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Key Change to the Standard: The term Expense Submission is now used rather than simply Reimbursement when describing a submitted expense since an expense could be a Reimbursement or an Expense Recovery Bonus (ERB), and both are submitted on the same form.

Key Change to the Standard: Please note there are a few changes to our forms.

• There is now a separate form for all Project Fund expenses. These are no longer entered on the U.S./International expense submission forms.
• There is now a separate form for Spiritual and Ministry Planning Retreat expenses.
• There is no longer a separate form for Computer and Equipment expenses. Those expenses are submitted on the normal expense submission forms (U.S./International/Project Fund) linked above. 
• There is no longer a separate form for Spouse and Family expenses. Those expenses are submitted on the normal expense submission forms (U.S./International/Project Fund) linked above, but those expenses should be divided up (if combined on the same receipt with expenses for an employee/associate) and entered into a different line on the form.

An explanation for each expense submitted, including:

Description of the expense

Whom the item is for:

• First and last names of the people involved
• The ministry relationship of the person(s) to the field staff. If the expense relates to five or more people, list them as a group with a specific number in the group (e.g., 12 ministry partners). Actual names are not necessary for groups of five or more people. Actual first and last names are required if the relationship is not uniform with all group members.
• Specific ministry purpose of the expense (be as detailed as possible). For secure locations, please see Secure Lexicon for more details. 
• Cost of the item (the portion of the cost that is ministry-related, if not 100%)
• Date of the expense (a new Reimbursement form is needed for each month in which an expense is incurred) 
• Itemized original receipts and other appropriate substantiating documents (if applicable) must be submitted with the form.

*Please refer to all Reimbursement Standards below, which detail receipt information and other specific criteria.

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 abovein that they can be recovered through an ERB if the presence of the children is deemed important and valuable to the success of the ministry taking place. However, reimbursement (non-taxable) expenses for children are less common because the accompaniment of children is less frequently considered job-related. 

On the rare occasions when there is a bonafide business/ministry purpose for the child's attendance for travel, event/conference/training 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).