Reimbursable Expenses for Employees

Payment of expenses is only possible when a move has been approved by the appropriate authority, costs are deemed reasonable and necessary, incurred during the employee's move, and properly supported by original invoices and receipts.

Relocation Expenses: Reasonable expenditures for transporting the immediate members of their household, household goods and personal effects from their former primary residence to their new primary residence.

See the overview for more information on which policy applies to the employee. Move or transfer expenses may be eligible for payment or reimbursment but due to IRS regulations, all moving expenses are taxable.

Transportation of household goods

Eligible:

  • Senior Management Group (SMG)
  • Managers and Senion Professionals (MSP)
  • Professionals and Support Staff (PSS)
  • Academic Employees
  • Postdoctoral Scholars

Conditions:

  • The employee/appointee must own the household effects at the time of the move
  • Household goods and personal effects are limited to one household move per appointee/employee
  • Household items do not include
    • Animals (excep for household pets) or the costs associated with the kenneling of pets
    • Motorized recreational vehicles, including boats, kayaks, airplanes, camping vehicles, snow machines, or jet skis
    • Plants
    • Canned, frozen, and bulk food
    • Belongings that are not the property of the appointee's/employee's immediate family
    • Building materials of any kind, farm equipment, and firewood

Additional conditions for Senior Management Group (SMG):

  • Assembly and disassembly of unusal items such as swing sets, swimming pools, satellite dishes, hot tubs, and storage sheds
  • Expenses related to moving professional/scholary books, records, and equipment, including laboratory supplies, must be documented separately

Packing household goods

Eligible

  • Senior Management Group (SMG)
  • Managers and Senion Professionals (MSP)
  • Professionals and Support Staff (PSS)
  • Academic Employees
  • Postdoctoral Scholars

The following costs are reimbursable:

  • Packing and crating the appointee's/employee's household goods at the old location
  • Unpacking and uncrating the household goods at the new location

Storing and Insuring household goods

Eligible:

  • Senior Management Group (SMG)
  • Managers and Senior Professionals (MSP)
  • Professional and Support Staff (PSS)
  • Academic Employees
  • Postdoctoral Scholars

Conditions for insurance costs:

  • Actual and reasonable expenses related to insurance for the household goods and personal effects, while in transit, are reimbursable if incurred within a 30-day perfiod after removal from the primary residence.

Conditions for storage costs

  • ​Senior Management Group (SMG)
    • ​Actual and reasonable storage costs for household goods and personal effects for up to 90 days immediately after their removal from the primary residence.
  • Managers and Senior Professionals (MSP) and Professional and Support Staff (PSS)
    • ​Actual and reasonable storage costs for household goods and personal effects for up to 30 days immediately after their removal from the primary residence. 
  • Postdoctoral Scholars*
    • ​Per APM-560, storage expenses are not reimbursable, but insurance of household goods are allowed. 

Driving or shipping automobiles

Eligible:

  • Senior Management Group (SMG)
  • Managers and Senior Professionals (MSP)
  • Professional and Support Staff (PSS)
  • Academic Employees
  • Postdoctoral Scholars

Condition: 

  • Actual and reasonable expenses related to moving two personal vehicles per household (which may include motorcycles but excludes vehicles listed in the Transportation of Household Goods section). Vehicles may be shipped or driven. If driven the appointe/employee will be reimbursed at the mileage rate published in Business and Finance Bulletin, G-28, Appendix A. 

 

Travel expenses for appointee/employee and members of the household

Eligible:

  • Senior Management Group (SMG)
  • Managers and Senior Professionals (MSP)
  • Professional and Support Staff (PSS)
  • Academic Employees
  • Postdoctoral Scholars

Conditions:

  • Members of the household may travel separately.
  • Transportation must consist of a single trip that does not exceed the cost of air coach transportation..

Meal costs while on route to Merced

Eligible:

  • Senior Management Group (SMG)
  • Managers and Senior Professionals (MSP)
  • Professional and Support Staff (PSS)
  • Academic Employees
  • Postdoctoral Scholars

Conditions:

Groceries for up to 30 days

Eligible:

  • Senior Management Group (SMG)
  • Managers and Senior Professionals (MSP)
  • Professional and Support Staff (PSS)

Not Eligible:

  • Academic Employees
  • Postdoctoral Scholars

Conditions

  • Groceries for up to 30 days of residence in the temporary furnished lodging if it has cooking facilities. 

Temporary housing costs

Eligible:

  • Senior Management Group (SMG)
  • Managers and Senior Professionals (MSP)
  • Professional and Support Staff (PSS)

Not Eligible:

  • Academic Employees
  • Postdoctoral Scholars

Conditions for temporary housing:

  • Senior Management Group (SMG)
    • ​The cost of furnished temporary lodging in the area of the new job location, including reasonable residential parking fees, for up to 90 days, and meals for the first 30 days of residence in temporary lodging, if the lodging does not have cooking facilities may be reimbursed in accordance with Business and Finance Bulletin, G-28
  • Managers and Senior Professionals (MSP) and Professional and Support Staff (PSS)
    • ​The cost of furnished temporary lodging in the area of the new job location for up to 30 days and groceries for up to 30 days of residence in the temporary furnished lodging if it has cooking facilities. If the lodging is in a hotel-type facility without cooking facilities, meal reimbursements will be made in accordance with Business and Finance Bulletin, G-28

Sale of Residence Costs

Eligible:

  • Senior Management Group (SMG)
  • Managers and Senior Professionals (MSP)
  • Professional and Support Staff (PSS)

Not Eligible:

  • Academic Employees
  • Postdoctoral Scholars

Conditions for Sale of Residence Costs:

Actual and reasonable selling costs directly associated with the sale of the appointee's former primary residence. The amount of the reimbursement will depend on prevailing practices within the area of the sale, must occur within twelve (12) months of the appointee's start date and must have documentation. Costs may include:4

  • Brokerage commission, not to rexeed 3% of the final sales prices or $30,000, whichever is less
  • Non-recurring closing costs no to exceed 2% of the selling price, not to exceed $20,000, whichever is less
  • Mortgage prepayment penalties not to exeed $15,000
  • Miscellaneous seller's costs customary to the area that may be reimbursed if determined appropriate by the University, not to exceed $10,000

Settlement of Unexpired Lease

Eligible:

  • Senior Management Group (SMG)
  • Managers and Senior Professionals (MSP)
  • Professional and Support Staff (PSS)

Not Eligible:

  • Academic Employees
  • Postdoctoral Scholars

Conditions for Sale of Residence Costs:

The University may reimburse actual and reasonable costs directly associated with the settlement of an unexpired lease of a former primary residence. The amount of the reimbursement will not exceed six (6) months of a lease or $25,000, whichever is less, including any penalty paid to terminate the lease. 

The University will not offer reimbursement if the appointee knows or reasonably should have known that relocation was imminent prior to entering a lease agreement. The University will not reimburse the cost of physical improvements intended to enhance marketability of the leasehold by improving the condition or appearance of the residence. 

Lodging in Former Residence

Eligible:

  • Senior Management Group (SMG)

Not Eligible:

  • Managers and Senior Professionals (MSP)
  • Professional and Support Staff (PSS)
  • Academic Employees
  • Postdoctoral Scholars

Conditions for Settlement of Unexpired Lease:

Lodging costs while en route to the new primary residence, including one day's lodging in the area of the former primary residence if the residence is no suitable to occupance due to the move, and one day's lodging on the date of arrival to the new primary residence may be reimbursed in accordance with Business and Finance Bullertin, G-28

Lodging while en Route

Eligible:

  • Senior Management Group (SMG)
  • Managers and Senior Professionals (MSP)
  • Professional and Support Staff (PSS)
  • Academic Employees
  • Postdoctoral Scholars

Conditions:

Lodging while en route from your former residence to UC Merced is an allowable expense as long as 300 miles are driven in a day.

Disconnecting and connecting utilities

Eligible:

  • Senior Management Group (SMG)

Not Eligible:

  • Managers and Senior Professionals (MSP)
  • Professional and Support Staff (PSS)
  • Academic Employees
  • Postdoctoral Scholars

Conditions:

Reimbursement does not apply to refundable deposits associated with these expenses.  

Transportation of domestic pets

Eligible:

  • Senior Management Group (SMG)

Not Eligible:

  • Managers and Senior Professionals (MSP)
  • Professional and Support Staff (PSS)
  • Academic Employees
  • Postdoctoral Scholars

Conditions:

Kenneling expenses are not reimbursable. 

Travel expenses for appointee/employee and members of the household

Eligible:

  • Senior Management Group
  • Managers and Senior Professionals (MSP)
  • Professional and Support Staff (PSS)
  • Academic Employees
  • Postdoctoral Scholars

Conditions:

  • Members of the household may travel separately.
  • Transportation must consist of a single trip that does not exceed the cost of air coach transportation..

Passport expenses

Eligible:

  • Senior Management Group (SMG)

Not Eligible:

  • Managers and Senior Professionals (MSP)
  • Professional and Support Staff (PSS)
  • Academic Employees
  • Postdoctoral Scholars

Conditions:

The passport expenses, including filing fee and cost of photos for non-U.S. Citizen appointee when passport expenses are incurred with the commencement of work in the Uniter State. 

House-hunting trips

Eligible:

  • Senior Management Group (SMG)

Not Eligible:

  • Managers and Senior Professionals (MSP)
  • Professional and Support Staff (PSS)
  • Academic Employees
  • Postdoctoral Scholars

Conditions:

  • Actual and resonable expenses associated with looking for new living accommodations for the appointee and their spouse or domestic partner for up to two (2) trips each in accordance with Business and Finance Bulletin, G-28, and may include:
    • Cost of transportation (e.g. coach airfare, car rental, parking fees, tolls, gas)
    • Meals
    • Lodging (maximum of ten (10) nights)

Return trips to former residence

Eligible:

  • Senior Management Group

Not Eligible:

  • Managers and Senior Professionals (MSP)
  • Professional and Support Staff (PSS)
  • Academic Employees
  • Postdoctoral Scholars

Conditions:

  • Actual and reasonable costs may be reimbursed if an appointee/employee needs to return to their former primary residence to help with the move or if the appointee/employee has been separated from household members for more than one month. Up to two trips may be reimbursed in accordance with Business and Finance Bulletin, G-28, and may include:
    • Cost of transportation (e.g. coach airfare, car rental, parking tools, gas)

Note: Standard mileage rate applied when personal vehicle is used.

  • Miscellaneous seller's costs customary to the area that may be reimbursed if determined appropriate by the University, not to exceed $10,000

Professional relocation services

Eligible:

  • Senior Management Group

Not Eligible:

  • Managers and Senior Professionals (MSP)
  • Professional and Support Staff (PSS)
  • Academic Employees
  • Postdoctoral Scholars

Conditions:

Actual and reasonable expenses related to professional relocation services which may provide local destination information, home sale or search assistance, and location of temporary lodging. 

Questions?