With itemized receipts (this includes itemized meal receipts from hotel charges), employees authorized to travel shall be reimbursed
for the actual cost of meals, including reasonable tip up to a maximum of 20% of the subtotal and taxes up to the total per diem rate established by the State Controller in Appendices
A, B, and C of Chapter 5.1 of the State Fiscal
Rules. These rates will closely follow the per
diem rates established by the federal government
for its employees and be published periodically
by the State Controller.
Under no circumstances shall an employee claim
more than the established per diem rate. The
actual costs of meals (including meal tips) in
any day may be reimbursed up to the maximum aggregate
per diem amount established for the location
and time in travel status. Where adequate meals
are included in conference fees, registration
fees, or commercial transportation tickets, maximum
rates for those meals may not be included in
the maximum aggregate daily per diem amount for
the location and time in travel status.
For example,
the costs of meals may be reimbursed up to the
total daily per diem rate for a full day of travel
(if no meals are furnished), without regard to
maximum individual meal rates. If lunch is included
in a conference fee for a full day of travel,
the actual costs for breakfast and dinner may
not exceed the total of the per diem rates for
breakfast and dinner. The costs of meals for
a partial day of travel over breakfast and lunch
(or lunch and dinner) may be reimbursed up to
the total per diem rate for breakfast and lunch
(or lunch and dinner), without regard to individual
maximum meal rates.
All requests for reimbursement of the actual
cost of meals shall be documented by original
receipts.
Without itemized receipts (base per diem rate), the traveler may be reimbursed for up to a maximum of $36.00/day, (including tips) and $3.00/overnight stay for incidentals. The breakdown for the $36.00 is $7.00/breakfast,
$11.00/lunch and $18.00/dinner. Mixing and
matching will not be allowed. Traveler will either
provide receipts for the entire trip
or claim the $36.00/day without receipts. Tips are included in the base per diem rate.
The
traveler must leave before 5:00 AM to receive breakfast
on the first day of travel or before 10:00 AM to receive lunch on the first day. The traveler must arrive home
after 1:00 PM to receive lunch or after 8:00 PM to receive dinner on the last day. Meals will not be reimbursed for one-day travel.
International Per Diem Rates:
The local travel rules also apply to international travel. If the international traveler chooses to use itemized receipts, there is a maximum of $15.00/overnight travel for incidentals. If itemized receipts are not used, then the maximum base per diem rate of $36.00/day applies for meals and $15.00/overnight for incidentals. |
