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.
Brian Schultz is a tax partner at Plante Moran in Southfield, Michigan.
Scott Vogel is a partner at Confidio, a technology-enabled pharmacy benefit consulting firm.
Kat Judd is the vice president of people operations for Lucidchart, where she is responsible for providing employees with the right resources to succeed and fostering a culture based on the company’s core values—teamwork over ego, passion, innovation, and ownership. A 10-year veteran of management-side employment law, Kat was a shareholder and director at Clyde Snow & Sessions prior to joining Lucidchart. She has experience in preventative advice and counsel, workplace investigations, and employment law training. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Brigham Young University and a J.D. from the University of Utah, where she was named Young Alumna of the Year in 2016.
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:
