Reimbursement Policies
Guidelines and information on expenses that can be reimbursed to visitors receiving financial support from the Fields Institute (Fields).
Submission of Travel Claims
The claimant must complete and sign (electronic signature is acceptable) the Fields Reimbursement Claim Form.
The signed form together with all supporting receipts should be scanned and emailed (in attachment, as a single PDF file) to expense-claims@fields.utoronto.ca.
Claimants are requested to keep all original receipts until payment has been received.
Reimbursement requests must be submitted promptly, ideally within two weeks following an event or as soon as the necessary documentation for eligible expenses is available.
Expenses submitted more than three (3) months after the date of travel are ineligible for reimbursement unless a justification is provided and approved before this three month period expires.
Electronic Imaging of Original Receipts
● Fields accepts electronic images of expense documents, such as original invoices, receipts, and boarding passes. By submitting an image to Fields, the claimant attests to and takes full legal responsibility for its authenticity, accuracy, and quality.
● Fields considers electronic expense documents as original records for audit purposes. The electronic documents are stored for a minimum of seven (7) years.
Proof of Payment
The claimant is expected to obtain proof of payment for paid accommodations, airfare, train, coach, or car rental expenses for which they wish to be reimbursed. Proof of payment may take many forms but must demonstrate that payment was tendered and must identify the means by which payment was made by the traveller. This is often part of the receipt. Examples of this may include notation of:
| "Cash Tendered" | “Paid” |
| A zero balance due | Debit/credit card payment (card type, last four digits of card and/or signature) |
If no proof of payment (as described above) is available, a debit or credit card statement may also be provided. Please redact any private or unrelated information.
Eligible Expenses
All amounts are in Canadian Dollars.
Per Diem
Up to $100/day allowance for meals and incidentals (like travel within Toronto) can be claimed. No receipts required. Submit proof of travel (see below).
Deduction for gratuitous* meals provided (by Fields or during travel): \$20 / \$30 / $50 (Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner)
*At no expense or free of charge to the claimant.
Accommodation
Accommodation expenses can be reimbursed up to a maximum of \$300 per night and \$4,000 per month for room and tax charges. Accommodation expneses must be related to the event for which funding was offered, and not for extended stays.
Provide an itemized receipt from the host establishment indicating guest charges paid and dates of stay. If the itemized receipt does not clearly and explicitly indicate payment, please provide proof of payment (e.g. copy of credit card statement). If the accommodation is booked through a booking site (e.g. Expedia, Airbnb), then the order confirmation from the booking site showing credit card payment and travel dates, including a statement of guest charges must accompany the reimbursement request. If room and tax charges are above the maximum outlined above per night, only the maximum outlined above per night is eligible for reimbursement.
Shared Accommodation
When submitting a reimbursement claim for shared accommodation, each claimant must submit a receipt for their own portion, or submit a single receipt with the name of each person sharing the accommodation and the amount paid by each. For shared monthly accomodation, the maximum that can be claimed by all participants is \$4,000 a month.
Accommodation with Friends and Relatives
(Gratuitous* Accommodation)
Maximum claim: $30 per night. Payable to the claimant. No receipts required.
*At no expense or free of charge to the claimant.
Travel
Proof of Travel
It is the responsibility of the claimant to provide proof of travel. At least one of the following must be submitted to support a reimbursement claim:
● Boarding pass (paper or electronic with clear, complete flight information), or
● Hotel bill from travel destination showing dates of stay, or
● Taxi/transit receipts to/from the airport/train/bus station, or
● Meal receipts from travel destination.
Economy Air / Rail / Coach Receipt Requirement
Receipts are required for reimbursement of air / rail / coach travel. Travellers are requested to select the lowest available fare at time of booking as reimbursement is limited to economy class rates.
Receipts must indicate the method of payment, the dates of travel, and the amount paid for travel (e.g. itinerary / receipt or ticket confirmation from the airline / railway / coach line). If the receipt does not clearly and explicitly indicate payment, please provide proof of payment (e.g. copy of credit card statement).
Economy Airfare
Travellers are requested to select the lowest available fare at time of booking. Reimbursement is limited to economy class rates for one return flight to Toronto.
For multi-leg flights provide an estimate from a travel agency or website that clearly demonstrates the cost of a return flight directly from claimant's home institution to Fields (either a formalized quote from a travel agency or electronic printout from a recognized travel website are both acceptable) to document the estimated lowest available economy class fares at the time that the ticket used by a traveller was booked.
Taxis / Public Transit
Reimbursable for travel to and from the means of transportation to the conference (i.e. to and from the airport, rail, car rental depot or bus terminal). Attach receipts / proof of payment.
Car Rental
Attach rental contract/receipt. Request the lowest available rental rate when booking for a midsized car or less expensive alternative. Reimbursement of car rentals can only be made for travel from outside the event city to the event and should be used only when less expensive transportation is not available. Renting a car for travel within the event city is not reimbursable. Reimbursement of car rentals can only be made on distances less than 500 km round trip. Fuel receipts may be submitted for reimbursement.
For travel exceeding 500 km, reimbursement of car rental costs will be limited to the cost of the least expensive form of travel available for the trip at the time of travel.
Mileage
Travel costs for personally owned vehicles are reimbursed at a rate of up to $0.57/km. This allowance is intended to cover all automobile operating costs, including gasoline, insurance, repairs, and maintenance. The claimant must provide parking or fuel receipts.
It is recommended that claimants use personally owned vehicles for short trips where this is the more economical means of transportation or where no suitable public transportation is available.
Personally owned vehicles may be used for total travel distances not exceeding 500 km, round trip. For travel exceeding 500 km, reimbursement of own vehicle travel costs will be limited to the cost of the least expensive form of travel available for the trip at the time of travel.
Parking
Other Reimbursable Expenses
● Flight / travel cancellation insurance
● Single entry visa fee
Non-reimbursable Expenses
● Parking, speeding and other traffic fines,
● Personal phone calls or personal entertainment expenses including (but not limited to) movies, hotel exercise facilities, cultural and sporting events, magazines, books, sightseeing trips, etc.,
● Travel costs within Toronto (eg. taxi/Uber from hotel; these are considered incidental costs and are covered by the per diem),
● Multiple return flights for one Thematic Program,
● Passport or immigration fees,
● Travel stopovers,
● Travel rebooking fees,
● Flight seat selection,
● Conference registration fees,
● Baggage fees, and
● Personal travel insurance.
Foreign Exchange
To convert expenses paid in foreign currencies, Fields will accept the following rates:
● for cash payments (with receipt), the rate paid when the foreign currency was purchased (currency conversion/purchase receipt required), and
● for credit card purchases, the rate used by the bank to convert the purchase to Canadian dollars (set out on the credit card statement, including transaction fees).
If neither of these is available, the default rate in the University of Toronto Financial Information System (FIS) will be used.
Where proof of payment is not available, Fields finance staff will assess the conversion rate using records of the prevailing rate at the time the expenses were incurred. For rates that are not available in the FIS, reference will be made to the Bank of Canada nominal rates in effect for the specific day/period (see Bank of Canada currency converter).
Frequently Asked Questions
I am from a European country and they don’t really use cheques; can I get my reimbursement via wire transfer?
Yes, you can receive a wire transfer by submitting a Fields Institute Wire Payment Request Form along with your reimbursement. The Wire Transfer Request will be forwarded to the University of Toronto for action. As they are the ones administering it, Fields Institute is unable to provide a specific wire transfer date. The participant will be notified by email once the wire has been sent. Payment should be received approximately 2 weeks from the day of the transaction.
Can I be reimbursed in cash at Fields?
No, you can receive a payment by cheque or wire. However, the University of Toronto is unable to provide wires to a Canadian or American account attached to a Canadian or American address.
What currency can you give me a reimbursement in?
You can receive your reimbursement cheque in CAD, USD or Euro. Wire payments can be made in more currencies. Please contact reimbursement@fields.utoronto.ca if you have any questions about receiving your payment in a specific currency.
How long will it take to get my reimbursement after I submit my claim?
Processing time for complete claims is approximately 4-8 weeks.
For any further questions regarding payment, please contact reimbursement@fields.utoronto.ca.
