Show TOC

  Travel Expenses Process

Purpose

You can use SAP Travel Expenses to carry out all activities involving travel expenses for a business trip. The aim of this process is the complete and integrated administration of travel expenses, from recording the expenses to correct taxation in Payroll (HR), posting in Financial Accounting (FI), and allocation in Controlling (CO) or Funds Management (FI-FM).

Process Flow

The Travel Expenses process starts once the trip has taken place and can be used either together with or separately from SAP Travel Planning . When using Travel Expenses in combination with SAP Travel Planning , the Travel Planning data is prepared appropriately and transferred to Travel Expenses.

The following gives an example of the process flow in a decentralized organization in which the traveler represents the central figure. Other forms of organization are, of course, also conceivable. For more information, see also Roles in Travel Management .

Travel Requests

See Overall Process of Travel Management

Travel Expenses

  1. After the trip has been taken, the traveler completes his or her travel expense report , including all necessary data and documents. The system applies all statutory and company-specific specifications stored in Customizing and checks the consistency of the entries against these specifications.

    See also: Travel Expenses , Trip Data Entry (Travel Expenses)

  2. The expenses department checks the travel expense report and the original documents and receipts. Now the travel expense report is sent to the manager for approval , who can then release it for settlement.

    See also: Approval of Trips

  3. As soon as the trip is approved, it is settled in the SAP system. On the basis of the trip provisions set for the relevant traveler, the system determines the travel expense results, especially the amount for reimbursement. To determine the reimbursement amount, you can choose between per diem/flat rate reimbursement and reimbursement according to individual receipts for meals, accommodations and travel costs; for all other categories, reimbursement on the basis of individual receipts must be used.

    See also: Settlement of Trips

  4. The travel expense results are prepared to suit the method of payment chosen and made available to the corresponding components (Financial Accounting, Payroll Accounting, Controlling Funds Management) with the appropriate additional information.

    See also: Transfer to Accounting , Transfer to HR Payroll Accounting , Transfer to Data Medium Exchange (DME)

  5. The payment of reimbursement amounts can now take place as follows:

    • By check

    • Through payroll accounting

    • Through financial accounting

    • By bank transfer to the employee's bank account (via DME)

      The travel expense results are always transferred for posting to Financial Accounting. The amounts are transferred from Financial Accounting to Controlling.

  6. The traveler receives a travel expense statement with the relevant trip data and the accounting results.

    See also: Forms for Travel Expense Statements

Possible Follow-On Activities

If a planned trip for which an advance has been paid does not take place, or if the travel expense report for a trip for which an advance has been paid is rejected, the trip advance has to be canceled. The trip advance is reclaimed by the company and the amount to be canceled is transferred to Financial Accounting.

If the travel expense report is rejected for a trip that has been taken and settled and for which a reimbursement was paid, the travel expense report must be canceled. The reimbursement amount is reclaimed, Financial Accounting is notified of the travel expenses to be canceled, and Payroll is notified of the need for retroactive accounting.

The employee receives a statement containing the relevant facts and the corresponding settlement results for the canceled trip.

Result

A single, complete record of the data of a business trip exists in the SAP system. The SAP system has settled the travel expenses incurred by the trip and forwarded them for further processing in Financial Accounting, Controlling, Funds Management and (if necessary) Payroll Accounting.