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.
Robert Mancini is head of U.S. payments for Finastra.
Jeremy King is principal and co-founder of Crafted ERP. He began his career in investment banking and corporate development where he focused on the technology and manufacturing industries. He went on to hold senior executive roles in the finance, e-commerce, and software industries, including as the CFO of a publicly traded software company. Eventually, he took over the national technology and management consulting practice of a Top 20 CPA firm where he learned the intricacies of the craft beverage industry and identified a desperate need for modern technology solutions. He co-founded Crafted ERP in 2017 as a solution for breweries, wineries, distilleries and more.
David Erdman is a managing director at Baker Tilly Municipal Advisors after retiring from a nearly 30-year career as issuer for the state of Wisconsin.
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:
