Relocation Expense Receipts: To Require or Not to Require?

Many companies are no longer requiring original receipts to be submitted with a relocation expense report, and policies are now being updated to reflect this fact. They are often turning to online expense systems. Why? Below are some reasons why companies are considering or implementing this change:

• It is much more time efficient for transferees to scan receipts and submit them for reimbursement online (though it is always recommended that transferees keep their original receipts just in case). 
• Transferees and companies are able to be much more organized with electronic copies than with original receipts.
• In this day and age, many receipts are electronic, such as airline tickets and hotel bills, and this process has become the norm for many purchases. Online expense systems eliminate the process of printing, labeling, and filing these receipts, allowing transferees to submit it directly into the system.
• Many expense systems have mobile apps as well, enabling transferees to submit their expenses on the spot, rather than waiting to get back into the office.

To help simplify your transferee’s relocation experience as well as your internal processes, consider promoting the use of an online expense system to eliminate the need for original receipts.

SIRVA uses an app, SIRVA Connect, which allows transferees to submit their relocation expenses via a tablet or mobile device. Visit the Consulting page of our website, or contact Jill McDonald, Director, Policy Consulting for more information.