The University has contracted with Universal VAT Services (UVS) to recover the refundable local taxes incurred by University business travelers to other countries. Such taxes include the Value Added Tax (VAT) in Europe and the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in Canada.

To recover the taxes, UVS will use the receipts you submit with your Travel Expense Voucher. You must submit original receipts that clearly state the date of the transaction, the name and address of the supplier, and an adequate description of the goods or services provided. Further requirements include the following:

• Especially for hotel and car rental receipts, both your name and "University of Chicago" should be set forth on the receipt, with the University of Chicago address listed instead of a personal address for you.
• For restaurant receipts, the names and affiliations of all diners must appear on the receipt.
• The rate and breakdown of the tax should appear on all high value receipts.
• In the UK, VAT registration numbers are essential on the receipts.

The list of tax-reclaimable business expense items varies by country, but a typical listing would include hotels, meals, business entertainment, car rental, fuel, parking, transportation, telephone, trade shows and conferences, training, consulting, and fees.

If you are planning international travel, see the UVS brochure, "Bring Back Proper Receipts" (PDF file), for more information.