Meals, Lodging, and Incidental Expenses
New York State has devised two methods for calculating travel expenses. The first is a flat per diem which includes both meals and lodging:
• For NYC, LI, Rockland and Westchester : $50.00
• For anywhere within a fifteen mile radius of Albany , Binghamton , Buffalo , Rochester , Syracuse : $40.00
• All other locations in New York State : $35.00
• All out of state locations: $50.00
The advantage to this method is that you don't need to provide receipts to be reimbursed .
If actual or expected travel expenses exceed the above amounts, you will find it more advantageous to use the second method, which reimburses actual expenses up to a maximum allowable.
• Current Federal per diem rates (which have also been adopted by NYS) for locations throughout the continental US may be found at www.policyworks.gov/perdiem . You can use these rates for travel within NYS as well. This list is fairly comprehensive, but call your OTPS Team member who handles your payments if you don't find your destination listed. The per diem rates include a provision for incidentals such as laundry, hotel tips, etc.
• The State Department sets the per diem rates for foreign travel, which can be found at www.state.gov/www/perdiems/index.html .
• Receipts are required for lodging, but not for meals while in overnight status. This method provides a daily meal allowance, which also includes gratuities.
• Taxes on lodging are reimbursable over the published per diem rates except in New York where GP is tax-exempt. For copies of our tax-exempt certificate, contact your OTPS Team member.
• If your lodging expenses exceed the maximum, you may use your meal allowance to offset them.
• In cases where expenses for lodging exceed the maximum per diem, provide documentation which demonstrates why the additional expense was unavoidable. If, for example, a conference requires you to stay at a particular hotel, or if all hotel rooms at or below per diem rates are booked at the time of your trip, you will be reimbursed for the full amount of the expense incurred.
• As always, attach documentation of the purpose of your trip to your travel voucher.
The same Federal meal allowance rates apply to non-overnight travel, but if you're not in overnight status, you must provide receipts to be reimbursed at the published rates . You cannot be reimbursed for lunch for NYS-sponsored travel. Without receipts, a maximum of $5.00 for breakfast everywhere and $12.00 for dinner (including gratuities) is allowed for non-overnight travel. These rates apply if you must leave at least one hour earlier than your normal work starting time and/or return more than two hours later than your normal work ending time.
IMPORTANT: While you don't need receipts to be reimbursed for meals at the per diem rate, written documentation of all other travel related expenditures must still accompany your travel expense voucher.
Other reimbursable travel expenses include:
• Local travel expenses, including buses, subways, and taxis. Save your receipts!
• Business phone calls. Please list the phone #, person, organization, and purpose of the call when asking for a reimbursement
• Baggage handling charges for bulky or heavy presentation items only, unless the person is physically handicapped. Attach documentation which shows that the expenditure was necessary and appropriate.
Please keep in mind that sponsors and/or your particular award agreement may have additional restrictions.
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