Procurement Services Blog
Ordering Tax-Exempt Ethyl Alcohol Items from FISHER SCIENTIFIC CO LLC
A new Workday Order From Connection, UWA ETHYL ALCOHOL, has been set up for Fisher Scientific Co LLC, to support placing orders for Decon Ethanol Alcohol items that are tax-exempt.
Global Helium Shortage
Due to the Middle East conflict affecting supplies from Qatar, a global helium shortage is emerging, resulting in Linde implementing a temporary price increase on helium of 20% effective June 1.
Airgas started adding a temporary surcharge of $13.50 per hundred cubic feet to helium orders in March. Procurement will be reviewing the situation with both suppliers regularly and will issue updates as things change.
Applying Use Tax on Expense Reports in Workday
Workday has been updated to improve how use tax is applied on applicable Expense Reports (ERs). Previously, there was no dedicated step within the Expense Report process to confirm that use tax was assessed when required.
With this update, Expense Reports that require use tax will now include an additional review step during processing. At this stage, either the Shared Environment (UWM) or Expense Specialist (UWA) role must review, confirm, and apply use tax as needed. This enhancement helps ensure greater compliance and consistency in Expense Report processing.
New Ricoh managed print contract
Procurement Services is pleased to announce that a new contract with Ricoh for managed print devices is now updated and available for campus use.
Workday contract number: SPC-012707
Ricoh Representative: Nathan Buffington
Washington District Manager
RICOH USA, Inc
Cell: (562) 455-6877
Service: 888-456-6457
E-mail nathan.buffington@ricoh-usa.com
Ricoh Website
Contract Manager: JACOB DOBNER
Manager, Production
Expeditors news
Expeditors has a new online tool, Expo NOW, that allows you to track incoming freight as well as calculate tariffs for imports. Make sure to sign up for the new tool.
NOTE: On signing up, you will be given guest access. Make sure to reach out to John Perkins for full access: john.perkins@expeditors.com
Tariffs are still in place
After the Supreme Court ruled that International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) tariffs were invalid, they were replaced with a 10%–15% tariff under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, effective February 24, 2026. This is a temporary, 150-day tariff that will expire in July unless extended by Congress.
Have you noticed the Supplier Request Form enhancements?
The Supplier Request Form, an intake form found in the UW Connect Finance Portal which is used to request new suppliers or updates to UW’s supplier records, had some enhancements applied in early March, including:
UW 1099 Payee Data Collection Threshold
The University of Washington is updating its internal policy regarding the threshold for collecting payee tax information for reporting purposes. Effective January 1, 2026, the threshold for collecting payee tax information related to Form 1099-MISC and 1099-NEC reporting will increase from $600 to $1,500.
March is National Procurement Month
National Procurement Month is a time to recognize the role of purchasing professionals in helping people change the world through collaboration, consultation, and financial stewardship.
While we celebrate our profession this month, the Procurement Services Department wants to highlight that our biggest success is working with you. Thank you to the entire campus community for your continued collaboration in getting the goods and services needed to move the University's mission forward. We appreciate our partnership!