This policy was updated in early 2018 due to changes to the IRS tax code approved by Congress in December 2017. This policy defines the moving and relocation expenses that are reimbursable for newly hired members of the faculty; it also describes eligibility guidelines and criteria for faculty allowances approved by the Office of the Dean of the Faculty. Specific eligibility criteria must be met under the policy, and all expenses must have a valid business purpose. In addition, expenses incurred on behalf of the University must be necessary, reasonable, and appropriate under this policy. Should you have any questions, please contact the department in which you are appointed. Moving allowances are provided and approved as follows: Faculty allowances are approved by the Office of the Dean of the Faculty. Professional researcher and professional specialist allowances are set by the individual hiring departments and approved by the Office of the Dean of the Faculty or the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. Contact the department in which you were hired or PPPL, (609) 243-2220. Monthly-paid staff appointed through the Office of Human Resources are approved by the vice president for Human Resources. Contact the Office of Human Resources, 100 Overlook Center, Suite 301, Princeton, NJ 08540, (609) 258-3300. Who Is Eligible Under This Policy Newly hired full-time members of the faculty, including Professors, Associate Professors, Assistant Professors, Instructors, Professors of the Practice, University Lecturers, Senior Lecturers, and Lecturers, are eligible under this policy. Allowances for individuals hired as professional researchers, professional specialists, visitors, or ranks other than those listed above are set by the individual hiring departments by rank. Allowances for these ranks must be approved by the Office of the Dean of the Faculty or the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. Reimbursement as allowed under this policy may be subject to the dollar limit established by the individual’s hiring department. All arrangements and expenses must have prior approval of the appropriate hiring office. Visiting faculty members are not reimbursed for moving expenses under this policy. Criteria To be eligible under this policy, the newly hired faculty member must: move a minimum of 50 miles from his or her present home, move within the first year of hire, and have a reasonable expectation of remaining in his or her position for longer than one year. In the case of newly hired Lecturers whose initial appointment is for one year and 100 percent duty time, it is the Dean of the Faculty’s expectation that the department will be responsible for moving expenses and that these expenses will meet the guidelines under this policy. If the appointment is renewed or extended and meets the “expectation of remaining in his or her position for longer than one year” guideline and the appointment continues at 100 percent duty time, the department may request reimbursement of eligible moving expenses from the Dean of the Faculty. Upon meeting this guideline, the department may submit a Standard Journal in Prime along with the detailed moving invoice. Reimbursement will be subject to the moving policy guidelines, and the maximum amount will be based on an equivalent quote from the University’s contract moving vendor. Pre-Move Expenses For Dean of the Faculty appointments, please be in contact with the Department Manager of your department. Travel arrangements may be made based on departmental guidelines. Arrangements for Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory employees can be made by calling the PPPL Travel Office at (609) 243-2658. Eligible faculty will be reimbursed for one pre-move visit intended to prepare for the relocation of the household and family. Typically, this visit is utilized to secure housing. Under this policy, eligible expenses for the new faculty member and his or her spouse or partner include up to a maximum of three nights of lodging expense, transportation to and from Princeton, meals, and rental car. Expenses reimbursed for the pre-move visit are includable in taxable income as described in the Relocation of Household Goods section below. Pre-move travel arrangements may be made by the department manager or appropriate departmental assistant or directly by the new faculty member. Please refer to the office of Finance and Treasury for procedures to pay for pre-move expenses. Relocation of Household Goods Domestic and international moves follow the same guidelines. Please refer to the most recent Numbered Memo “Domestic and International Moving Policy” for additional information related to moves from outside the United States and Canada. Reimbursement is provided for transportation charges for one continuous move of household items and personal effects from the faculty member’s current home to the Princeton area. Please note that amounts the University pays to reimburse an employee or to a vendor on behalf of an employee are subject to income tax. Federal law requires that the University withhold on and report such amounts to the Internal Revenue Service. The Internal Revenue Service provides guidance related to moving expenses. Please refer to IRS website for the most updated information on moving expenses. Expenses reimbursed under this policy include: Transportation costs for one continuous move of household items and personal effects from the faculty member’s current home to the Princeton area Container costs for household items, including book cartons, wardrobes, linen cartons, dish packs, mattress cartons, corrugated cartons for mirrors and pictures, and packing materials Full packing charges for household items and personal effects Pre- and post-servicing of appliances following normal thrift regulations If the distance of the move is over 500 miles, the cost of shipping one vehicle Unpacking of mattresses only Shuttle services, as required, for difficult-to-access locations Parking permits for the moving truck(s) at the origin and/or destination, as required Crating and uncrating of one flat-screen television (hanging cost is not reimbursable) International relocations subject to the policy guidelines and allowance Insurance for household items and personal effects at a rate of $7.00 per pound up to $100,000 total insured valuation. Should your value exceed $7.00 per pound of your shipment’s actual weight and/or $100,000, an additional charge of $5.00 per $1,000 in value will be incurred. Those faculty members who require that items not covered under this policy be moved, or who need additional insurance coverage, are responsible for those expenses For moves coordinated with vendors, please refer to their claims policy for guidance with filing claims. Expenses not reimbursed under this policy: Office moves Laboratory moves Temporary storage and charges for moving household items into and out of temporary storage locations Charges for moving laboratory equipment, office equipment, houseplants, perishable food, firewood, boats, building materials, and domestic and non-domestic animals Expedited services unless requested by the University Costs for replacing household goods not transported to the Princeton area Unpacking of normal household goods, except mattresses Items of extraordinary value, including artwork and antiques Temporary living expenses (not to be confused with those employees away on University assignments) Extra stops at any location other than the origin, destination and office (at origin or destination) Costs beyond those covered under this policy are the responsibility of the new faculty member. You have three options for coordinating your household move: You may choose either of the University contract vendors, Siracusa Moving and Storage or Armstrong Relocation. If you choose this option the vendor will survey your property and provide an estimate to you and to the Office of the Dean of the Faculty. Approved moves are then billed directly to the University for all costs covered under this policy. A significant advantage to this option is that there is no cash outlay by the faculty member for expenses covered under the policy, and no need for reimbursement. In addition to this reason, due to the complexities of international moves, we strongly encourage new faculty members moving from outside the United States to coordinate their international move with one of these vendors. If you decide to proceed with this option, please contact the vendors directly to make arrangements for the move. The contact information for each is: Siracusa Moving Contacts Primary Contact: John M. Hannon General Manager & VP HHG Move Management Phone : (800) 222 -1399 (ext. 226) Direct Dial Phone: (860) 259- 0226 Email: [email protected] Office Hours Monday – Friday 8:30am -5:00 pm EST Secondary Contact: Jade Cogswell Client Service Manager / Senior Relocation Consultant Phone: (800) 222-1399 (ext. 227) Direct: (860) 259-0227 Text: (860) 863-4945 (business hours only) Email: [email protected] www.siracusamoving.com Emergency Phone: (860) 883-3827 Company Updates: http://siracusamoving.com/closures/ Armstrong Relocation & Companies Contacts Primary Contact: John D. Silvernail, MS Vice President of National Accounts 1900 N. Indianwood Avenue, Suite B Broken Arrow, OK 74012 Cell Phone: (585) 749-1643 Email: [email protected] Secondary Contact: Aurora Griffin, CMC 1900 N. Indianwood Ave Broken Arrow, OK 74012 Phone: 918-665-8305 Direct: 918-362-8310 [email protected] www.armstrongrelocation.com You may choose your own moving company, pay for the move directly, and request reimbursement of eligible expenses upon your arrival in Princeton. Eligible expenses are reimbursed based on an equivalent quote from the University contract vendor or the allowance, whichever is less. Employees who require that items not covered by this policy be moved or who need additional insurance coverage will be responsible for those expenses. Detailed receipts must accompany the request for reimbursement. PPPL Travel Office policies may supersede this option. Please contact the PPPL Travel Office at (609) 243-2658 for confirmation. You may choose your own moving company and request that the billing be directed to the University. The faculty member must provide a copy of this policy to the moving company prior to obtaining an estimate. This option requires pre-approval by the Office of the Dean of the Faculty and must be initiated a minimum of 30 days prior to the move. With proper approval, this option gives the new faculty member the flexibility of selecting the moving company of their choice and alleviates the need for an upfront cash outlay by the new employee. This option is only available for moving companies that will direct bill the University and that do not require a deposit. The faculty member is responsible for ensuring that the proper type of insurance coverage and valuation is provided by the vendor for all household items and personal effects. The University assumes no responsibility for damage or loss related to household moves. Any claim for loss or damage must be initiated by the faculty member and coordinated directly with the vendor. PPPL Travel Office policies may supersede this option. Please contact the PPPL Travel Office at (609) 243-2658 for confirmation. Relocation of Family Members For Dean of the Faculty appointments, please be in contact with the Department Manager of your department. Travel arrangements are made based on departmental and University guidelines. Arrangements for Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory employees can be made by calling the PPPL Travel office at (609) 243-2658. For the new faculty member and immediate family members, reasonable and customary expenses for transportation to the new home, including lodging not to exceed three calendar days, are included in this policy. Airline travel should be booked in coach/economy class, utilizing the “lowest logical available fare.” All travelers should accept flights that meet University travel policy criteria. The flight costs should result in the lowest possible fare and be booked far enough in advance of the travel to guarantee the lowest possible fare. Where the cost of a one-way ticket exceeds the cost of a round-trip ticket, the lowest possible fare should be obtained. Relocation travel arrangements may be made by the department manager, the appropriate departmental assistant, or directly by the new faculty member. The reimbursement of relocation expenses is includable in taxable income. International Moves International moves follow the same guidelines and criteria as domestic moves. Moves from outside of the continental United States and Canada may be subject to additional guidelines. Newly hired faculty relocating from outside the U.S. and Canada will be reimbursed for eligible expenses incurred for one continuous move of household items and personal effects from the faculty member’s current home to the Princeton area, subject to a maximum allowance. The maximum allowance for the current year may be found in the Domestic and International Moving Policy numbered memorandum; you may also call the Office of the Dean of the Faculty (ext. 3023) for this information. The allowance is provided for relocating the household items and personal effects and is a fixed amount depending on the rank of the new faculty member, marital status, and number of dependent children. The new faculty member may choose any of the options listed above for coordinating an international household move. We strongly encourage new faculty members to coordinate their international move with Siracusa Moving and Storage, but we do not require that Siracusa be utilized for any household move. Costs associated with relocation of the new faculty member and immediate family members are provided separately and are not subject to the allowance. Reimbursement To request reimbursement for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with a pre-move visit, the relocation of family members, or the household move, submit an employee moving expense report and the original receipts to your department manager or assistant as appropriate. Reimbursement of expenses will be subject to this policy. Actual miles driven will be subject to the rate in effect at the time of travel as published under the Travel Policy. In addition, the reimbursement may be subject to the University Travel Policy or Business Expense Policy where required. Payment Procedures To pay for moving/relocation expenses, please refer to the guidance posted on the Office of Finance & Treasury website Pay for Moving or Relocation Expenses. Excerpted from the Office of Finance & Treasury Paying for Moving/Relocation Expense website: How to Pay for Moving/Relocation Expense Payments to moving companies and other suppliers, as well as reimbursements to employees for out-of-pocket relocation expenses, should be initiated by completing a Non-PO Payment Request. Concur should not be used to reimburse employees for moving expenses. However, if a relocation expense has been paid for by using a University Credit Card, the expense will need to be substantiated in Concur and approved and forwarded to DOF as appropriate. Dean of the Faculty Hires (relocation expense paid for by DOF) For relocation expenses eligible for payment by the Office of the Dean of the Faculty, charge the expense to: Department: (30700) DOF-FacResAlloc-Fac Allowances Fund: (A0000) General Fund Program: (GU030) Relocation Dean of the Faculty Hires (relocation expense paid for by the Department) For relocation expenses not eligible for payment by the Office of the Dean of the Faculty, charge the expense to: Department: Your Department Fund: Your Fund Program: (GU030) Relocation or (GU497) Relocation Pre-Move
