Expense Report
Overview
This skill helps you organize business expenses into clear, categorized reports suitable for reimbursement requests, accounting, and tax preparation.
Use Cases:
- Creating expense reimbursement reports
- Organizing receipts for tax preparation
- Categorizing business expenses
- Summarizing travel expenses
- Preparing monthly/quarterly expense summaries
How to Use
- Provide your expense information (receipts, transactions, or descriptions)
- Specify the purpose (reimbursement, tax prep, budget tracking)
- Tell me your expense categories or policies
- I'll create a structured expense report
Example prompts:
- "Create an expense report from these receipts for my business trip"
- "Categorize and summarize my expenses for the month"
- "Format these expenses for reimbursement"
- "Help me organize my freelance business expenses for taxes"
Expense Report Templates
Standard Reimbursement Report
# Expense Report
**Employee:** [Name]
**Department:** [Department]
**Report Period:** [Start Date] - [End Date]
**Purpose:** [Business trip / Project / General]
**Submission Date:** [Date]
## Summary
| Category | Amount |
|----------|--------|
| Transportation | $XXX.XX |
| Lodging | $XXX.XX |
| Meals | $XXX.XX |
| Other | $XXX.XX |
| **Total** | **$XXX.XX** |
## Expense Details
### Transportation
| Date | Description | Vendor | Amount | Receipt |
|------|-------------|--------|--------|---------|
| [Date] | [Description] | [Vendor] | $XX.XX | ✓ |
### Lodging
| Date | Description | Vendor | Amount | Receipt |
|------|-------------|--------|--------|---------|
| [Date] | [Hotel name] | [Vendor] | $XX.XX | ✓ |
### Meals & Entertainment
| Date | Description | Attendees | Business Purpose | Amount | Receipt |
|------|-------------|-----------|------------------|--------|---------|
| [Date] | [Restaurant] | [Names] | [Purpose] | $XX.XX | ✓ |
### Other Expenses
| Date | Description | Category | Amount | Receipt |
|------|-------------|----------|--------|---------|
| [Date] | [Description] | [Category] | $XX.XX | ✓ |
## Approvals
- [ ] Employee Signature: _____________ Date: _______
- [ ] Manager Approval: _____________ Date: _______
- [ ] Finance Approval: _____________ Date: _______
## Notes
[Any additional context or explanations]
Travel Expense Report
# Travel Expense Report
**Traveler:** [Name]
**Trip Dates:** [Start] - [End]
**Destination:** [City, Country]
**Business Purpose:** [Reason for travel]
## Trip Summary
- **Duration:** [X] days
- **Total Expenses:** $X,XXX.XX
- **Per Diem Allowance:** $XXX.XX
- **Variance:** +/- $XX.XX
## Pre-Trip Expenses
| Item | Vendor | Amount | Date Paid |
|------|--------|--------|-----------|
| Flight | [Airline] | $XXX.XX | [Date] |
| Hotel Booking | [Hotel] | $XXX.XX | [Date] |
| Conference Registration | [Event] | $XXX.XX | [Date] |
## Daily Expenses
### Day 1 - [Date]
| Category | Description | Amount |
|----------|-------------|--------|
| Transport | Airport taxi | $XX.XX |
| Meals | Dinner | $XX.XX |
| **Day Total** | | **$XX.XX** |
### Day 2 - [Date]
| Category | Description | Amount |
|----------|-------------|--------|
| Meals | Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner | $XX.XX |
| Transport | Uber to meeting | $XX.XX |
| **Day Total** | | **$XX.XX** |
## Expense by Category
| Category | Amount | % of Total |
|----------|--------|------------|
| Airfare | $XXX.XX | XX% |
| Lodging | $XXX.XX | XX% |
| Ground Transport | $XXX.XX | XX% |
| Meals | $XXX.XX | XX% |
| Other | $XXX.XX | XX% |
| **Total** | **$X,XXX.XX** | 100% |
## Receipt Checklist
- [ ] Flight confirmation/receipt
- [ ] Hotel invoice
- [ ] Ground transportation receipts
- [ ] Meal receipts over $[threshold]
- [ ] Other expense receipts
Monthly Expense Summary
# Monthly Expense Summary
**Period:** [Month Year]
**Prepared by:** [Name]
**Business:** [Business Name]
## Overview
| Metric | Amount |
|--------|--------|
| Total Expenses | $X,XXX.XX |
| vs Last Month | +/-XX% |
| vs Budget | +/-XX% |
## Expenses by Category
### Operating Expenses
| Category | Amount | Budget | Variance |
|----------|--------|--------|----------|
| Rent/Utilities | $XXX.XX | $XXX.XX | $XX.XX |
| Software/Subscriptions | $XXX.XX | $XXX.XX | $XX.XX |
| Office Supplies | $XXX.XX | $XXX.XX | $XX.XX |
### Professional Services
| Category | Amount | Budget | Variance |
|----------|--------|--------|----------|
| Legal | $XXX.XX | $XXX.XX | $XX.XX |
| Accounting | $XXX.XX | $XXX.XX | $XX.XX |
| Consulting | $XXX.XX | $XXX.XX | $XX.XX |
### Marketing & Sales
| Category | Amount | Budget | Variance |
|----------|--------|--------|----------|
| Advertising | $XXX.XX | $XXX.XX | $XX.XX |
| Events | $XXX.XX | $XXX.XX | $XX.XX |
| Travel | $XXX.XX | $XXX.XX | $XX.XX |
## Top 10 Expenses
| Rank | Date | Description | Category | Amount |
|------|------|-------------|----------|--------|
| 1 | [Date] | [Description] | [Category] | $XXX.XX |
| 2 | [Date] | [Description] | [Category] | $XXX.XX |
## Notes & Anomalies
- [Explanation for any unusual expenses]
- [Budget variance explanations]
Expense Categories
Common Business Categories
| Category |
Examples |
Tax Deductible |
| Travel |
Flights, hotels, car rentals |
Usually yes |
| Meals & Entertainment |
Client dinners, team lunches |
50-100% |
| Transportation |
Taxi, Uber, parking, mileage |
Yes |
| Office Supplies |
Paper, pens, printer ink |
Yes |
| Software & Subscriptions |
SaaS tools, apps |
Yes |
| Professional Development |
Courses, books, conferences |
Usually yes |
| Communication |
Phone, internet |
Partial |
| Professional Services |
Legal, accounting |
Yes |
| Marketing |
Ads, promotional materials |
Yes |
| Equipment |
Computer, office furniture |
Depreciated |
IRS Category Alignment (US)
| IRS Category |
Description |
| Advertising |
Marketing and promotional |
| Car and Truck |
Vehicle expenses |
| Commissions |
Payments to contractors |
| Contract Labor |
Freelancer payments |
| Depreciation |
Asset depreciation |
| Insurance |
Business insurance |
| Interest |
Business loan interest |
| Legal and Professional |
Attorney, CPA fees |
| Office Expense |
General office |
| Rent |
Workspace rental |
| Repairs |
Equipment maintenance |
| Supplies |
Business supplies |
| Taxes and Licenses |
Business taxes |
| Travel |
Business travel |
| Meals |
Business meals (50%) |
| Utilities |
Business utilities |
Processing Guidelines
Receipt Requirements
- Keep receipts for: All expenses over $25 (US) or local threshold
- Required info: Date, vendor, amount, payment method
- Meals: Include attendees and business purpose
- Missing receipts: Note explanation in report
Currency Conversion
- Use exchange rate from date of expense
- Document rate source (bank, XE.com, etc.)
- Keep in original currency + converted amount
Mileage Calculation
- Current IRS rate (2024): $0.67/mile (verify current rate)
- Document: Date, destination, purpose, miles
- Use odometer readings or mapping app
Output Format
# Expense Report
**Period:** [Dates]
**Total:** $X,XXX.XX
## Summary by Category
[Category breakdown table]
## Detailed Expenses
[Line items with all required info]
## Missing/Notes
[Any issues to address]
Limitations
- Cannot scan or read receipt images directly
- Tax advice should be verified with a professional
- Exchange rates should be verified for accuracy
- Company policies may have specific requirements
- Cannot submit reports to your expense system
Examples
Example: Quick Expense Organization
Input:
uber to airport $45
flight to NYC $380
hotel 2 nights $420
dinner with client john from acme $125
coffee and breakfast $35
uber to meetings $28
lunch meeting $65
return flight $395
uber home $42
Output:
Travel Expense Report
Trip: NYC Client Visit
Dates: [Dates based on context]
Purpose: Client meeting with Acme Corp
Summary
| Category |
Amount |
| Airfare |
$775.00 |
| Lodging |
$420.00 |
| Ground Transportation |
$115.00 |
| Meals & Entertainment |
$225.00 |
| Total |
$1,535.00 |
Detailed Expenses
Airfare
| Date |
Description |
Amount |
Receipt |
| [Day 1] |
Flight to NYC |
$380.00 |
Needed |
| [Day 3] |
Return flight |
$395.00 |
Needed |
| Subtotal |
|
$775.00 |
|
Lodging
| Date |
Description |
Amount |
Receipt |
| [Day 1-2] |
Hotel (2 nights) |
$420.00 |
Needed |
Ground Transportation
| Date |
Description |
Amount |
Receipt |
| [Day 1] |
Uber to airport |
$45.00 |
✓ App |
| [Day 2] |
Uber to meetings |
$28.00 |
✓ App |
| [Day 3] |
Uber to home |
$42.00 |
✓ App |
| Subtotal |
|
$115.00 |
|
Meals & Entertainment
| Date |
Description |
Attendees |
Purpose |
Amount |
Receipt |
| [Day 1] |
Client dinner |
John (Acme) |
Account review |
$125.00 |
Needed |
| [Day 2] |
Breakfast/coffee |
Self |
Working meal |
$35.00 |
Optional |
| [Day 2] |
Lunch meeting |
[TBD] |
[Purpose] |
$65.00 |
Needed |
| Subtotal |
|
|
|
$225.00 |
|
Action Items