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.
The Institute of Management Accountants recently released a pair of reports on how CFOs can help their organizations provide more sustainable business activities.
Kathy Ryan is chair and founder of RoseRyan, which has offered tailored financial advisory expertise out of Silicon Valley since 1993. The firm’s finance and accounting professionals provide outsourced, on-demand and full-stack solutions to companies at every stage of growth, from startups to Fortune 500 companies. She is a two-time member of Accounting Today’s Managing Partner Elite.
Joseph Kirkpatrick, president and managing partner at Kirkpatrick Price, holds the CISA, CGEIT, CRISC and QSA certifications as a certified specialist in data security, IT governance, and regulatory compliance. He has delivered auditing and security assessment services for more than 14 years.
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:
