for all expenses other than gasoline are included Reimbursement  All required personal information is complete. Policy  All destinations are clearly identified (use addresses when visiting sites not operated by the school district), and all mileage shown – including round-trip - is accurate and complete.  All required approval signatures are obtained.

The Financial Services Department strives to make all mileage reimbursement payments within two weeks of receiving your completed requests.

Please contact the Financial Services Department at 727-2821 if you have any questions about this policy or how it is administered. (last rev. October, 2007)

This document is provided by the Winston- Salem/Forsyth County Schools Financial Services Department.

More copies are available upon request. Call 727-2823 and speak with one of our Accounts Payable Specialists.