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.
Celiza (Lisa) Bragança, a former SEC branch chief, is a co-author of the study, a Board member of the PIABA Foundation, and a Chicago area attorney at Bragança Law.
Jason Doss is the president of the PIABA Foundation and an Atlanta area attorney.
Ron Kral, CPA, CMA, CGMA, is a partner of Kral Ussery LLC, a public accounting firm delivering SEC and accounting advisory services, litigation support, and internal audits. He is a member of four of the five COSO sponsoring organizations; the American Institute of CPAs, FEI, the Institute of Internal Auditors, and the Institute of Management Accountants. Reach him at RKral@KralUssery.com.
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:
