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.
Tiffany Couch, CPA/CFF, CFE, is CEO and founder of Acuity Forensics, a nationally recognized forensic accounting firm, and the author of “The Thief in Your Company,” a book that explores the financial and emotional impact of fraud on organizations of all sizes. Reach her at tcouch@acuityforensics.com or (360) 573-5158.
David C. Chang, CPA, is a tax manager who develops tax planning strategies for clients at Haskell & White.
Frank Gehrig is a partner in the global insurance practice of pricing, marketing and sales consultancy Simon-Kucher & Partners.
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:
