CFR > Title 41 - Public Contracts and Property Management > SUBTITLE F—Federal Travel Regulation System > CHAPTER 302—RELOCATION ALLOWANCES (parts 302-1 to 302-17) > SUBCHAPTER C—PERMANENT CHANGE OF STATION (PCS) ALLOWANCES FOR SUBSISTENCE AND TRANSPORTATION EXPENSES (parts 302-4 to 302-6) > PART 302-6—ALLOWANCE FOR TEMPORARY QUARTERS SUBSISTENCE EXPENSES > SUBPART D—Agency Responsibilities (§302-6.300 to §302-6.306) > 302-6.304—What factors should we consider in determining whether to offer an employee the fixed amount TQSE reimbursement option?

302-6.304—What factors should we consider in determining whether to offer an employee the fixed amount TQSE reimbursement option?

The factors you should consider include:
(a) Ease of administration. Actual TQSE reimbursement requires an agency to review claims for the validity, accuracy, and reasonableness of each expense amount. Fixed amount TQSE reimbursement does not require review of expense amounts and is therefore easier to administer.
(b) Cost considerations. You must weigh the cost of each alternative. Actual TQSE reimbursement may extend up to 120 consecutive days, while fixed amount TQSE reimbursement is limited to 30 days. Actual TQSE reimbursement may be less expensive, since its ceiling is based on the standard CONUS rate, while fixed amount TQSE reimbursement is based on the locality per diem rate. However, fixed amount TQSE reimbursement may be less expensive because the maximum daily rate under actual TQSE reimbursement is a higher percentage of the applicable per diem rate than fixed amount TQSE reimbursement.
(c) Treatment of employee. The employee is allowed to choose between actual TQSE reimbursement and fixed amount TQSE reimbursement when you offer the fixed amount TQSE reimbursement method. You therefore should weigh employee morale and productivity considerations against actual cost considerations in determining which method to offer.

Code of Federal Regulations

§ 302-6.304 , Nt.

Code of Federal Regulations

Effective Date Note: By FTR Amdt. 2011-01, 76 FR 18338, Apr. 1, 2011, § 302-6.304 was revised, effective Aug. 1, 2011. For the convenience of the user, the revised text is set forth as follows: § 302-6.304 What factors should we consider in determining whether to offer an employee a lump sum payment option for TQSE? When determining whether to offer an employee the lump sum payment option for TQSE the following factors should be considered: (a) Ease of administration. A lump sum for TQSE is paid to the employee prior to the occupancy of TQ, and the after the fact voucher process is eliminated under this method. Actual TQSE reimbursement requires an agency to review claims for the validity, accuracy, and reasonableness of each expense amount. (b) Cost consideration. You should weigh the cost of each alternative. Actual TQSE reimbursement may extend up to 120 days, while the lump sum payment is limited to a maximum of 30 days. (c) Treatment of employee. The employee is allowed to choose between actual TQSE reimbursement and the lump sum TQSE payment when you offer the lump sum payment method. You therefore should weigh employee morale and productivity considerations against actual cost considerations in determining which method to offer.