International ministry is unique in that you cannot leave your spouse or kids at home when you go to work! They are with you on the field and also likely engaged with different aspects of your ministry. Our standard practice is to onboard both spouses as either an Employee or Associate Volunteer. When one spouse is not a US citizen, Reliant cannot onboard them as an Associate or an Employee unless they have a legal US status that allows them to work in the US. In these cases, some ministry expenses may still be eligible for reimbursement on behalf of the non-Reliant spouse. This is considered an exception to our standard policy and must be documented according to the steps below.
| Legal Status | Employment Status | Application Requirement | Reimbursements (non-taxable) | Expense Recovery Bonus (taxable) | Per Diem |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Citizen or Eligible to Work in US | Employee | Full Application | Can submit & receive directly | Can submit & receive directly | Can submit & receive directly. Funds are non-taxable. |
| US Citizen or Eligible to Work in US | Associate | Full Application | Can submit & receive directly | Employed spouse can submit on their behalf | Can submit & receive directly. Funds are non-taxable. |
| NOT Eligible to Work in US | No official affiliation | Not Required | Employed spouse can submit on their behalf. | Employed spouse can submit on their behalf | Employed spouse can submit on their behalf. Funds are taxable. |
Because the IRS requires receipts and documentation for non-employee reimbursements. you cannot submit non-taxable per diem for a non-Reliant Spouse or Dependent. You can submit reimbursements for meals during travel using the regular submission form and documenting each expense individually.
Submitting a Reimbursement for a Non-Reliant Spouse
Only Reliant Employees or Associate may be reimbursed. Please list that spouse's name and Reliant email address in the General Information section.
On the expense line, enter the non-Reliant Spouse's name and relationship as the person who the expense is for. Choose "YES", that they are a non-Reliant Spouse or Dependent. In the Ministry Purpose, please list a detailed explanation of their participation in the ministry activity related to the expense. An exception will not be granted when the non-Reliant spouse is just in attendance at a ministry function. They must have an active role. This will automatically show up in the taxable ERB column.
You must request an exception for your reimbursement in the "Totals" section. This notifies the Reimbursement team to review the submission and change the expense from an ERB to a normal Reimbursement.
