Getting Reimbursed

 

Use these instructions to prepare reimbursement requests for Berkeley Law employees and hosted guests. All reimbursement requests are processed by  Regional Shared Services, Purchasing and Reimbursement team via BearBuy. Instructions for completing the appropriate BearBuy forms are provided on our BearBuy home page.

If your reimbursement includes a wire transfer as the method of payment, go to our Outgoing Wire Transfers page for additional instructions.  If the reimbursement will be paid to a foreign individual, go to the Hosting Foreign Guests page of the Event Services website for additional instructions.

General reimbursements

Use the “Other” expenses (Non-T&E) on Direct Entry. Your reimbursement requests in direct entry are a permanent, electronic record – REDACT personal financial information such as home address,  bank account, or home phone number on any document you scan before uploading the .pdf into the system.  You can help us guard against the risk of identity theft by taking a few simple precautions. Our Receipts and Proofs of Payment page provides a description of the details you should redact on receipts and proofs of payment. 

 

Entertainment expenses

Requests for reimbursement for University business-related meal and entertainment expenses paid with personal funds or a University issued travel or entertainment card must be submitted within 45 days after the expense is paid or incurred. If seeking reimbursement for an expense made with personal funds, please use The online Travel & Entertainment Reimbursement system and include supporting documentation along with departmental approval.

Travel Expenses

Enter a Travel reimbursement request via Direct Entry. If a university employee or student paid out-of-pocket for costs associated with a business meeting or university hosted entertainment event, a record of the expenses and a request for reimbursement must be submitted within 45 days after the end date of the meeting or event. If seeking reimbursement for an expense made with personal funds, please use The online Travel & Entertainment Reimbursement system and include supporting documentation along with departmental approval.

Local parking, tolls and mileage

You can be reimbursed for expenses related to participation in activities that take place locally, such as attending business meetings and fundraising events or conferring with research associates and prospective donors. Commuting to Campus for work events including parking is not allowed. 

International travel – using per diems

Receipts are not required when you use the U.S. Department of State per diem allowances for foreign locations to report meals/incidentals (tips and gratuities) and lodging expenses. Clinics, centers and departments may establish per diem values for their travelers that are lower than those provided on this list. Per diems are not available for domestic travel in the United States – you must report actual expenses and provide receipts as explained on the Travel Report Form instructions (see above).

Reimbursements from other organizations and institutions

If you used personal funds for your expenditures and you will seek reimbursement from another organization, send your request directly to that payer. University policy prohibits the use of campus funds to reimburse expenses that do not belong to the University.

If you used Berkeley Law funds to pay for all or part of your expenditures and wish to seek reimbursement from another organization for part or all of your expenses, make sure to note this on your reimbursement request.  Begin by submitting a personal reimbursement request to Regional  Shared Services for any out-of-pocket expenses; once that is complete and the total amount you will seek from another organization is known, contact Business services (inquiries@law.berkeley.edu) and we will prepare and send an invoice to the other organization for the necessary refund to the University.

Sign up for electronic deposit of your payments

If you haven’t already done so, take a moment to visit UC Path Direct Deposit to set-up your Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT).  Existing EFT instructions for your pay checks will automatically be applied to your reimbursement payments.    

Safeguard your social security number

Use only your employee or student ID number on documents sent to Business Services.  Social security numbers are never required for individual reimbursements to UC Berkeley faculty, staff and students.