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.
Stewart A. Grubman is the partner-in-charge of the Bethesda, Maryland, office of Top 100 Firm PKF O’Connor Davies and has over 35 years of experience in public accounting. His main focus is on auditing and tax services for affordable and special needs housing. He is a specialist in insured and subsidized multifamily housing with expertise in the areas of Syndicated Lower Tier and Upper Tier Partnerships, Low-Income Housing Tax Credits , HUD, RD, and state-financed housing programs. In addition, he is nationally recognized as a lecturer on HUD and LIHTC audit-related topics.
Ryan Kimbro is a director at Riveron.
Chief Executive Officer & President, Triton Benefits & HR Solutions
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:
