The Craziest Work-From-Home Expenses of 2020

Posted on December 4, 2020 by Michael Cohn

From time to time GovEvents will come across information we feel our members and audience would benefit from. Here's something we wanted to share that was originally posted on Accounting Today.

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.

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."

Check out the infographic produced by Emburse showing this and several other head-scratching claims!

Are you seeking government, military or technology related white papers, infographics, case studies, ebooks or data sheets? We've gathered the latest and most relevant content for you on GovWhitePapers. Check it out!