EXPENSE FORM GUIDE. (Please read CTENC s Expense Reimbursement Policy, available at for more detail.

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1 EXPENSE FORM GUIDE (Please read CTENC s Expense Reimbursement Policy, available at for more detail.) Requirements Expense forms are to be submitted as a single pdf file. Expense forms should be sent in by the 15 th of the month. Please be in the habit of sending them regularly receipts submitted for reimbursement later than 60 days after the expense is incurred may be denied repayment. The first page(s) of the pdf file should be the actual expense form. (Don t forget to put your name and the date on it!) The following pages are the substantiating receipts. The expense form (1 st page) must be numbered and itemized and the receipts (following pages) must be clearly numbered to match the expense form listing. (See example.) All pages must be able to print legibly, so if a receipt is faint, go over it with a black pen prior to scanning it. Receipts should be scanned full-size so they are clearly legible. If a receipt is not available to verify an expense listing, you can hand-write one. Include the date, establishment, place, amount and what it was for. completed forms to John Hauk at johnhauk@cten.org. Equip Yourself You will need a flatbed scanner and software. For software, MicroSoft Office (Home & Student version) for PC or Mac works well, or you may have other software you prefer, so long as the final output can be converted to pdf format. There are a variety of options for creating pdf files for final submission of your expense forms. A little research on the internet will yield suggestions for freeware for your operating system. If you know you will have a reliable internet connection when you are on the field, there are also web-based solutions such as Tip: if you have to buy anything, save your receipt and use that as the first line on your next expense form! How-To There is always more than one way to do pretty much anything. The following will work, but if you have a different way to do it that meets the standardization requirements, you are free to do it your way. Expense Form Open the file Expense Form Template.xls in Excel or another spreadsheet program. (If you ve misplaced the copy sent to you when you were first accepted to CTENC, you can download it again from the Missionary Resource page of the CTEN website listed at the top of the first page of this document.) Type your name where it says, "Insert your name". Save the Template file where you will find it again. I would recommend that you leave the word 08 16

2 Template in the file name. To begin a new expense form for reimbursement, open the file you saved (the Template file with your name inserted) and type in a date in the cell to the right of "Date Submitted". Continue to enter your expenses on the form. (Hint: don't wait until the last day - begin early and build it as you incur expenses. It's just easier that way!) At the end of the first session, **save the file with a new name**. Using the date as part of the name will help you find it later. When you want to add more expenses, reopen the renamed file. Doing this will leave your Template form clean to begin another expense report for the next month. Receipts If the receipt is faint, go over it with a black pen to emphasize the type to make it legible. (You should do at least the date, vendor and total in this way.) Attach the receipt to a sheet of regular paper. When the page has as many receipts as it can legibly hold, number each receipt with the same number as the line that lists it on your expense form. Make the number big enough and dark enough to see. Put a circle around it. Then scan the page of receipts into pdf format and save the scan. Put the physical page with its attached receipts into a binder or box. As you get more receipts, attach them also to a page and scan them. Keep the receipts pages (the physical paper ones) together. Assemble the PDF Expense Form for Submission Next, print the completed spreadsheet expense form itself as a pdf and add it as the first page of your receipt file. Assemble the individual scanned pages into one pdf file using your PDF software, or use the convenient website Review it page by page to make sure it's all in order and clear enough. If you need to rescan a page, now is the time to do it. Finally, check the file size. If it s become more than about 2 MB, try using the free pdf file reduction service online at If your file is really large even after using the online file reduction service, try splitting it in 2 or more files as needed and label it as #1, #2, etc. (You will know it s too large when your service refuses to send it!) When it's ready, send it in by attachment for reimbursement to johnhauk@cten.org. Assemble and Store Expense Form Originals To finish off, print a physical copy of the expense form itself and staple to it all the receipts pages with the original receipts attached. File the finished form and store it someplace dark. (Sunlight will fade out the receipts.) You need to keep it for at least 7 years. Be sure to organize your files so that you can find an individual set of expense receipts at any time should the CRA require it. If they challenge you it could be for a specific expense or for a year s worth (or more) of expenses. Page 2

3 EXPENSE FORM SAMPLE The following is an example of a multi-page expense form sent in for reimbursement.. The Expense Form and its related receipt pages are combined into one pdf file for submission. Page 3

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