Employees working from home during the coronavirus pandemic claimed some outlandish expenses this year, including pricey exercise bikes, facelifts and private jets.
Emburse, an expense management software company, released a compilation Wednesday of some of the craziest expenses it has seen claimed this year, some of which were actually approved. That included $1,895, which was approved as a contribution for an employee's Peloton Bike under the explanation of “for health and wellness.” On the other hand, a $7,600 expense claim for a facelift was submitted under the category of “repairs and maintenance” but was rejected, despite the pressing need to look one’s best during a Zoom meeting.
Bob Lewis is president of The Visionary Group. He has relationships with key leaders in accounting firms nationwide and is a frequent speaker on M&A, private equity, and organic growth, and helps firms assess their ability to remain independent, build enterprise value, and creates and facilitates dozens of material transactions annually. His 30-plus years of support in the accounting profession has provided Lewis with the opportunity to learn from great firm leaders. Beyond his deep experience in M&A and private equity he helps firms with pricing, client upscaling, and overall growth tactics. He is a frequent member of Accounting Today's Top 100 Most Influential People, and co-chairs the Accounting Today Private Equity Summit. He has an accounting background, and his formal education includes a Bachelor of Science in Finance and an MBA, both from DePaul University in Chicago.
Kristin Messerli is the founder and CEO of Cultural Outreach, specializing in helping companies in the mortgage industry better reach and serve millennial and multicultural homebuyers.
Evan Koster is a partner at Hogan Lovells.
Some expenses weren’t for working from home, but more about getting out of the house safely. An expense claim for a private jet charter costing over $20,000 was submitted and approved under the explanation of “required to limit COVID exposure for international shoots.” Another travel-related expense claim was $2,500 for a helicopter ride, which was not approved.
The $79 expense claim for a dog crate could perhaps be used for travel at some point when that's safer, but in these times it was more plausibly to provide "crate training [for] a new COVID puppy to not run into Zoom meetings."
Below is an infographic produced by Emburse showing this and several other head-scratching claims:
