Local Travel

Introduction

Employees will be reimbursed for local personal automobile mileage at the federal standard rate while on official University business. Normal commutes from the employee's home to their work base are not considered local travel and will not be reimbursed. Employees are entitled to a mileage allowance from their work base to their destination and return to their work base for miles actually traveled. If an employee travels directly to a location from their home that is not their work base, but exceeds their normal commuting distance, the employee is entitled to reimbursement but only to the extent that the total miles driven exceed the employees' normal commute mileage. This provision applies on both regularly scheduled workdays and non-regularly scheduled work days. Employees are expected to travel the most reasonable and direct route to their destination.

Procedures for Local Mileage Reimbursement

In order to obtain reimbursement for local travel, documentation should include:

  • Date(s) of trip
  • Time of trip
  • Total mileage driven (noting whether the trip was one-way or round-trip)
  • Beginning point of trip (if a non-University location, the street address should be indicated)
  • Ending point of trip (if a non-University location, the street address should be indicated)
  • If applicable, any intermediate destination that would have an effect on mileage claimed
  • The specific purpose of the trip (e.g., "to meet with Dr. Jones about the ABC project.") Simply stating "University business" is not considered sufficient documentation.

Local Travel Log

A local travel log (click here to access the Local travel log) is available to facilitate local travelers' documentation of each trip. This travel log should be completed and attached to the travel reimbursement form. The travel log is not required for individual trips, however if it is not used, the information it requires should still be documented on the travel reimbursement form. Once the travel log is attached to the travel reimbursement form, it is not necessary to replicate the detail trip information on the travel reimbursement form. Simply state "see attached travel log" and bring forward the total number of miles in the "Transportation – miles" column of the travel reimbursement form.

Internal Revenue Service Allowed Mileage

As noted earlier, the University generally only allows reimbursement of mileage in excess of an employees' normal commute from home to work base. In certain situations, the Internal Revenue Service does, if the tax payer deducts business expenses, allow taxpayers to deduct mileage in excess of University reimbursed mileage. Employees should consult their tax accountants for further guidance in this area.

Local Travel Standard Mileage

Employees will be reimbursed for local mileage driven as calculated by the Mileage Calculator within Concur.

Examples of Local Travel

Example #1 John Doe's work base is the main campus. John is required to travel to University Hospital and back for work purposes. John is entitled to reimbursement of 12 miles at the standard mileage rate. 


Example #2 Jane Doe's work base is the main campus. Jane is required to travel to University Hospital, then to the MCI before returning to her work base on the main campus. Jane is entitled to reimbursement of 16.5 miles (6 + 2.5 + 8) at the standard mileage rate.

Example #3 Robert Doe lives at 123 Main Street in Mobile and his work base is the main campus, a 24 mile round trip commute. Robert is required to travel to the Baldwin County campus for a full day conference and does so from his home on Main Street. The round trip from Robert's home to the Baldwin County Campus is 54 miles. The round trip from the USA main campus is 62 miles. Robert is entitled to reimbursement the lesser of the commute from his home to Baldwin County or his base to Baldwin County, in this case 54 miles at the standard mileage rate.

Example #4 Sandra Doe supervises student teachers at 4 schools and her work base is the main campus. Her normal commute from home to work is 8 miles round trip. Prior to coming to her office on the main campus, she travels directly from her home to each of the 4 schools to visit with her student teachers before going to her work base on the main campus and incurs total mileage of 46 miles. At the end of the day, she travels directly home from work. Sandra is entitled to reimbursement of 42 (46 miles less commute to work of 4 miles) miles at the standard mileage rate.