Reimbursements
Non Travel Reimbursement
The Fiscal and Audit Services (FAS) staff are here to help guide and facilitate the reimbursement process for faculty, staff, students and visitors. FAS complies with UW Reimbursement Policies and has summarized key topics below.
Review our Reimbursement Tip Guide for helpful information on what you need to know when purchasing goods on behalf of UW.
Reimbursements are for rare occasions when other procurement methods are not an option. Seeking reimbursement for UW purchases of goods made with personal funds should be done only as a last resort and with express prior approval from your unit administrator or dean (whichever is appropriate).
General Information
- Expense Reports are a tool in Workday used to reimburse UW employees only for travel and non-travel related expenses made on behalf of UW business. Travel reimbursement information can be found on our Travel website. For reimbursing a Non-UW employee for expenses made on behalf of UW business, visit Miscellaneous Payment.
- All purchases must have an official UW business purpose. A business purpose describes how the purchase is directly work related and how the university benefits from the purchase.
- It is the department’s responsibility to ensure purchases being reimbursed are appropriate and allowable per budget or grant requirements.
- Food purchases must be in compliance with the UW Food Policy.
- Taxability determination is responsibility of the department.
- Employees who currently receive their payroll by direct deposit to their bank account will be able to choose to receive their reimbursement by direct deposit to the same account.
- Non-UW Individuals: Reimbursement to non-UW employees can only be issued by check. The check can be sent to either the payee’s address or a campus box number.
Claiming Reimbursement
Check with your department or school for reimbursement procedures. All purchase of goods related expenses are reimbursed in Workday.
Shared Services
If your school or department is part of Shared Services, here is the form to claim reimbursement:
Required Documentation
- A receipt is a written acknowledgment of having received, or taken into one’s possession, a specified amount of money, goods, etc. A receipt is not a confirmation notice or quote.
- Receipts must be itemized to show exactly what was purchased. For example, if a meal is being reimbursed, include the itemized receipt showing the food and beverages purchased at that meal.
- Proof of delivery is required for reimbursement. Documentation can be a packing slip, an e-mail confirmation, or the purchaser’s signature and date.
- Make every attempt to retrieve a receipt from the supplier for the purchase. If a receipt cannot be collected, have supporting documentation available such as a bank statement, confirmation email of purchase, packing slip etc. and an itemized list of what was purchased.
- Food purchases: If the purchase is food related, the reimbursement request must include the approved food form, business purpose of the purchase, and list of attendees (or invitees, if, for example, it is a large event, such as W Day).
- If a receipt is in a spouse or someone else’s name, reimbursement will be sent to the person whose name the receipt is in using eReimbursement for a Non-UW Employee.
- For details, review UW Receipt Policy Information.
Reimbursement Limitations
Every individual seeking or approving reimbursement should be familiar with what is NOT allowed on Non Travel Reimbursement (formerly eReimbursement):
- Payments to Vendors
- Payments for personal services
- Refunds from revenue budgets
- Prizes and awards for UW employees or UW students
- Gift Certificates for Employee Recognition
- Travel, including travel associated with honoraria payments
- Housing
- UW Tuition
- Reimbursement for parking
- Amazon Mechanical Turk
- Expenses purchased using any personal rewards program
Contact Us
If you have questions, submit a Service Request to Fiscal and Audit Services.