Creating an Effective and Efficient Travel and Entertainment Expense Reimbursement Policy

• OVERVIEW

Just as the rest of the business world is evolving, so is business travel. There are services available today (and your travelers are already using them) that weren’t on the landscape five years ago. Does your travel policy address those issues? Do your employees know when and if they can use them?

Thinking that all your employees have good common sense and therefore you don’t really need a detailed travel and entertainment expense reimbursement policy can get your organization in trouble on two fronts. First, inevitably, there will be a few employees who have a very-skewed idea of what is reasonable when the company is paying. And secondly, if you don’t hold them accountable for their behavior and actions, the company could run afoul of the IRS by endangering the accountable plan status.

• LEARNING OBJECTIVES

 

• Identify how to create a plan that protects the organization while providing reasonable travel and entertainment accommodations for their employees
• Describe best practices for sharing the travel policy
• Differentiate best practices and how they apply to various policies
• Recognize who sets the per diem rates
• Identify what the travel policy should do regarding cash expenditures
• Describe examples of worst practices for a Travel & Expense Policy
• Recognize how to make your policy more user-friendly
• Identify the most common approach to the number of expense reports employees should submit
• Recognize the best practice for reimbursing employees for out-of-pocket expenses
• Describe uniform enforcement of travel policy pay offs with a lower rate of problems
• Identify the main reason most companies permit the use of Uber, Lyft and other ride hailing services

 

• WHY SHOULD YOU ATTEND

In this session, attendees will learn how to create a plan that protects the organization while providing reasonable travel and entertainment accommodations for their employees.

• AREAS COVERED

 

• Overview- Why T&E Expenses Matter
• Basics of a Strong Policy
• The Policy Framework
• Hotels, Meals and Travel
• Effecting the Policy
• Behind the Scenes (checking etc.)
• Best Practice Approach
   
• WHO WILL BENEFIT?

 

• Accountants
• Controllers
• Accounting Managers
• Auditors (internal and external)
• Treasurers
• CFOs
• CEOs
• Accounts Payable Professionals
• Expense Reimbursement Staff
• Payroll Professionals
• Procure-to-pay Professionals
• Travel Managers