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.
Shwetal Covert is the director of healthcare for ARGO, which develops, installs and supports high-value technology and analytical-sciences software for the financial services and healthcare industries.
Andrew Hunzicker, CPA, is CEO and founder and partner of Dope CFO. With broad experience providing executive leadership and business counsel to companies across industries including retail, manufacturing, energy, medical/bio and tech, Andrew co-founded Dope CFO and has built up a national cannabis accounting/bookkeeping training program to help students in over 25 states unlock a new world of clients. Andrew was runner up for Portland Business Journal's CFO of the Year in 2017, making him the first cannabis CFO to ever be nominated. He is an expert in cannabis startups, CFO services, turnaround and high-growth strategies, capital sourcing, mergers, exits and wealth protection.
Julio Gonzalez is the founder and CEO of Engineered Tax Services, The Growth Partnership, and ABLE CRM.
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:
