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.
Bill spent 30 years at growth-oriented healthcare companies as a controller, chief financial officer and president. He's led multiple acquisitions ranging in size from a few hundred thousand dollars in revenue to hundreds of millions. Bill also led sourcing, due diligence, financing and financial integration for these transactions.
Andrew Duke is the CEO of the Online Lenders Alliance. He previously led the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's Consumer Education and External Affairs division.
Matt Bucklin is the founder of ExchangiFi, a capital markets platform that enables ETF issuers to raise seed capital through Section 351 tax-deferred exchanges. Previously, he founded Valley Cove Capital, a search fund focused on small business acquisition and growth. He is based in West Palm Beach, Florida.
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:
