Traveler Tips

New York State Office of the State Comptroller Travel Tips

Lodging over per-diem justification policy

Per NYS Office of the State Comptroller, PRIOR WRITTEN APPROVAL from your Travel Office must be received for any lodging that will be above the area per diem rate. On the Interactive R & A Form, there is space provided to give such a justification along with the over per-diem lodging justification policy. The signatures of the traveler and his/her supervisor will suffice to send to the Business Office for final approval.

Employee Travel Expense reports must be submitted to the Business Office with all of the required documentation (payable ready) within 30 calendar days of the end of the travel event …no exceptions! Employee State of New York Travel Voucher

Please attach (staple) or upload to travel expense report:

  1. All original receipts for items you’re claiming payment for…expenses submitted without original receipts will not be reimbursed.
  2. Statement of Automobile Travel (mileage) form, if applicable, claiming whole miles only
  3. Supporting literature explaining the purpose of travel (conference registration and schedule, agenda, itinerary)
  4. Hotel lodging receipt showing lodging paid in full, even if you aren’t being reimbursed for lodging expense. This can be used to claim the area’s meal per-diem.

Actual Expenses

  • Original itemized receipts for items you’re claiming reimbursement for are necessary to have those expenses reimbursed.
  • Statement of Automobile Travel (mileage) form, if applicable, claiming whole miles only
  • Supporting literature explaining the purpose of travel (conference registration and schedule, agenda, itinerary)
  • Hotel lodging receipt showing lodging paid in full, even if you aren’t being reimbursed for lodging expense. This can be used to claim the area’s meal per-diem.

Personal car

If using your personally owned vehicle instead of a rental car, reimbursement will be the lesser of the rental vehicle rate or personal car mileage rate

A Statement of Automobile Travel (mileage form is needed any time a personally owned vehicle is used for travel. Enterprise / National Calculator or Hertz Current Calculator Interactive New York State Mileage Form

Please submit personal vs. rental car calculation with travel expense report.

Lodging

  1. Hotel Tax is not reimbursable on NYS hotels. Please fill out and bring the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance Exemption Certificate For Tax On Occupancy Of Hotel Rooms (Form ST-129) with you when checking in.
  2. If paying for your own lodging, please submit the original lodging receipt showing date of arrival, date of departure, room rate, taxes (if applicable) and payment in full.

Per-diem rates for domestic lodging and meals

GSA Per Diem lodging/meal rates

NYS breaks down the meal per-diem rate at 20% for breakfast and 80% for dinner.  Please refer to the NYS meal breakdown.

Lunch/snacks are not a covered service by NYS and will not be reimbursed. There will be no reimbursement for breakfast or dinner provided by the conference/meeting/training/hotel.