Expense Reports

Expense reports capture and document business expenses for approval and reimbursement. This guide covers creating, managing, and submitting expense reports.

Overview

Expense reports enable you to:

• Create expense claims
• Capture receipts
• Categorize expenses
• Track spending
• Submit for approval
• Monitor reimbursement

Accessing Expense Reports

Navigate to Expenses → My Expenses or Expenses → New Report.

Understanding Expense Reports

Report Components

Component	Description
Header	Report details
Line Items	Individual expenses
Receipts	Supporting documentation
Totals	Amount summaries
Approvals	Approval status

Report Status

Status	Description
Draft	Being prepared
Submitted	Awaiting approval
Approved	Accepted
Rejected	Denied
Returned	Needs revision
Paid	Reimbursed

Expense Types

Type	Description	Examples
Out-of-Pocket	Personal payment	Cash, personal card
Corporate Card	Company card	P-card transactions
Per Diem	Fixed allowance	Daily meal allowance
Mileage	Vehicle use	Personal car for business

Creating Reports

Starting a New Report

1. Go to Expenses → New Report
2. Enter header details:

Field	Description
Purpose	Business reason
Project	If project-related
Trip	If travel-related
Department	Cost center

3. Add expense lines
4. Attach receipts
5. Save or submit

Adding Expenses

For each expense:

• Date incurred
• Category
• Description
• Amount
• Currency
• Receipt

How-To Guides

How to Create an Expense Report

Basic Report

1. Start Report

   • Click New Report
   • Enter purpose: "Q1 Sales Conference"
   • Select department
   • Add date range

2. Add Expenses

   • Click Add Expense
   • Fill in details
   • Attach receipt
   • Repeat for each expense

3. Review

   • Check all entries
   • Verify receipts attached
   • Review totals
   • Check policy compliance

4. Submit

   • Click Submit
   • Report routes to approver

Report Example

Expense Report: EXP-2026-042
Purpose: Q1 Sales Conference - Chicago
Employee: Sarah Johnson
Period: Jan 15-17, 2026

Expenses:
┌────────────┬─────────────────┬──────────┬─────────┐
│ Date       │ Description     │ Category │ Amount  │
├────────────┼─────────────────┼──────────┼─────────┤
│ Jan 15     │ Flight ORD      │ Travel   │ $385.00 │
│ Jan 15-17  │ Marriott (2 nt) │ Lodging  │ $420.00 │
│ Jan 15     │ Airport parking │ Travel   │ $45.00  │
│ Jan 15     │ Dinner - client │ Meals    │ $125.00 │
│ Jan 16     │ Conference fee  │ Training │ $299.00 │
│ Jan 16     │ Taxi to venue   │ Travel   │ $35.00  │
│ Jan 17     │ Lunch meeting   │ Meals    │ $68.00  │
└────────────┴─────────────────┴──────────┴─────────┘
                                    Total: $1,377.00

Receipts: 7 attached
Status: Submitted - Pending Approval

How to Capture Receipts

Receipt Requirements

Type	Required
All expenses >$25	Yes
Meals with clients	Yes (with attendees)
Under $25	Policy dependent
Per diem	No

Capture Methods

1. Mobile App

   • Open expense app
   • Tap camera icon
   • Photograph receipt
   • Auto-extracts data

2. Desktop Upload

   • Click Attach Receipt
   • Select file
   • Upload image/PDF

3. Email Forward

   • Forward receipt to [email protected]
   • Auto-links to expense

Receipt Tips

• Clear, readable image
• Complete receipt shown
• Date visible
• Amount visible
• Vendor name visible

How to Handle Different Expense Types

Travel Expenses

Airfare, train, car rental:

• Book through approved channels
• Keep all receipts
• Note business purpose
• Include itinerary

Lodging Expenses

Hotel, short-term rental:

• Itemized folio required
• Note check-in/out dates
• Separate personal charges
• Include confirmation

Meal Expenses

Business meals:

• Itemized receipt
• List attendees
• Note business purpose
• Follow per-person limits

Mileage Claims

Personal vehicle use:

• Enter start/end locations
• System calculates miles
• Auto-applies rate
• Business purpose required

Mileage Claim:
From: Office - 123 Main St
To: Client Site - 456 Oak Ave
Distance: 45 miles
Rate: $0.67/mile
Total: $30.15

How to Submit Expense Reports

Submission Checklist

Before submitting:

• [ ] All expenses entered
• [ ] Receipts attached
• [ ] Categories correct
• [ ] Policy compliant
• [ ] Descriptions clear
• [ ] Totals verified

Submit Process

1. Open report
2. Click Submit for Approval
3. Confirm submission
4. Report routes to approver
5. Receive confirmation

After Submission

Track your report:

• View approval status
• See approver comments
• Monitor progress
• Receive notifications

How to Edit and Correct Reports

Draft Reports

Edit freely:

1. Open report
2. Make changes
3. Save updates

Submitted Reports

Recall if needed:

1. Open report
2. Click Recall
3. Report returns to draft
4. Make corrections
5. Resubmit

Returned Reports

Fix issues:

1. Review return comments
2. Make required changes
3. Add documentation
4. Resubmit

How to Handle Corporate Card Expenses

Card Transactions

Corporate card charges:

1. Transactions import automatically
2. Review transactions
3. Add to expense report
4. Attach receipts
5. Provide descriptions

Reconciliation

Match card charges:

• System shows unreconciled items
• Select transactions to include
• Attach supporting docs
• Submit with report

How to Track Expense Reports

My Expenses View

See all your reports:

• Draft reports
• Submitted reports
• Approved reports
• Reimbursement status

Report Timeline

Track progress:

Created: Jan 18, 9:00 AM
Submitted: Jan 18, 4:30 PM
Manager Approved: Jan 19, 10:15 AM
Finance Approved: Jan 20, 2:45 PM
Scheduled for Payment: Jan 25

Status Notifications

Receive alerts for:

• Approval decisions
• Return for revision
• Reimbursement scheduled
• Payment processed

Advanced Features

Expense Templates

Reuse common patterns:

• Create template from report
• Apply to new report
• Modify as needed
• Save time on recurring trips

Split Expenses

Divide across:

• Multiple projects
• Multiple cost centers
• Multiple categories
• Percentage or amount

Multi-Currency

International expenses:

• Enter in local currency
• Auto-convert to base
• Exchange rate tracking
• Currency gain/loss

Delegation

Submit for others:

• Delegate entry
• On-behalf submissions
• Assistant access
• Manager review

Best Practices

📝 Entry

• Enter promptly
• Accurate details
• Clear descriptions
• Proper categories

📷 Documentation

• Quality receipts
• Complete information
• Business justification
• Attendee details

📋 Compliance

• Know policies
• Stay within limits
• Pre-approve when needed
• Honest reporting

⏰ Timing

• Submit regularly
• Don't accumulate
• Meet deadlines
• Respond quickly to queries

Configuration

Report Settings

Navigate to Settings → Expenses → Reports:

• Numbering - Report ID format
• Required Fields - Mandatory info
• Categories - Expense types
• Limits - Amount thresholds

Receipt Settings

• Required Threshold - When required
• Accepted Formats - File types
• Size Limits - Max file size
• OCR - Auto-extraction

Submission Settings

• Deadlines - Submission windows
• Reminders - Notification timing
• Auto-Submit - Scheduled submission

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Cannot add expense

• Check required fields
• Verify category available
• Review date limits
• Check permissions

Receipt not uploading

• Check file size
• Verify format supported
• Try different browser
• Reduce image size

Cannot submit report

• Check policy violations
• Verify all receipts
• Review required fields
• Check spending limits

Report returned

• Read approver comments
• Make requested changes
• Add documentation
• Resubmit

Next Steps

Learn about Expense Policies to understand spending rules and compliance requirements.