4.1 ERMUSR 03-11-2025 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Travel Expense Guidelines for Commissioners Meals Food allowances are actual expenditures for meals and gratuity, excluding alcoholic beverages. When employees travel and incur expenses to be reimbursed for meals, please use the following guidelines for spending. This spending amount is based on the IRS established “per diem” amounts for general spending of travelling individuals. Itemized receipts must be submitted for reimbursement. When travelling for the entire day, the maximum to be reimbursed per day is $55. That can be distributed as $10 for breakfast, $20 for lunch, and $25 for dinner. This distribution per day is variable, as long as the maximum is not exceeded. For example, if $5 is spent on breakfast, $30 could be spent on dinner. If there are multiple days involved, the distribution per days is also variable. For example, if $45 is spent one day, $65 could be spent the next day. If you are travelling for a partial day, and only one or two meals are involved, please use the guideline amounts per meal: $10 for breakfast, $20 for lunch, and $25 for dinner. If you are at an event where the meal is provided and included in the fee for the event, please have that meal unless there are extenuating circumstances why you cannot (such as allergies to certain foods.) Additionally, the IRS has established per diems for specific geographic areas of high cost. High cost areas are $76 per day, versus $55. So the per diem amount is different for Washington, DC (a designated high cost area) than Elk River, MN. If you are travelling to areas outside of Minnesota, and are concerned you may be visiting a high cost area, please feel free to visit the IRS website for a listing of these areas. Mileage The 202 business mileage reimbursement rate is cents per mile. Compensation Members of the Commission representing ERMU at meetings/conferences that are in addition to the commission meetings will receive a $75 per day stipend. 73