Reimbursing AI Subscriptions - thebaulab/onramp GitHub Wiki

This page collects tips for getting reimbursed for AI subscriptions (ChatGPT/Codex, Claude, and so on) that you use for lab work. Some vendors add sales tax to their charges by default, and the university will not reimburse sales tax, so the first step is usually to get the tax removed from the subscription before you submit anything for reimbursement.

Codex (ChatGPT) subscriptions

Step 1: Remove sales tax from your subscription

Northeastern is exempt from Massachusetts sales tax, but OpenAI charges sales tax on ChatGPT subscriptions unless you ask them to apply the exemption to your account. Make sure the tax is removed before you submit a charge for reimbursement.

  1. Go to OpenAI's help article How can I request a US sales tax exemption?.
  2. Following the instructions on that page, click the chat button in the bottom right corner of the page to open a support conversation.
  3. Attach the two Massachusetts tax-exemption documents. Both are available on the Northeastern Finance forms page under "Tax Exemption Forms":
    • ST-5 Form (Massachusetts). Note: this form needs to be filled out. It asks for information about Northeastern University (the purchaser), information about yourself, and your signature.
    • ST-2 Form (Massachusetts). This is the university's certificate of exemption and can be attached as-is.
  4. In the same conversation, provide the email address of the ChatGPT account that you want the exemption applied to.

Once OpenAI confirms the exemption, subsequent subscription charges on that account should not include sales tax. Check your next invoice to confirm.

Step 2: Submit the charge for reimbursement

TODO: Document the reimbursement process here (where to submit receipts, what documentation is needed, who approves it, and so on).

Other subscriptions

TODO: Add notes for other vendors (e.g., Claude) as people figure out their processes.