Creating an Effective and Efficient Travel and Entertainment Expense Reimbursement Policy

Business travel keeps changing, and travelers are already using services that didn't exist a few years ago. This 75-minute travel and expense reimbursement policy webinar shows how to write a policy that keeps up.

Relying on employees' common sense causes two problems: some people have a skewed idea of what's reasonable when the company pays, and failing to hold them accountable can put your IRS accountable plan status at risk.

You'll learn the basics and framework of a strong policy, rules for hotels, meals and travel, who sets per diem rates, how to handle cash spending, ride-hailing services, expense report frequency and out-of-pocket reimbursement, and how to roll out and enforce the policy.

• Create a plan that protects the organization while offering reasonable travel and entertainment accommodations
• Describe best practices for sharing the travel policy and making it user-friendly
• Recognize who sets per diem rates and how to handle cash expenditures
• Identify common practice for expense report frequency and out-of-pocket reimbursement
• Explain why most companies permit Uber, Lyft and other ride-hailing services
• Describe worst practices and the payoff of uniform enforcement

• Why T&E expenses matter
• Basics of a strong policy
• The policy framework
• Hotels, meals and travel
• Putting the policy into effect
• Behind the scenes: checking and review
• A best practice approach
• Reimbursement requests for working-from-home expenses

A clear policy protects the organization while giving employees reasonable travel and entertainment accommodations. Uniform enforcement pays off with fewer problems.

The session also tackles reimbursement requests for working-from-home expenses, some reasonable and some not. It suits accountants, controllers, auditors, treasurers, CFOs, CEOs, accounts payable and expense reimbursement staff, payroll and procure-to-pay professionals and travel managers.

• 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
   

Mary S. Schaeffer is the founder of AP Now, a B2B organization focused on creating business intelligence around the accounts payable and payment functions. She has written 18 business books and is a frequent and popular speaker at both online and live events. Schaeffer has created a number of CPE self-study courses, customized training and online training events. She is the developer of the Accounts Payable Best Practice Certificate program. Previously she held positions as an Assistant Treasurer for the Equitable Life Assurance Society, a Financial Risk Manager for O&Y and a Corporate Cash Manager for Continental Grain. She has an MBA in Finance from NYU and a BS in Mathematics from York College (CUNY).