10-5: Cash advances for business travel

Effective: January 15, 2024
Revised: September 3, 2024
Approved by: Van Christensen
References: Utah Code 63A-3-107, Administrative Code R25-7

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Purpose

This policy outlines the conditions for receiving a cash advance for state business travel and when travelers would need to repay a cash advance.

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Definitions

Agency – Any agency, board, bureau, commission, office, department, or other administrative subunit of state government. This definition includes the executive, legislative, and judicial branches.

Concur – Software used by the state to manage travel, reimbursements, and p-card transactions.

FINET – The financial management system used by the state for accounting, budget control, and reporting.

P-card – A state-issued purchasing card used for approved business purchases.

Reimbursement – Money paid to compensate travelers for money spent while traveling on official business.

Reimbursement request – The general term for requesting payment for travel expenses. In Concur, the state’s travel software, travelers add their expenses to a report. Travelers who can’t use Concur use form FI 51: Travel reimbursement request.

Traveler – Any person traveling on official state business for an agency or political subdivision. This definition includes employees, non-employees, board members, elected officials, vendors, volunteers, grant recipients, and award beneficiaries. 

Travel request – The general term for asking permission to travel for state business. In Concur, the state’s travel software, travelers add their expected expenses to a request. Travelers who can’t use Concur use form FI 5: Travel request.

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Policy

A – Cash advances must be requested in Concur

1 – Travelers must request a cash advance by submitting  a travel request in Concur, including for in-state travel.

2 – Travelers are paid 90% of specific expected expenses: lodging, meals and incidental expenses, parking, taxis and rideshares.

3 – Travelers may not receive a cash advance for expenses paid or expected to be paid on a p-card or by a third party. 

4 – Travelers who need a cash advance should submit their travel request at least 6 weeks before their departure date to allow enough time for the request to be approved and for the payment to be received before their departure date.

B – Travelers may have only one cash advance at a time

1 – Travelers are allowed to have only 1 outstanding cash advance at a time. Once a traveler applies their cash advance to a reimbursement request and the reimbursement request is approved, the traveler may be approved for a new cash advance.

C – Travelers must submit a reimbursement request in Concur

1 – Travelers who received a cash advance must add each travel expense to a reimbursement request in Concur and apply the cash advance to the reimbursement request.

1a – Reimbursement requests must be submitted within 60 days of the trip end date.

2 – Travelers are reimbursed for travel expenses that exceed the cash advance amount.

3 – If money is leftover from the cash advance, travelers have 60 days from the date their reimbursement request is approved to apply the excess advance to another reimbursement request or to repay the agency; the repayment may not be in cash.

3a – If the traveler will repay the agency, the agency must record an employee receivable (RE transaction) in FINET.

4 – If a traveler doesn’t apply the excess advance to another reimbursement request or repay the agency, the advance may become taxable income or the traveler’s wages may be reduced by the amount of the excess advance.

5 – Agencies are responsible to monitor advances, record and collect employee receivables in FINET, and make  requests to the GovOps Division of Finance to remove outstanding cash advances from Concur. The GovOps Division of Finance will remove outstanding cash advances from Concur upon evidence of collection of the cash advance or an employee receivable in FINET.

6 – If a traveler doesn’t submit a reimbursement request, agencies must require the traveler to repay the agency for the cash advance; the repayment may not be in cash.

6a – If a traveler refuses to repay the agency, the advance may become taxable income or the traveler’s wages may be reduced by the amount of the advance.

D – Travelers who can’t use Concur

1 – Travelers who can’t use Concur must request a cash advance by using the form FI 5: Travel request. 

2 – Travelers who received a cash advance must add each travel expense to a reimbursement request using the form FI 51: Travel reimbursement request and apply the cash advance to the reimbursement request.