Systems Support

Key Reminders for Copying an Expense Report from an Expense Authorization

• Receipts - Make sure your receipts are ready, and that you attach them to your Expense Report. We copy all the information from your Expense Authorization, but do not carry over attachments. Attach your itemized receipts as proof of payment for expenses incurred.
• Date for Expense Incurred - The date that defaults is the date you entered in the Expense Authorization, which may have been an estimated date or a forwarded date to provide DHR and MEA enough time for approval. Update the date to reflect the actual date of the expense incurred.
• Reimbursement Amount - Review the amount that defaulted from your Expense Authorization, which may have also been an estimate. Enter the actual expense incurred, but please make sure the amount you enter is not more than the amount approved through the Expense Authorization. You can always send a supplemental request later if the actual expense is greater than what was originally approved.
• Direct Deposit Reimbursement Method - The reimbursement method defaults to ‘Direct Deposit,’ which means once your Expense Report is approved, payment will be automatically deposited into your account. Do not change this default reimbursement method to ‘Prepaid,’ which is only applicable to expenses that have already been pre-paid by the City. If you change the reimbursement method from ‘Direct Deposit’ to ‘Prepaid,’ you will not be paid.
• Request Status - Once you submit your request, you will receive notifications that provide status updates. However, you don’t have to wait for the emails, you can always click the Manage Expense Reports link on the Portal to see real-time status of your requests.

Recording of the "MEA Training: Copying an Expense Report from an Expense Authorization" Live Event held December 1, 2022.

Questions and Answers from the Live Event

Q. When I tried the process, it didn’t seem to be as easy as what you demonstrated. You almost have to be an accountant to complete the process. Is there a number I can call for help?

A. Yes, you can contact our SF Employee Support Team Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 415.944.2442. This number appears at the upper right corner of our SF Employee Support site. You can also submit a service request and provide us information about the issue you’re experiencing, such as your request ID so we can review the information, or the browser you’re using if pages aren’t loading.

We also want to emphasize that this is not an accounting heavy process. In the past you’ve had to enter all the information in a different system that was not connected to our records. However, we’ve made improvements to the process and now that you enter everything into our system, we no longer ask you to enter accounting information, since the information that pre-populates is integrated with our HR and financial systems.

Q. I submitted an Expense Report in 2020 after receiving authorization from MEA. But the path was confusing, and I never got the reimbursement. Is it too late to get reimbursed?

A. An employee may submit a request for an expense incurred in the current fiscal year. Only with MEA approval may an employee submit a request for an expense that occurred in a prior fiscal year (i.e., must have already received MEA pre-approval). An employee cannot submit a request for an expense occurring in a future fiscal year. Reimbursements will not be paid until the employee provides proof of payment and proof of satisfactory completion. If an employee provides notice of resignation, the employee must submit the expense report and receive all approvals before separating from the City to obtain reimbursement.

As for the specific example of an Expense Report from 2020, reimbursement qualification is dependent on which fiscal year the 2020 expense was incurred. According to the MOU language, the previous year can be authorized upon request to be approved in the current fiscal year. If the expense was incurred on the second half of 2020, which falls into Fiscal Year 2021, it can be reimbursed, since it meets the MOU prior fiscal year provision. But if the expense was incurred in the first half, it can no longer be reimbursed this fiscal year because it’s been two years.

Q. What happens if the expense incurred is greater than the amount authorized?

A. If the actual expense is greater than the amount authorized, you can submit a supplemental request for the difference. For example, if your Expense Authorization was approved for $500, but your actual expense was for $550, you can submit another Expense Authorization to cover the additional $50 if there are funds available. Please remember to reference the ID of your first approved Expense Authorization ID# so we know you’re simply amending your original request.

Q. Are we required to submit the expense report within a certain period of purchase?

A. As stated in your Expense Authorization approval, MEA requires you purchase and submit your Expense Report within 60 days for equipment-related purchases. Technically you have until the end of the fiscal year to submit an Expense Report for purchases not related to equipment. However, we highly recommend that employees submit their Expense Report as soon as possible so we can reimburse you for the expense.

Q. Would it be helpful to include a table of contents with the attachments?

A. Yes, a table of contents would be helpful so reviewers can view the description for each attachment.

Q. What is the date we should use so my Expense Authorization is not sent back? I’ve had some requests sent back because the dates have passed.

A. When you complete your Expense Authorization for training (excluding equipment requests), we recommend you use a date at least 2-3 weeks into the future to allow enough time for your request to go through the approval process. However, similar to instructions for this fiscal year for Equipment Expense Authorizations, especially those submitted between the months of August and September, it is recommended you use the October 15^th date (at a minimum into the future) to allow enough time for your equipment request to go through the approval process. For equipment expense authorizations submitted after September 30^th, it is recommended you use a date at least 3 weeks into the future to allow enough time for your request to go through the approval process.  As indicated, we advise you to enter the advised future date to ensure there’s ample time for review and approval, otherwise, Expense Authorizations not fully approved by the date entered in the request will be sent back. When you submit for reimbursement, you’ll have the opportunity to enter the true date the expense was incurred when you complete your Expense Report.

Q. How can we get approved for an expense from a previous year?

A. It would be best to submit a ticket to the SF Employee Support Team and include specific information about the expense, e.g., type of expense and when it was incurred, so DHR and MEA can confirm whether the expense is eligible for reimbursement.

Q. What is a reasonable to time frame to expect approval for an expense?

A. The answer is it depends. The request is routed to your HR Supervisor, then to pooled accounting for their review and approval. The time period for these approvals will vary based on their availability. Assuming your request was routed to the appropriate HR Supervisor, you can always reach out to your supervisor to let them know your request is waiting their approval. However, if your request was not routed to the correct supervisor due to incorrect Reports To information, your Department Accounting unit must manually reassign the request to the appropriate HR Supervisor. We also recommend following up with your Department HR to update the Reports To information so future requests are routed to the correct HR Supervisor at the beginning of the process.

Q. How long does it take for a reimbursement to be processed.

A. Please refer to the answer above. Once an Expense Report is approved, payment will be made through direct deposit the following Tuesday.

Q. How is the 60-day notice disseminated?

A. The 60-day notice has always been disseminated through the system upon pre-approval.  In the current tuition system, the 60-day notice is noted at the bottom of the screen on Expense Authorization approval, see example below.

Q. Are reimbursements for equipment purchase taxable?

A. Reimbursements for equipment used in an employee’s daily duties are not taxable income.

Q. How can we check our Reports To information to ensure it’s accurate before we submit our request?

A. After submitting a request, employees can view their HR Supervisor through the View Expense Authorization link on the SF Employee Portal. Unfortunately there is no way to check your Reports To information on the Portal prior to submitting your request. We suggest contacting your Department HR to confirm that the appropriate HR Supervisor appears as your Reports To for approvals.

Q. Do you recommend submitting a request for equipment now? It appears the fund is already exhausted for FY 22-23.

A. Equipment allocation from the Management Training Fund is limited. It’s best to submit your request as soon as the system is available for submissions, which is normally the beginning of August.  Funds for equipment typically run out after the first 2 months of the tuition system’s go live date. Equipment expense authorizations are submitted for the current fiscal year. Once the equipment allocation is exhausted, equipment requests cannot be submitted in anticipation of the next fiscal year's equipment allocation.

Questions?

Check out our How to create an Expense Report from an Approved Expense Authorization solution article for more information. If you have additional questions, please reach out to the SF Employee Support Team.