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The new Reimbursement and Expense Recovery Bonus Policy and Standard are effective beginning January 1, 2023. The Reimbursement and Expense Recovery Bonus Standard and Policy apply to all expenses incurred beginning January 1, 2023. Any expenses incurred in 2022 (even if submitted in 2023) will follow our previous policies and use the previous year's forms. Please watch the Reimburse and Expense Recovery LEARN courses instructional video to help you understand the key changes to the previous standards and how to use the new expense submission request forms. |
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Family Expenses Expenses incurred related to a Reliant employee's family members (spouses that are not also a Reliant employee/associate and/or children) that coincide with a field staff's job or ministry may potentially be eligible for recovery but typically only as a taxable expense.
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Project Fund Expenses In addition to individual MTD accounts, Reliant also manages funds for ministries, non-profits, and churches. When an expense is not directly related to a field staff's specific job role but is more closely aligned to a project or ministry, a project fund Reimbursement can be submitted. Reimbursements from a project require all the same documentation as those from an MTD account and are processed according to the same submission deadlines. Project fund reimbursements also require approval by a designated signer for the fund. These types of Reimbursements are paid directly from the project fund based on available funds and the order in which they were received. The MTD account balance the field staff is responsible for does not incur the expense for these reimbursed costs (therefore, the order of pay from the MTD account does not apply), so it is possible for an employee who has back pay and back Reimbursements to receive payment for a Reimbursement that was submitted to be paid from a project fund. Reliant pays project fund Reimbursements if there are available funds in the project fund. A project fund can accumulate back Reimbursements. If an expense submitted through a project fund will be owned, stored, and considered solely the property of the church/ministry (with no personal usage by the individual submitting the request), then the expenses are attributable to the church/ministry, which is not taxed for expenses that are usually fully or partially taxed to the field staff MTD fund. If an expense is not for an item that will be considered the sole property of the church/ministry, then a field staff can still specify that the project fund (rather than an MTD account) should be the source of funds for a Reimbursement or ERB. In the case of an ERB, the taxable expenditure (including expenses with a partial taxable component) is processed similarly to ERBs funded through MTD accounts. The ERB for project funds can only be routed through a paid employee's payroll; therefore, Reliant associates may not request an expense recovery using a project fund for payment for any taxable expenditures.
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Expense Category | Summary of Allowable Costs | Key Details | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Hotel/Lodging | Up to $250/night for ministry trips Per Diem for lodging (U.S. Per Diem and International Per Diem) is available upon request for field workers traveling for their Reliant role for a period of 15 or more days. |
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Flight | Airfare Baggage fees (for transportation of luggage) Seat upgrades, Airfare Baggage fees Seat upgrade, if necessary TSA pre-check or CLEAR UI Expand |
if required as a reasonable accommodation. TSA pre-check or CLEAR may be reimbursed, if the service is used for ministry-related travel 3 or more times per year. |
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Rental Car/Borrowed Car |
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Mileage/Carpooling | Mileage for necessary ministry-related trips in excess of 50 miles each way (less than 50 are included in the support goal bonus) from the starting ministry location. (*International workers see International Worker Expenses) |
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Parking & Tolls | Parking costs of more than $10 when conducting ministry work in a location that is not the local place of work. Parking costs incurred during travel (airport parking costs, hotel or conference center parking, etc.) Parking permits at the primary place of ministry can be recovered through an ERB. Tolls when traveling on a ministry trip are reimbursable. |
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Other Transportation | Taxi, bus, rideshare, train, water transportation, etc., when traveling on a ministry trip | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Covid Testing | Mandated testing for COVID in order to travel | Only testing not covered by Reliant's health plan can be reimbursed. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Visa and Passport | Mandatory fees paid to regulatory agencies and governing bodies (*International workers see International Worker Expenses)
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Vaccinations and Immunizations (short-term international trips) | Vaccinations and immunizations required for international travel (taxable ERB) (*International workers see International Worker Expenses) Certain medications required for international short-term travel related to mission trips are reimbursable |
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Meals During Travel | Meals during ministry trips Per Diem for meals during travel (U.S. Per Diem and International Per Diem) is available upon request for field workers traveling for their Reliant role for a period of 5 or more days. |
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Internet Access During Travel | Charges for internet and email fees while traveling for ministry purposes. (*International workers see International Worker Expenses) |
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Travel Insurance | Supplemental medical travel insurance for short-term international trips can be recovered through an ERB. (See also Travel Assistance, Travel Insurance) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Weddings and Funerals | If the criteria (under Key Details) for the wedding/funeral are met, then airfare, mileage, lodging, rental cars, meals, and other travel-related expenses, etc., can be reimbursed. |
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Conferences and Event Fees | As a general rule, most conferences, retreats, and events are reimbursable as long as the field workers substantiate why attendance at the event was necessary for their current ministry role. |
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Mission and Outreach Trips | The fee(s) for the Mission and Outreach Trip are reimbursable. |
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Spiritual and Ministry Planning Retreats | Spiritual and Ministry Planning Retreats are intended to be dedicated, focused, and intentional times of immersion in the Word, prayer, and/or ministry preparation. Costs associated with the retreats may be reimbursed with pre-approval on a Personal Development Plan. |
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Event Facility Rental | For rental facilities related to events: Room rental for an event, park shelter rental, etc. (Typically reimbursed through a project fund.) |
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Expense Category | Summary of Allowable Costs | Key Details | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Furniture (ministry gathering/small and large groups) | To the extent the furniture is required to perform ministry responsibilities, recoverable as 75% nontaxable Reimbursement and 25% taxable ERB. |
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Meals/Groceries (not associated with travel)
| Meals for ministry contacts, donors, and group events Groceries for prepared meals for ministry purposes One-time special event/celebration meals with co-workers that are out of the ordinary can be submitted through reimbursement Dormitory Meal Plan Passes, when used exclusively for conducting ministry per Reliant worker role (for example on a college campus), can be reimbursed at a max of $480 for a semester pass. |
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Books | Books that are ministry-related (they do not need to be religious in nature). |
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Continuing education courses Course-related books Associated Fees Some other continuing education-related expenses can be recovered through an Expense Recovery Bonus, such as school-required health checks and immunizations and related travel costs associated with continuing education. |
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Counseling | Counseling is not eligible for reimbursement or ERB. (*International workers see International Worker Expenses) Short-term counseling is available through Reliant's Employee Assitance Program for those enrolled in Reliant's insurance. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Gifts
| Gifts | from field staff, assuming:
Gift-giving is sometimes required to further the ministry of Reliant. Gifts purchased must be clearly ministry-related and also help further that specific Reliant ministry. Gifts must have
Gifts cannot be personal in nature (such as for a birthday, baby, wedding, graduation, etc.) |
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Gift Cards | A gift card given by a Reliant employee to donors may be reimbursed with a valid ministry purpose, but annual limits for giving (see "gifts" above) apply. As a Standard, Reliant does not allow field staff to give gift cards to other field staff (employee or associate). |
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Moving Costs | Moving costs are not reimbursable through expense submission. (*International workers see International Worker Expenses) A moving allowance is available for moving costs incurred while moving from one U.S. ministry location to another U.S. ministry location. |
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Professional Fees | Professional fees paid to companies, agencies, or individuals for services necessary to conduct ministry are reimbursable. Professional fees include coaching, designers, photographers, videographers, etc. (*International workers see International Worker Expenses) |
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Phone Calling Card/Prepaid Phone | Phone expenses (unrelated to cell phones or landlines) used for rare situations that require a prepayment or phone card to perform ministry duties. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Recreation/Activities | Use discretion when submitting requests for reimbursement of recreation/activity expenses. The recreation/activity needs to have a valid ministry purpose related to the field staff role and must follow the Standard for reasonable, necessary, etc. A recreation/activity for the purpose of general fellowship would not qualify as a clear ministry purpose. Please see the key details for specific expenses that do not qualify for expense submission. |
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Subscriptions and Dues |
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Supplies | Due to the different job responsibilities of Reliant employees, the types of supplies used for ministry purposes are vast and varying. It is the field worker's responsibility to use discretion when purchasing supplies to ensure the items are truly reasonable and necessary for ministry expenses. |
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Tax Consulting | Only those U.S. Reliant employees who are ordained/commissioned ministers are eligible and can only be recovered through an ERB. (*International workers see International Worker Expenses) |
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