Monthly Closing Deadlines

The July 2025 period in the general ledger has closed.  The current and future month-end processing deadline schedules are located at Monthly Closing Deadlines.

Prohibited Expenditures BOG 9.016

Per the Florida Board of Governors (BOG) 9.016 Prohibited Expenditures regulation, expenses related to DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) are unallowable. The regulation became effective in January 2024 and university-wide compliance was effective July 1, 2024.

Budget managers must review all expenses before submitting to ensure these do not include unallowable services/deliverables. No purchases of goods or services related to DEI activities made with E&G funds can be approved as these are prohibited. 

Please use the following tools to determine if an expense is prohibited:

• PE Decision Tree – tool to determine whether an expenditure is permitted
• PE PowerPoint – presentation by the PE Team
• PE Justification Form – form to document justification for permitted expenditures

If you have any questions on prohibited expenses, please send an email to prohibitexps@fiu.edu.

Florida Sales Tax Rate for Rental, Lease, or License to Use Real Property Repealed Effective October 1, 2025

Currently, Florida imposes a 6% sales tax on the sales of most goods and certain services. In addition, Florida counties can impose a local option surtax on top of the 6% rate that varies by county. Therefore, the sales tax rate is 7% in Miami-Dade County, Broward County, and Pinellas County (due to the additional 1% surtax).

The sales tax is also imposed on commercial leases and licenses to use real property, but at a reduced rate. Some examples of real property rentals that are subject to tax include (commercial office or retail space, conference rooms, ballrooms, stadiums, arenas, etc.). The sales tax rate imposed under Florida Statutes on the rent charged for renting, leasing, or granting a license to use real property is currently 3.0% (2.0% plus the additional 1% surtax).

Effective October 1, 2025, the sales tax rate imposed under Florida Statutes on the rent charged for renting, leasing, or granting a license to use real property is repealed. Therefore, the combined sales tax rate for any rental activity taking place on or after October 1, 2025, will be 0.0%.

However, if services are provided along with the rental activity, the services are still subject to the 7.0% sales tax rate and are not repealed.

To accurately collect and remit the sales tax collected by the University, rental related sales tax collections should only be posted to one of the following general ledger accounts shown below.

Account number 311318 (Sales Tax Liab MD Prop Rental) – this account is used to record/deposit sales tax for rental activity taking place in Miami-Dade County, which is subject to the current 3.0% sales tax rate (June 1, 2024 – September 30, 2025).Effective for rental activity on or after October 1, 2025, the sales tax is eliminated and the rate is 0.0%. 

Account number 311319 (Sales Tax Liab Bwd Prop Rental) – this account is used to record/deposit sales tax for rental activity taking place in Broward County, which is subject to the current 3.0% sales tax rate (June 1, 2024 – September 30, 2025).Effective for rental activity on or after October 1, 2025, the sales tax is eliminated and the rate is 0.0%.  

Account number 311320 (Sales Tax Liab PIN Prop Rental) – this account is used to record/deposit sales tax for rental activity taking place in Pinellas County, which is subject to the current 3.0% sales tax rate (June 1, 2024 – September 30, 2025).Effective for rental activity on or after October 1, 2025, the sales tax is eliminated and the rate is 0.0%. 

However, this reduction does not change the sales tax rate for all other taxable sales. All other sales tax activity (not rental related) should be posted to one of the following general ledger accounts.

Account number 311315 (Sales Tax Liab MD NOT Rental) – this account is used to record/deposit sales tax for goods or services being sold in Miami-Dade County which are subject to the 7.0% sales tax rate.

Account number 311317 (Sales Tax Liab BWD NOT Rental) – this account is used to record/deposit sales tax for goods or services being sold in Broward County which are subject to the 7.0% sales tax rate.

Please continue to use Department Number 110401000 and Activity Number 1104120007 for all sales tax deposits regardless of the general ledger account used.

If you have questions about this change or any other sales tax questions, please email Tax Compliance Services or call any of the Tax Compliance team members. You can also click this link to Florida Tax Information Publication (TIP) No. 25A01-04, which contains additional information related to the sales tax rate change.

Florida Sales Tax Holidays

The State of Florida recently passed several Sales Tax Holidays which includes back-to-school sales tax holidays, disaster preparedness and other supplies sales tax holidays, and hunting, fishing, camping sales tax holidays.

Back-to-school

Consumers can purchase qualifying back-to-school supplies exempt from tax during the 2025 Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday. The sales tax holiday begins August 1, 2025, and extends through August 31, 2025.

Click on the following link for more information: https://floridarevenue.com/taxes/tips/Documents/TIP_25A01-08.pdf

Disaster preparedness and other supplies

Consumers can purchase qualifying disaster preparedness and other supplies exempt from tax beginning August 1, 2025. The items listed are permanently exempted, there is no end date for the exemption.

Click on the following link for more information: https://floridarevenue.com/taxes/tips/Documents/TIP_25A01-05.pdf

2025 Hunting, Fishing, and Camping Sales Tax Holiday

Consumers can purchase qualifying hunting, fishing, and camping items exempt from tax during the Sales Tax Holiday which begins September 8, 2025, and extends through December 31, 2025.

Click on the following link for more information: https://floridarevenue.com/taxes/tips/Documents/TIP_25A01-09.pdf

Pinnacle IT Billing System Migration to PCR-360

The billing system used by the Division of IT for posting charges related to telephones, telecommunications, and other IT services has migrated from Pinnacle to PCR-360. 

If you currently access Pinnacle to view your bills, detailed instructions on how to access both new and historical bills in PCR-360 can be found at itbilling.fiu.edu. We encourage you to take a moment to familiarize yourself with the new system to ensure a smooth transition.

Beginning with the May 2025 bill, which currently posts in July 2025, ledgers will reflect the description, ” ITBilling” , instead of, “Pinnacle”.  Additionally, the journal ids in PeopleSoft will start with “PCR” instead of “PIN”.

As discussed in previous Finance Managers meetings, billing will occur 13 times in fiscal year 2025-26 to align billing cycles. The bills for July 2025 and August 2025 will be posted in September 2025.  Subsequently, your bill will reflect prior month charges rather than billing two months behind.

Should you have any questions or need further assistance, please visit askit.fiu.edu and complete a Billing Request form.

Credit Card Reconciliation: Supporting Documentation

As a reminder, when reconciling Pcard transactions, scanning and attaching receipts and supporting documentation is mandatory. While all charges must still be approved within 10 business days, Approvers will have through the end of the calendar month to complete attaching all documentation.

Examples of supporting documentation include:

• Flyers
• Receipts
• Print samples
• Agendas
• Quotes
• Attendance Sheets

 If you have any questions, please reach out to the Credit Card Solutions Team at ccsteam@fiu.edu

NOTICE: Temporary Pause on Walmart Gift Card Orders

Procurement Services is currently working with Walmart to renew our corporate account used for bulk gift card purchases.  At this time, we are unable to process any purchase orders to Walmart for gift card orders.  We appreciate your patience and will provide an update as soon as the account is active.  Starbucks, Amazon, and Target continue to be an option for gift card purchases.

Purchase of Controlled Substances and Hazardous Chemicals

The purchase of controlled substances is strictly prohibited with the Pcard; all controlled substance purchases must be procured via a purchase order. 

The purchase of hazardous chemicals/materials with the university card is limited exclusively to Fisher Scientific on an emergency/expedited basis only. We have partnered with Fisher to ensure that the purchase complies with all EH&S safety regulations. The purchase of hazardous chemicals/materials from any other merchant is not allowed with the Departmental Card.   Dry Ice will be allowed, under 25 pounds from the vendor of choice. 

Important GL Account Updates

The Office of the Controller has created some new GL Accounts to help the University track expenses in several categories more effectively.  Additionally, we will be inactivating GL Account 773801 Food Products. Please refrain from coding any expenses to this GL Account.

New Account 773607 – Instruct. Supplies Food Items – This account is to be used for food items utilized in instructional labs and programs (i.e. science, chemistry, hospitality management, research, etc.).

New Account 711608 – Food Items Noncatered Events – This account is to be used for food, including platters, sandwiches, bakery goods, pizza, desserts, non-alcoholic beverages, etc. purchased for meetings/events/trainings etc. with total food costs not exceeding $750.  On-campus events with food costs exceeding $750, are required to contract catering services from FIU’s approved catering vendors, unless the Office of Business Services approves an exception for the event.

Account 711601 is being renamed to Catering Services.  This account should be used for all catered events.

Year-End AP Accrual

Below is a reminder of the criteria for the upcoming accruals:

1st Accounts Payable Accrual

• No invoice amount threshold.
• Invoices must be entered, matched, and approved by July 14th, 2025.
• Receipt date in PeopleSoft must be prior to July 1, 2025.

2nd Accounts Payable Accrual (will be recorded in Financial Statement Activity ID only)

• Invoice amounts must be $5,000 or greater.
• Invoices must be entered, matched, and approved by July 25th, 2025
• Receipt date in PeopleSoft must be prior to July 1, 2025.

Important International Travel Compliance Reminder

Effective March 1, 2025, if you depart on an international trip prior to full Travel Authorization (TA) approval, a confirmation of which is emailed to you, there will be no reimbursement of travel expenses paid by you from personal funds, and repayment from the traveler to the University for expenses paid with University funds will be required. Further, an employee may be subject to discipline and/or restrictions on international travel privileges. Regardless of whether a proxy assists in the TA process, the traveler is responsible for verifying that the TA is fully approved before departing on the trip and will be held accountable if it is not.

Please reference the full memorandum, which also includes details from previous notifications.

Travel News – Imported Reminders

•  Expense Reports Revisions Due to Fiscal Year-End Closure

Some expense reports were returned for revision and must now be resubmitted in the current fiscal year.  Travel proxies are required to reattach the Travel Authorization (TA) to the expense report before resubmitting. For instructions on how to do this, please click here [see page 2].

•  Employee Signature Requirement

Expense reports must be signed by the employee listed at the top of the report. This can be done via DocuSign or using the Print and Sign option.

•  Receipt & Documentation Requirements

Ensure all receipts and supporting documentation are legible and uploaded prior to submission to avoid reimbursement delays.  Departments are strongly encouraged to use the [Travel Reimbursement Checklist] to verify that all required documentation is included.

•  Combine Files into One PDF

All documentation should be scanned and uploaded as a single PDF file rather than as individual pages.

•  Ride Receipt Annotations

For Taxi, Uber, Lyft, or shuttle services, the pickup and drop-off locations must be clearly noted on the receipt (e.g., “home to airport”, “airport to hotel”).

•  P-Card or PO Usage Notations

If expenses were paid using a university credit card or purchase order, this must be clearly annotated on the corresponding receipts prior to submission.

•  Use of FIU Procurement Systems

To ensure compliance and efficiency, the University’s procurement system must be utilized for all operational needs, including travel, equipment, supplies, rentals, food, and furnishings.  Departments should coordinate with Purchasing Services and Credit Card Solutions as needed.

Travel Authorization

An approved Travel Authorization (TA) is a traveler’s permission to incur expenses and travel on behalf of Florida International University. Without an approved travel authorization (TA), the payment of travel expenses on behalf of the University, using the procurement card, or by the traveler is prohibited. This includes FIU employees, FIU students, and others who travel on the University’s behalf. The Authorization must include all known or projected travel expenses, a descriptive business purpose, and the correct trip start and end dates, as well as the business destination(s). It must also provide an estimated trip cost.

Airfare Guidelines for FIU Travel

FIU does not have a preferred airline. Airfare may be booked with any commercial airline, provided the reservation complies with Florida Statutes 112.061.

Travelers will be reimbursed only for economy, coach, or main cabin fares.

Please note that the following items are considered personal convenience expenses and are not reimbursable:

• Seat selection fees
• Seat upgrades or premium seating
• Travel insurance
• Early boarding fees

These costs are the responsibility of the traveler and should not be charged to the Pro-card. To ensure compliance and avoid audit issues, travelers must refrain from using the Pro-card for such expenses.

If the Pro-card is inadvertently used to purchase any of these non-reimbursable items, the traveler is required to reimburse the University for the full amount.

Receipts in a Foreign Language and Currency

When submitting receipts issued in a foreign currency, the converted amount in U.S. dollars must be included.  All expenses reported on the Expense Report must be in U.S. dollars.

• The conversion date should match the transaction date.
• Foreign currency conversions must be obtained from the OANDA Currency Converter and attached to the Expense Report.
• If the foreign transaction was made using a credit card, you may submit the credit card statement showing the converted amount in lieu of the OANDA conversion.

This ensures consistency, accuracy, and compliance with FIU travel reimbursement policies.

Meal Template Requirement – Domestic and Foreign Travel

Each expense report must include a meal reimbursement breakdown template to support per diem or actual meal claims.

To streamline this process, FIU has created two distinct templates:

• Domestic Meal Reimbursement Template
• Foreign Meal Reimbursement Template

Travelers are required to use the appropriate template based on their travel destination and include the completed form as part of their supporting documentation in the expense report.

These templates ensure compliance with FIU policy and facilitate accurate and timely reimbursement.

Reporting Shared Lodging and Other Expenses

Each FIU employee is typically responsible for paying for and claiming reimbursement of their own hotel accommodations.  However, situations may arise during official travel where one traveler covers the lodging expense for a co-traveler (e.g., shared room or group payment).

In such cases, both the paying traveler and the co-traveler must follow these procedures to ensure accurate documentation and compliance:

For the Traveler Paying the Hotel Bill:

• Submit an expense report requesting reimbursement for the total amount paid.
• Ensure the lodging receipt is itemized and attached.
• Confirm the room rate is within University policy limits.

For the Co-Traveler Whose Lodging Was Paid:

• Submit an expense report with the following statement clearly written:

“Hotel room compliments of [Name of traveler who paid, e.g., John Doe].”

• Include the Expense Report ID of the traveler who paid for the lodging.
• Attach a copy of the lodging receipt.
• Do not claim the hotel expenses for reimbursement.

Additional Requirement:

When traveling with multiple students or employees, a Group Travel Template must be completed and included in the supporting documentation.

Limiting Allowable Hotel Expenses Continues for FY-2026

For the current fiscal year, the Florida Legislature has mandated in HB 5003 that lodging paid with state funding may not exceed $225 per night for university employees for events (meetings, conferences, or conventions) sponsored or organized in whole or in part by Florida International University.  State funds include all E&G funds and state-sponsored grants.  Amounts exceeding $225 per night may be paid through an alternative funding source.

Departments are responsible for ensuring compliance with this requirement when arranging or reimbursing lodging for FIU-sponsored events.

Avis/Budget Car Rental

University employees who require a rental car for official business must follow FIU’s established policies and procedures. This includes using the State of Florida’s designated reservation portal to ensure contract rates, insurance coverage, and compliance with state travel guidelines. STATE OF FLORIDA RESERVATION PORTAL.

Using this portal ensures that all business-related car rentals are guaranteed appropriate pricing and coverage. Failure to use the designated site may result in adjustments to expenses and non-reimbursable expenses.