Matter of: Sally A. Klein File: B-254289 Date: January 13, 1994
Highlights
Child care expenses are not reimbursable in connection with an employee's official travel since neither the governing statutes nor the Federal Travel Regulation authorize such reimbursement. Requests reimbursement for $82 in child care expenses that were incurred while in an official travel status.[1] For the following reasons. The claim is denied. Klein's claim on the basis that there was no authority for reimbursement. Klein states on reconsideration that she should be reimbursed since she would not have incurred the expense if she had not had to travel on mandatory official business. Our decisions have held that fees for child care are personal expenses that are not reimbursable in connection with an employee's official travel.
Matter of: Sally A. Klein File: B-254289 Date: January 13, 1994
Child care expenses are not reimbursable in connection with an employee's official travel since neither the governing statutes nor the Federal Travel Regulation authorize such reimbursement.
DECISION
Ms. Sally A. Klein, an employee of the Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service (IRS), requests reimbursement for $82 in child care expenses that were incurred while in an official travel status.[1] For the following reasons, the claim is denied.
The IRS denied Ms. Klein's claim on the basis that there was no authority for reimbursement. Ms. Klein states on reconsideration that she should be reimbursed since she would not have incurred the expense if she had not had to travel on mandatory official business.
Our decisions have held that fees for child care are personal expenses that are not reimbursable in connection with an employee's official travel. Neither the governing statutes nor the Federal Travel Regulation authorize such an entitlement. Patricia A. Pierce, B-246829, May 18, 1992; William D. Fallin, B-210468, Apr. 12, 1983; B-162466, Sept. 27, 1967. The fact that an employee would not have had to incur a personal expense but for the performance of official travel is not a sufficient basis for shifting such an expense to the government. Norman E. Holly, B-197950, Sept. 30, 1980; B-162466, Sept. 27, 1967, supra..
Accordingly, Ms. Klein's claim for reimbursement of child care expenses is denied.
1. The claim was submitted by the Chief, Office of Travel Management and Relocation, Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service, Washington, D.C. Reference F:S:T, BE400. Child care expenses are not reimbursable in connection with an employee's official travel since neither the governing statutes nor the Federal Travel Regulation authorize such reimbursement.