FW: Did You Know - Athletics Travel Policy Reminders | sent on behalf of the Business Office

Fri Aug 29 11:09:29 CDT 2025

Athletics Staff,

Did you know the University and Athletics Department have travel policies specific to individual travel? These policies are intended to provide guidance for Athletics Staff members to ensure their travel for expense reimbursements fall within University and IRS guidelines. The following reminders would apply to all travel conducted with a business purpose when students are not present including recruiting, professional conferences/conventions, and meeting with donors.

University Travel Policy
https://risk.web.baylor.edu/public/documents/travel-and-business-expense-policy

Expense Reports

  *   Expense reports must be submitted to the Accounts Payable Office within thirty (30) days from the date the business meal, travel, or entertainment expense was incurred. Per IRS rules and regulations, expenses not submitted for reimbursement within sixty (60) days are subject to inclusion in the employee's wages and reported as taxable income.

Non-conventional Lodging

  *   Booking non-conventional lodging opportunities (such as those available through Airbnb, HomeAway, or similar providers) is not allowable or reimbursable. The university adopted this policy in October 2022 for the following reasons:

  *   There are no safety or security assessments of properties listed on these sites.
  *   There is no way to verify there aren't overt or covert cameras or recording devices in the accommodation.
  *   Non-conventional lodging companies aren't responsible for what the property owner conveys in the property posting, and we cannot verify who the actual owner is. This limits the recourse Baylor would have should an incident occur.
  *   Potential unsecure internet access for a Baylor owned device, or a personal device that connects to the Baylor network.

Per Diem

  *   Per Diem continues to be the only option available to reimburse meals which took place during business travel for individuals. Meal receipts do not need to be saved or submitted on an expense report. Per Diem may only be claimed for business travel that requires an overnight stay and may not be issued for same-day business travel for individuals.
  *   https://www.irs.gov/publications/p463

Rental Vehicles

  *   Baylor will reimburse travelers or arrange for a rental vehicle through Enterprise up to a standard-size SUV. Travelers should always purchase fuel before returning the vehicle to the rental company to avoid the high fuel cost. Per university policy, the Athletics Business Office cannot reimburse you for the prepaid fuel option unless it is included in the original rental fee.

Combining Personal Travel with Business Travel

  *   Travelers may be reimbursed for the round-trip transportation costs incurred to and from the business destination when the traveler combines University business and personal travel only when the primary purpose of the trip is to conduct University business. Transportation costs are considered entirely for business if the traveler is required or requested by the department to attend/engage in a business function and/or the travel would have occurred even without the personal travel component.
  *   The traveler must select a mode of transportation that is cost effective and efficient. Any additional expenses incurred by the traveler deviating from the normal, direct route of travel between the point-to-point of origin and the point of University business, or for stopping at an intermediate point for personal reasons, will not be reimbursed.
  *   If additional personal days increase the cost of the transportation, the traveler will be responsible for paying the difference. Travelers must provide written quotes to document the lowest available airfare for the direct route to/from business destination occurring during the business portion of the trip only and include the quotes as an attachment with their expense report.  Anthony Travel is here to assist you with this task.

International Travel

  *   All international travel must be registered with the Center for Global Engagement prior to the trip taking place. Employees traveling outside of the country must also request an International Plan be added to their cellular device account for the time they are traveling (unless they will not be using their cellular device while outside of the country).
  *   All Athletics staff members must notify the Business Office of their international travel plans at least (7) days prior to departure to ensure sufficient time to activate the "Global Plan".
  *   https://globalengagement.web.baylor.edu/register-travel/facultystaff-only-travel

Airport and Valet Parking

  *   Employees may elect any airport parking option other than valet parking. Written justification must be included on your expense report if you incur valet parking charges while traveling for business. Travelers should list their original departure city and final destination city rather than the airport city when flying (i.e., if flying out of Dallas to Atlanta, please list Waco as your departure city rather than Dallas). Lodging expenses must be broken out by night rather than combined into one total for the entire stay. Travelers are required to submit original, itemized receipts when seeking reimbursement per IRS rules and regulations. Non-itemized receipts will not be reimbursed.

Lost Receipt Form

  *   Lost Receipt Forms may only be used sparingly and in the rare circumstance that an original receipt cannot be obtained. Travelers are required to make concerted efforts to obtain itemized receipts and document those efforts on the attached LRS. A credit card statement must be included and attached with the LRS to support the business expense being claimed.

Occupancy Tax

  *   The University is exempt from Texas state hotel occupancy tax. Business travelers should use the attached Texas Hotel Tax Exempt Form to avoid paying this tax. Texas state hotel occupancy tax will not be reimbursed if claimed on an expense report.

Attachments

  *   Travel and Business Expense Policy

  *   Texas Sales Tax Exempt Form
  *   Texas Hotel Tax Exempt Form
  *   Lost Receipt Statement

Thank you for your time and all you do to advance the mission of Baylor University and Baylor Athletics.

Preparing Champions for Life - One Standard. One Accord.

Genuinely,

Cody, Nancy, Chris, Alison, Katie, Erin, Megan and Abbi

__________________________________________

Chris Istre | Associate AD, Business Operations
Department of Athletics | Baylor University
O: 254-710-3189

[cid:image001.png at 01DC18D4.ADE85490]<http://baylorbears.com/>

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