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 charitable partner of the Illinois CPA Society is providing 16 laptops to local accounting students who are in need of technology at home following school closures.
Ryan VanderVelden is a manager with KBKG specializing in cost segregation and fixed asset services. He has over four years of experience conducting cost segregation studies, fixed asset reviews, repairs/maintenance cost analyses, and retirement studies.
Malik Javed is a principal and oversees engineering operations for cost segregation projects at KBKG. He is a certified member of the American Society of Cost Segregation Professionals (ASCSP) and is currently a member of the ASCSP Technical Standards Committee. Since joining KBKG in 2004, he has performed thousands of cost segregation studies for clients in various industries, regularly reviewed architectural and engineering drawings and construction cost budgets. He has provided continuing professional education to hundreds of CPAs across the country on various real estate tax issues. He has also successfully represented KBKG’s clients in an IRS audit.
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:
