| WASHINGTON, Dec. 3, 1998 - The U.S. General Services
Administration (GSA) announced updated per diem rates for federal employees
on official travel in the 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia.
The rates, published in the Federal Register today, take effect January
1, 1999.
For 1999, GSA's Office of Governmentwide Policy, which is in charge
of setting the rates, has focused on refining the per diem setting process
to ensure more accurate reimbursement for Federal travelers.
Significant changes in 1999:
| Taxes not included in the 1999 base per diem
rates -- The 1999 per diem rates do not include an allowance
for taxes. Taxes will now be paid separately from the room rate based on
the actual tax expense incurred by the traveler. |
| Breakout of metropolitan area per diem rates
-- Per diem rates have been set separately for local and surrounding areas
in major metropolitan localities, allowing for a more accurate reflection
of travel costs in these areas. Your per diem is based on where you
conduct your business. |
Multiple per diem rates set for some counties
-- In some cases, more
than one rate has been set for a county to reflect lodging industry
differences within that county. |
In, Out, and Shoulder per diem rates increase
travel flexibility -- In addition to the "in" and "out" seasonal
rates we have now added a
"shoulder" rate that bridges the seasonal rates. |
Laundry/Dry Cleaning expense coverage removed
from incidental
expenses -- Laundry/dry cleaning
will now be a separately vouchered
and paid item based on actual expenses incurred. |
New Meals and Incidental Expenses (MIE) Tier
-- The rates for meals
The federal per diem rates are based on a lodgings-plus system, whereby
employees are reimbursed for the actual cost of lodging up to a set limit.
In addition, they receive a fixed amount for meals and incidental expenses. |
Individual rates have been set for 587 higher-cost U.S. cities. Lodging
in these locations is paid by the government up to a set limit and reimbursement
for meals and incidental expenses ranges from a low of $30 to a new high
of $46.
GSA's per diem rates also apply to employees of certain government vendors
when traveling in connection with federal contracts. Travel per diem rates
for locations outside the continental United States -- Alaska, Hawaii,
and the U.S. territories and possessions -- are set by the Department of
Defense. Rates for international travel are set by the State Department.
A complete list of the 1999 per diem rates is on the Internet after
the rates have been published in the Federal Register. The address is www.policyworks.gov/PERDIEM.
Examples of New Rates for Some Cities:
| City |
New Rates
($) |
Current Rate ($) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Lodging
|
Meals
|
Total
|
Lodging
|
Meals
|
Total
|
| Chicago |
104 |
46 |
150 |
120 |
42 |
162 |
| Dallas |
89 |
46 |
135 |
94 |
42 |
136 |
| Denver |
80 |
42 |
122 |
92 |
34 |
126 |
| Ft Worth |
69 |
38 |
107 |
94 |
42 |
136 |
| Kansas City, MO |
85 |
42 |
127 |
88 |
42 |
130 |
| Kansas City, KS |
51 |
30 |
81 |
88 |
42 |
130 |
| Los Angeles |
95 |
46 |
141 |
109 |
42 |
151 |
| Manhattan, NY |
195 |
46 |
241 |
198 |
42 |
240 |
| Queens Borough, NY |
159 |
46 |
205 |
198 |
42 |
240 |
| San Francisco |
129 |
46 |
175 |
120 |
42 |
162 |
| Washington, DC |
115 |
46 |
161 |
126 |
42 |
168 |
|
