How to Make an Expense Report for Work That Gets Approved
To make an expense report for work, collect an itemized receipt for every cost. List each expense with its date, merchant, category, business purpose and amount, then total it. Attach the receipts and submit everything in the format your employer asks for, usually a PDF, a spreadsheet or an entry in their expense tool.
The job takes a few minutes if you capture receipts as you go. It takes a whole evening if you wait until the end of the month and start digging through your bag. The details below decide whether your report is approved on the first try or sent back.
What does a work expense report need to include?
Every company has its own template, but finance teams look for the same information. If your employer has no template, a simple spreadsheet with these columns works.
- Your details: name, department, manager, and employee ID if you have one.
- The period or trip: "Chicago client visit, March 4–6" is more useful than "March expenses."
- One line per expense: date, merchant, category (airfare, lodging, meals, mileage, supplies), business purpose and amount.
- Tax shown separately, if your company asks for it.
- How it was paid: personal card, cash or company card. Company card charges often go on the report too, but they aren't paid back to you.
- Totals: a grand total and the amount owed to you.
- The receipts, in the same order as the lines.
Here is a short trip laid out properly:
| Date | Merchant | Category | Business purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 4 | United Airlines | Airfare | Round trip to Chicago, Acme project kickoff | $312.40 |
| Mar 4 | Uber | Ground transport | O'Hare to hotel | $27.85 |
| Mar 4–6 | Hilton | Lodging | 2 nights, kickoff meetings | $389.16 |
| Mar 5 | Restaurant | Client meal | Dinner with J. Park and L. Ortiz (Acme), project scope | $84.20 |
| Mar 6 | Uber | Ground transport | Hotel to O'Hare | $31.10 |
| Total | $844.71 |
Look at the business purpose column. "Dinner" tells your manager nothing. "Dinner with J. Park and L. Ortiz (Acme), project scope" tells them why the company is paying. It is also the first thing an auditor would ask for.
What kind of receipts does your employer need?
Almost always, an itemized receipt. That is the one listing what you bought, not the card slip with a total and a tip line. A card slip showing $84.20 doesn't prove there was no bottle of wine your policy excludes. The itemized bill does.
A usable receipt shows:
- the merchant's name and address
- the date
- each item and its price
- the tax
- the total and the payment method (the last four digits of the card are enough)
For hotels, ask for the folio at checkout. That is the final detailed bill that breaks out the room rate, taxes and extras. A booking confirmation doesn't prove you stayed. For flights, keep the e-ticket receipt with the fare, not just the itinerary.
Most employers accept photos or scans, and the IRS accepts electronic records as long as they are legible and complete. Thermal paper fades within months, so a clear image taken on the day is often more useful than the original by the time anyone looks at it. Check whether your company also wants the paper kept.
How do you make an expense report, step by step?
- Read your company's policy. Look for spending limits, per diem rates, items that aren't reimbursed (alcohol, seat upgrades and the minibar are common ones), the submission deadline and the format they want.
- Capture each receipt the day you get it. Scan the receipt with ScanTicket: the total, the tax and the date are read for you, you check them and correct anything in one tap, and the receipt is filed in a category. Do it at the table before you leave the restaurant and you never have a missing receipt.
- Write the business purpose right away. One line: who, what, why. On day 25 you won't remember why you took a $31 Uber on a Tuesday.
- Group by trip or project. Put expenses that belong together on one report and leave personal ones out. If a hotel bill mixes both, mark the personal charges and subtract them.
- Convert foreign currency. Use the rate shown on your card statement, or the rate your policy names, and keep the original amount visible on the line.
- Log mileage separately. Record the date, start and end points, purpose and miles. Multiply by your company's rate. Many US employers use the IRS standard mileage rate, which changes, so check the current figure.
- Total and reconcile. Add up each category and the grand total. Compare against your card statement so nothing is missing or counted twice.
- Export and attach. Send your manager a PDF with the summary and the receipt images, and finance a CSV if they paste lines into Excel or their system. ScanTicket exports both from the receipts you filed for that month or category.
- Submit and keep a copy. Note the date you sent it. If the money doesn't arrive in the usual cycle, you have something to point to.
Done this way, the report for a three-day trip takes about ten minutes. The real work happened each time you scanned a receipt.
How should you handle sales tax, VAT or GST?
It depends on where you work, and it matters more outside the US.
In the US, sales tax is simply part of the cost. Report the total you paid. Some companies ask for tax on its own line for their books, but you are reimbursed the full amount either way. Hotel bills often carry several taxes (state, city, occupancy), and the folio lists them all.
In the UK, Canada and Australia, an employer registered for VAT or GST may be able to reclaim the tax on business costs, but only with a valid VAT receipt or tax invoice. That is why finance teams there insist on full receipts. A card slip without the supplier's registration number can cost the company its tax refund, even if they still pay you back.
| Country | Tax | What finance usually needs |
|---|---|---|
| US | Sales tax | Itemized receipt; tax line helpful |
| UK | VAT | VAT receipt showing the supplier's VAT number and the VAT amount |
| Canada | GST/HST, plus PST or QST in some provinces | Receipt showing the supplier's GST/HST registration number |
| Australia | GST | Tax invoice showing the supplier's ABN |
Thresholds and the exact rules for a valid invoice differ by country and change over time. If you aren't sure, check with your finance team or the tax authority (IRS, HMRC, CRA or the ATO).
Why do expense reports get rejected?
Most reports bounce for small, avoidable reasons. These are the ones finance teams see all the time.
| Reason | Fix |
|---|---|
| Card slip instead of an itemized receipt | Ask for the itemized bill before you leave, or email the merchant for a copy |
| No business purpose | Add one line: who, what, why |
| Meal attendees not listed | Name each person and their company |
| Excluded item claimed | Remove alcohol, minibar or upgrades if your policy excludes them |
| Over a limit or per diem | Claim only up to the limit, or attach the pre-approval |
| Duplicate expense | Check that a company card charge isn't also claimed as a personal one |
| Faded, blurry or cropped receipt | Scan on the day; make sure the date and total are readable |
| Submitted late | File monthly, or within a week of each trip |
| Currency not converted or not explained | Show the original amount and the rate you used |
What if you lost a receipt?
It happens to everyone. Try these, in this order:
- Check online accounts. Airlines, hotels, Uber, Lyft and Amazon keep receipts in your account history. Download the PDF.
- Contact the merchant. Many restaurants and stores can reprint or email a receipt if you give them the date, time and card's last four digits.
- Use the missing receipt form. Most companies have one: a signed statement with the date, merchant, amount and purpose, plus your card statement line. Some only allow it below a certain amount.
Don't let it become a habit. Repeated missing receipts get flagged, and the same reports start getting extra scrutiny.
When should you submit it, and is the reimbursement taxed?
Submit as soon as the trip or month ends. Many companies set a window of 30 to 60 days, so check yours. Late reports may be refused outright.
In the US, the deadline isn't only an internal rule. Under an IRS accountable plan, reimbursements are generally not taxable income when you back up each expense and return any unused advance within a reasonable time. Miss those conditions and the payment can end up treated as wages. Your payroll or HR team can confirm how your company's plan works. Rules in the UK, Canada and Australia differ, so check with your employer there too.
The simplest routine is the one that actually holds up: scan each receipt the moment you get it, note the purpose, and export the report when the trip ends. ScanTicket handles the scanning and the export on iPhone and Android if you want the receipts in one place when it's time to file.
Frequently asked questions
Can I submit photos of receipts instead of the paper originals?
Most employers accept clear photos or scans, and the IRS accepts electronic records if they are legible and complete. Some companies still ask you to keep the paper, so check your policy.
Is a credit card statement enough as a receipt?
Usually not on its own. A statement shows the amount but not what you bought, so most companies want an itemized receipt and accept the statement only with a missing receipt form.
How soon should I submit a work expense report?
As soon as the trip or month ends. Many companies set a 30 to 60 day deadline, and late reports can be refused, so check your company's policy.
Do I include company card expenses on my report?
Often yes, because finance needs the receipt and business purpose for every charge. Those lines are marked as company-paid, so they aren't reimbursed to you.
Should I include sales tax in the amount I claim?
In the US, claim the full amount you paid, tax included. Some employers ask you to show the tax on a separate line, and in the UK, Canada and Australia a proper VAT or GST receipt is usually required.
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