Expenses

Quick Ref

Personal Vehicle Insurance Upload Form

Expense Reimbursement Contact: treasurer@cubingusa.org

Preparations

Request pre-approval before you incur an expense. In particular, note:

  • Lodging: Check location-specific limits and restrictions.

  • Meals: Check location-specific limits and restrictions.

  • Personal Driving: Upload personal auto insurance before driving, and keep mileage log for each trip.

Approval

CubingUSA will only grant expenses which are reasonable and necessary for conducting CubingUSA activities, with special limits for travel expenses. CubingUSA reserves the right to refuse reimbursement for expenses that are not approved in advance.

Supported Competitions: Covered by Supported Competitions Policy

Other Expenses: Approved in writing by CubingUSA Directors or Officers in accordance with relevant policies

Expense Reimbursement Request Process

Send an email to treasurer@cubingusa.org with the following information

  • Your name

  • PayPal email address or physical check mailing address

  • Date of expense

  • Competition name (or other purpose)

  • Type and description

    • See special Request Formats below for Lodging, Meals, and Personal Driving.

  • Attached copy of receipt; required for all reimbursements

    • Screenshots, digital photos, and forwarded emails are all fine.

    • Exception: Mileage log in place of receipt for personal driving. (See Personal Driving Request Format.)

  • Please note if a budget exception is being requested.

Organizers may aggregate several expenses into a single request (with appropriate breakdown).

    • If aggregated expenses are for multiple individuals, request must include names of each individual; organizer may be allowed to distribute reimbursements.

Expenses must be filed within 30 days of when the charge was incurred.

Types of Payment

Direct

  • CubingUSA Treasurer pays third party directly.

  • Preferred for large expenses, e.g. venues.

Out-of-pocket

  • Individual pays with personal funds.

  • Request reimbursement with receipt within 30 days of transaction.

  • CubingUSA Treasurer reimburses individual.

Advance

  • CubingUSA Treasurer provides individual with advance if CubingUSA cannot pay directly.

  • Receipts must be submitted within 30 days of each transaction.

  • All undocumented funds must be returned within 60 days of receiving the advance.

Travel Expense Reminder

We are a non-profit organization. The reason we reimburse travel expenses is to enable volunteer staff to assist in our non-profit activities. We thank you in advance for helping us be frugal in our expenses.

Lodging and Meals

Lodging and Meal Limits

Note that CubingUSA only reimburses expenses with receipts and does not grant a cash “per diem”.

All expenses must be reasonable and necessary. The maximum amounts should not be treated as a target. CubingUSA Directors and Officers reserve the right to refuse reimbursements for expenses deemed unreasonable or unnecessary.

We limit expenses to the amounts determined reasonable by US gov't agencies on a per-city basis.

Hawaii, Alaska, and US Territories

US Department of Defense

(Unofficial Lookup)

(The official link is inaccessible without setting a security exception due to the way the DoD handles certificates.)

Foreign countries

Lodging Valid Days

  • The night before the competition: Yes

  • Nights during the competition: Yes

  • Last night of the competition: Yes

  • All other nights: No

Lodging Restrictions

  • Lodging must be approved in advance.

  • Minimum 2 people per room (except odd numbers), 3-4 per room recommended.

  • If anyone not on official CubingUSA business (e.g. volunteer staff) is staying in the same room, expenses must be prorated to exclude their portion of the room.

Lodging Request Format

Budget proposals and reimbursement requests must include staff count and room count per night, e.g.:

  • Friday: 4 staff, 1 room, $100

  • Saturday: 10 staff, 3 rooms, $150/room

  • Sunday: 3 staff, 1 room, $120/room

Meal Valid Days

  • Days before the competition, including travel days: No

  • Days of the competition: Yes

  • Days after the competition, including travel days: No

Meal Restrictions

  • No alcohol may be expensed.

  • Only expense meals for people who are related to CubingUSA business.

    • You must exclude the portion for people unrelated to CubingUSA business, if any.

Meal Request Format

Expense request should include names of each individual.

Exception: When expensing competition staff food (e.g. pizza), please include the estimated number of volunteer staff served.

Personal Driving

Note that CubingUSA does not reimburse expenses for car rentals at this time.

These policies apply to driving your personal car on CubingUSA official business.

Please note that Personal Driving reimbursement requires providing proof of personal auto insurance coverage before driving.

Personal Driving Mileage Rate

We do not directly reimburse gasoline costs.

Reimbursement is by mileage, at the standard IRS Mileage Rate for Charities.

The 2022 rate is 14 cents per mile.

Personal Driving Scope

    • Driving reimbursement allowed when using car to do competition-related business.

    • Driving reimbursement for travel to/from competition only if driving from > 50 miles away.

      • (i.e. We do not reimburse local driving.)

      • (Note that you may be able to file for tax deductions for any mileage you drive that you are NOT reimbursed for.)

    • We do reimburse tolls.

Personal Driving Proof of Insurance

Before driving, you must provide CubingUSA with a copy of active personal auto insurance.

Please upload a copy of your insurance policy here:

Personal Vehicle Insurance Upload

Personal Driving Request Format

In lieu of a receipt, your reimbursement request should include a mileage log with the following information for each trip:

  • Name of Driver

  • Date

  • Purpose of trip

  • Starting odometer reading

  • Ending odometer reading

  • Tool locations and amounts (if any)

Please be sure to track this information before and after each trip.

Other Transportation

  • All transportation related to Supported Competitions must be approved as per the Supported Competitions Policy.

  • All other transportation must be approved in writing by the Executive Director, Treasurer, or the Board of Directors.

Taxi and Rideshare

  • Taxi and rideshare reimbursements are limited to a maximum of $30 per day per person. Please consider using cheaper forms of transportation when possible.

    • For rides to or from long distance transit stations (e.g. airport, train station), exceptions to taxi and rideshare reimbursement limit may be allowed when explicitly pre-approved in writing.

Flights

  • We only expense flights at Basic Economy or Economy Class level or equivalent.

    • No expenses may be approved for any upgrades to Economy Plus, Business Class, or First Class levels or equivalent.

  • Please book flights at least 14 days in advance of travel if possible.

    • Any flights booked within 7 days of travel require explicit authorization from the Executive Director, Treasurer, or the Board of Directors.