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.
With more than 20 years of experience in health care technology, including as co-founder of RedBrick Health (now Virgin Pulse), Kurt has held senior leadership roles focused on transforming health care and empowering individuals. Now as MOBE's Chief Commercial Officer, Kurt is committed to providing innovative solutions that engage members, improve health outcomes, and reduce costs for health plans and employers.
Kristiana Daniels is a financial advisor with Fiduciary Financial Advisors, an independent financial planning and wealth management firm.
By advocating for her clients and leveraging creative solutions, she designs tax-efficient financial plans that pave the way for lasting success. Daniels is a certified financial planner professional and an IRS enrolled agent.
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:
