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If a spouse is an employee or associate of Reliant, the spouse's ministry-related expenses should be submitted directly by the employed/associate spouse.

If a spouse is not an employee or associate of Reliant, the spouse's expenses for travel, event/conference/training, or meal attendance may be recovered through an ERB if the presence of the spouse is deemed important and valuable to the success of the ministry taking place.

If there is a bonafide business/ministry reason for spousal attendance–meaning the spouse's attendance is required and the spouse has a direct role in the ministry being conducted during the trip, event/conference/training, or meal--the field worker may request on the submission form that these expenses be considered as a non-taxable reimbursement along with an explanation of the bonafide business/ministry reason for the spouse's required attendance.

For children's expenses to be eligible for any expense recovery, a child must have resided in the home for at least half the calendar year (to be claimed as a dependent on taxes). 

Children's travel, event/conference/training, and meal expenses are subject to the same general criteria as non-employed/non-associate spousal expenses outlined above. However, reimbursement of (non-taxable) expenses for children is are less common because the accompaniment of children is less frequently considered job-related. For children's expenses to be eligible for any expense recovery, a child must have resided in the home for at least half the calendar year (to be claimed as a dependent on taxes).  

On the rare occasions when there is a bonafide business/ministry purpose for the child's attendance for travel, In order for event/conference/training expenses for children to qualify for expense submission recovery as an ERB through Reliant, the or meal expenses with the parent--meaning the child's attendance is required and the child has a direct role in the ministry being conducted--the field worker may request on the submission form that these expenses be considered as a non-taxable reimbursement along with an explanation of the bonafide business/ministry reason for the child's required attendance. 

Specifically related to event/conference/training fees for children:

• If the event/conference/training is family-friendly then typically the fees and all associated travel expenses are recoverable through ERB (taxable).
• In order for those fees to qualify as reimbursable (non-taxable) through Reliant, the children's participation needs to be required and the event/conference/training should be specifically geared to the education or care of the family as a whole or for individual family members

• in a way that's related to the field worker's role. Or the children need to be integrally involved in the event (such as working at the event). If the event/conference/training fees qualify as reimbursable (non-taxable) then all associated travel expenses related will also qualify as reimbursable.
• In the case of event/conference/training fees where the fees for children in attendance are designed to specifically cover childcare, those fees would not

• be eligible

• for

• either

• ERB or reimbursement

• as childcare is not an eligible expense for any type of submission.

• However, the associated travel costs could be submitted for ERB. 
• If the

• event/conference/training

• fees are not family-friendly at all (kids are not welcome to attend and childcare is not provided) then associated travel costs are not recoverable by either reimbursement or ERB.

As a reminder, Reliant currently offers Child-Care Reimbursement through our Cafeteria Plan (tax-saving benefit).