All federal employees on official travel are subject to Federal Travel Regulations, more commonly known as the FTR. These regulations cover nearly every aspect of travel including, but not limited to: POV mileage, per diem, airfare, and other miscellaneous expenses. The FTR does not cover every possible scenario, of course, but it does, at the very least, clearly define which expenses are reimbursable. A good example is the allowance for Meals and Incidentals (M&IE). Travelers are entitled to 3/4 of the allowance on their first and last days of travel, but are entitled to the full amount on days in between. Exceptions to this are meals that are provided or if leave is taken. If any meals are provided, the traveler must note this in their voucher and also deduct a set dollar amount, for each meal provided, from the overall M&IE allowance for that day. If leave is taken, then the traveler is not entitled to an M&IE allowance, at all.
Another good example of expenses reimbursable according to the FTR are the miscellaneous expenses. Most expenses are reimbursable under the FTR, although each individual agency may provide additional guidance concerning what expenses are allowed. Some miscellaneous expenses are parking, lodging taxes, taxi fare, and laundry. A receipt must be provided for any expense over $75.00. Some expenses, such as parking, may be “lumped together” and claimed as one amount. However, if the combined amount is over $75.00, the traveler must at least attach an explanation and itemize the charges, if no receipts are available.
By Mark Hartshorn
The contents of this message are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the Government or my agency.