{"id":17324,"date":"2021-04-20T05:11:16","date_gmt":"2021-04-20T05:11:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.itilite.com\/?p=2716"},"modified":"2024-01-11T17:33:47","modified_gmt":"2024-01-11T17:33:47","slug":"employee-expense-reimbursement-irs-rules","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.itilite.com\/in\/blog\/employee-expense-reimbursement-irs-rules\/","title":{"rendered":"A Comprehensive Guide on Employee Expense Reimbursement (With IRS Rules)"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Employee expense reimbursement makes up for a large portion of the work for finance teams worldwide. Ask any finance manager, and she will tell you how critical it is to set up the right expense reimbursement process in your organization. Done right, it will save you money, effort, and time and will create a great employee experience<\/a>, leading to happier and more productive teams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A process this important must be understood properly before you implement it. So, we have put together this guide that will walk you through types of expenses, IRS<\/a> guidelines, and the best practices to manage employee expense reimbursement like a pro. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But before that, here is an infographic to give you a sneak peek of what’s in store for you.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

The Basics of Employee Expense Reimbursement<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When employees pay for business travel expenses<\/a> or other work-related expenditures out of their pocket, the employer has to pay that money back to the employee. This process is known as expense reimbursement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For instance, when employees go on a business trip, they will incur expenses like flight and hotel bookings, meal consumption, and daily commute. They pay for these expenditures out of their pocket, which you need to reimburse later. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Expenses made by an employee can be reimbursable or non-reimbursable, as categorized in your company\u2019s expense policy. <\/p>\n\n\n

<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Types of Reimbursable Employee Expenses<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

All expenses an employee bears for business-building activities can be categorized as reimbursable expenses. They are majorly classified into three main categories:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Auto Mileage & Travel Reimbursement <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Any work trip your employees take to build the business, such as a sales meeting or attending a work conference, comes under this category. While generally, a company books a flight, hotel, and rental car for the employee in advance, other expenses like cab and meals happen on-site. So, most of the organizations pay per diem rates<\/a> in advance or reimburse the amount later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In case of mileage reimbursement<\/a>, it includes paying back the employees for using their own vehicle for traveling. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the US, IRS recommends the standard mileage rates<\/a> for employees, self-employed individuals, or other taxpayers. You can refer to that while defining the expense policy for your business. Also, to decide on your employees’ per diem travel expense, you can refer to per diem rates here as specified by the GSA<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Medical Expense Reimbursement<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Most organizations offer employee benefits like health and medical insurance that have tax benefits associated with them. Under this, your employees get reimbursed for the money they spend on any medical treatment and hospitalization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Depending on your country, the guidelines for medical reimbursement might vary. Some countries, like the US, have medical expense reimbursement plans defined by the relevant authorities. Companies can choose from the common HRA<\/a> (Health Reimbursement Arrangement) plans to cover medical expenses for their employees. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Under the HRA, an employer determines the amount of money that will go into the plan, and the employee can ask to be reimbursed for qualified medical expenses up to the designated amount. Employers can take a tax deduction for the reimbursements made through these plans. Different types of HRAs are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n