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.
IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig expressed his appreciation to tax professionals Tuesday for their cooperation during the extended tax season that was prolonged by the novel coronavirus pandemic and pledged to deliver any future stimulus payments approved by Congress.
The Dallas bank set aside less in the second quarter for credit losses than analysts expected. Executives cited action in Texas and California to reverse reopenings and said they're still committed to the oil and gas business.
Ian Jeffrey is CEO and Co-Founder of Breathe Life, a software-as-a-service technology company whose platform helps insurance carriers digitize their offerings and reach, engage, and service clients more effectively across distribution channels. He is also an entrepreneur with 20 years' experience in Silicon Valley and Montreal and has served as an Advisor and Angel Investor to many early-stage startups.
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:
