The WWS will cover moving expenses for selected fellows who are associated with some of the WWS-affiliated centers for a defined period of time.   The moving policy varies by center, but in general includes coverage of moving expenses to Princeton and the return home, up to a specified dollar limit.  The manager of the center to which a fellow is affiliated will be able to provide more information on the specific level of reimbursement for moving expenses.  The reimbursement of moving expenses is taxable for most fellows, is processed as additional income, requires original receipts, and is reported to the Internal Revenue Service. 

 

The policy above for WWS fellows applies only to the cost of the actual move. For other expenses (for example charges for moving certain equipment, charges for storing personal goods while away, or packing and unpacking), the WWS adheres to University guidelines as set out in the Domestic Moving Policy.

 

  

Whenever possible, the best way to cover moving expenses is through Whalen’s Moving and Storage Company (800) 759-4253. Whalen’s coordinates all University moves and bills the University directly for costs associated with moving household items covered by this policy.  Consequently, there is no cash outlay to or by the individual.  There is no weight minimum or maximum attached to moving household items.  Employees moved by Whalen's are automatically covered for up to $50,000 of insurance.  Those employees who require that items not covered by this policy be moved, or need additional insurance coverage, are responsible for those expenses. The employee should contact Whalen's directly for assistance with relocation to the Princeton area.

 

It could be that if the fellow is only covered up to a certain amount, Whalen’s might not be the most cost-effective avenue. In that case, they may choose to move themselves or hire another moving company. 

 

If Whalen’s Moving and Storage was used for the move an invoice will be sent to the WWS and payment will be made directly to them. The forms to use for payments to Whalen’s are:

            Vendor/Honorarium Form

            Employee Moving Expense Form

 

Reimbursements for moving expenses paid out-of-pocket on the trip coming to Princeton require the following forms to be prepared and sent to Travel Accounting: 

             Business Expense Form (original receipts attached)   

             Employee Moving Expense Form

 

 

For return trips to the home institution the forms to be prepared depend on how the fellow was paid while at Princeton.

 

For fellows who were on Princeton University payroll, the following forms must be prepared and sent first to the Assistant or Associate Dean for approval. They will then be forwarded to the Dean of the Faculty’s Office.

              Additional Pay Form (signed by the Assistant or Associate Dean)

              Employee Moving Expense Form

 

For fellows who were paid through an Institutional payment, the following forms must be prepared and sent to the Financial Management Office (FMO), with a special alert that this is a return trip for a visitor being paid with an Institutional Payment.  It would also be helpful to include copies of the fellow’s original commitment letter and the Institutional Payment Form.  The FMO will then send all forms to the Dean of the Faculty’s Office for pre-approval before the form is sent on to Travel Accounting.

              Business Expense Form (original receipts attached)

              Employee Moving Expense Form

 

 

To expedite reimbursement requests for return trips to the home institution, it is important to note that each is handled by various University departments on a case-by-case basis and thus takes time to process.  Many times several departments are involved before final approval -- the process is quite fluid with a great deal of back and forth to insure that all tax aspects are taken into consideration.  For moving expense reimbursement for trips home, one of the most important pieces of information that you can include is how the individual was paid while at Princeton - whether paid through PU payroll, Institutional Payment, or other method.  Also included should be a copy of the original commitment letter where the agreement to pay for the return trip is spelled out and a memo requesting approval for the payment from Sandra Johnson in the Dean of the Faculty's Office.