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.
Jay Nisberg, Ph.D., is a leading management consultant to the CPA community. For the past 20 years, Jay has been named one of Accounting Today's Top 100 Most Influential People in public accounting. Reach him at jaynisberg@gmail.com.
Alan Grad is chairman and CEO of American Business. The firm was founded in 1967 and serves as a high-end insurance resource to CPA and law firms, risk management firms, financial advisors, and sports/entertainment agencies. Reach him at agrad@americanbusiness.com.
Allison Velez is Chief People Officer for Paladina Health, one of the country's largest providers of direct primary care. Paladina Health partners with employers and unions to provide healthcare solutions that minimize costs, enhance access to quality care, and improve employee health outcomes.
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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:
