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Expense Reimbursement Guidelines

Submitting General Reimbursement Requests

Send the following items to Accounts Payable in an envelope labeled "Reimbursements" and do not include regular vendor invoices:

  • An original itemized receipt showing proof of payment (amount paid and method of payment). If the receipt does not indicate the amount paid and the method of payment (cash, check or credit card), a secondary document, such as a copy of the redacted credit card statement (account number blacked out) or a copy of the cancelled check is required.
  • Standard business justification in the description field of the purchase order (PO) in BruinBuy.
  • For receipts smaller than 8 1/2" x 11", attach the receipt to a letter-size sheet of paper to prevent it from getting lost. If using tape of any kind, do not place tape over any receipt information, because it will often be erased.
  • For each PO, staple all receipts and supporting documentation together. Do not paper clip the documents, because they will more easily get lost while sorting.
  • If an exceptional business justification is needed, it should be in the form of a note or memo attached to the reimbursement documentation.

Providing all of the required documentation at the time of the original submission will allow for reimbursement to be processed in a timely manner. If any of the previously mentioned items are omitted, reimbursement will be delayed.

Reimbursements for non-travel, non-entertainment and non-communication related expenses are exceptions to our normal procurement methods, and subsequently may take longer to process. Refer to the Section V Restriction of UCLA Policy 740 for additional information.

Note:  UCLA is subject to the sales and use tax imposed by the State of California. If the reimbursement receipt does not reflect the correct sales tax, UCLA will remit the appropriate use tax to the state. Please see Sales & Use Tax Codes and Common Exemptions.

Additional Entertainment Reimbursement Guidelines

In addition to what is listed for general reimbursements, entertainment reimbursements must also comply with BUS-79 policies (see Related Information). Therefore, you must also provide this information:

  • A numbered list of attendees including:
    • Names of attendees.
    • Their affiliation (organization/department).
    • Role or relationship to the University (faculty, student, staff, donor, etc.).
  • Type of expense (e.g. lunch, dinner, light refreshments, etc.).
  • Type of event along with a business justification.
  • Date and location of event.
  • Name of host and department.
  • Object code 3308 with alcohol or 3310 without alcohol.
  • Original itemized receipt(s).
  • Check entertainment maximum per person meal allowance limits. If the expenditures exceed the maximum rates, follow the instructions as stipulated in BUS-79.
  • If spouses are present, a separate justification for their presence along with an appropriate fund source for their expenses.
  • If the event is a meal involving only UCLA employees, provide additional justification as to why it was necessary for the meeting to involve refreshments.
  • If alcohol was served, check for the following:
    • Funding source cannot be state or federal fund; other funds may also have restrictions.
    • If receipt is only for alcohol, provide the corresponding purchase order(s) related to the food expense(s) to determine the per person cost for the event.
  • If the original receipt does not show proof of payment, a copy of the individual’s credit card statement or other proof of payment is required. Please redact or black out the credit card number and other non-pertinent information.

Restrictions

  • Services should never be paid for by University employees. University policy requires that departments use approved procurement methods, such as low-value orders (LVOs), purchase orders or procurement cards.
  • Goods should be purchased using the University-approved procurement methods and should only be purchased with personal funds as a last resort.

Note:  To help expedite processing, send reimbursement requests to Accounts Payable's Reimbursement Group by addressing them as follows:

Address (U.S. Mail Service)
Reimbursements - UCLA Accounts Payable
Wilshire Center, Suite 500
Box 957240
Los Angeles, CA 90095-7240

Address (Non-U.S. Mail Service)
Reimbursements - Accounts Payable
Wilshire Center, Suite 500
Mail Code: 724048

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