Getting Reimbursed Faster
Handing your manager a crumpled pile of receipts and saying "The company owes me three hundred dollars" is the fastest way to get your reimbursement delayed. Accounting departments deal with strict tax regulations, and they need a clean, itemized expense report template to legally justify paying you back.
By categorizing your expenses (like grouping meals separately from flights), you save your finance team hours of data entry. The easier you make their job, the faster that money hits your bank account.
How to Build the Perfect Expense Report
To ensure your report is approved on the first try, follow these best practices when filling out the generator:
- Group by Project or Trip. If you traveled to a conference, submit all expenses for that specific trip on one report. Don't mix them with your monthly office supply purchases. Mention the trip details in the notes section.
- Be Specific with Descriptions. Writing "Lunch" isn't enough. Write "Client lunch with John Doe from Acme Corp." Auditors love specific business purposes.
- Never Round Up. Enter the exact amount down to the cent as it appears on your receipt. If your report says $40.00 but the receipt says $39.52, accounting will flag it.
- Match It with Your Receipts. After you generate and print your PDF, staple the physical receipts in the exact chronological order they appear on the report.
Managing Other Business Documents
Expense reports are strictly for internal employees claiming back money they spent on behalf of the company. If you are an independent contractor charging a client for travel expenses, you should not use this form. Instead, you should add those expenses directly to a standard invoice and bill them alongside your labor.
If you charge strictly by the hour and need to justify the labor costs associated with a business trip, a timesheet invoice template will help you break down exactly how you spent your time.
If an employee spends their own money buying inventory for the company rather than travel expenses, you might need to officially issue a purchase order after the fact to formally log the procurement of those goods in your system. And once the reimbursement is paid out, providing a payment receipt can help close the loop for your own records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an expense report used for?
An expense report is a document used by employees to itemize business-related costs they paid out of pocket. It is submitted to the accounting department or their manager to request financial reimbursement.
How do I fill out this expense report?
Input your name and department. Then, log each individual expense chronologically. Select the correct category (like Travel, Meals, or Lodging), describe the expense, and input the amount. The tool will calculate the total reimbursement automatically.
Do I still need to submit receipts with this report?
Yes. An expense report acts as a cover sheet summarizing the costs. You should download this PDF, print it, and staple your physical receipts to the back of it before handing it to your manager.
Is an expense report the same as an invoice?
No. An expense report is used internally within a company for employee reimbursements. An invoice is sent externally to clients to request payment for goods or services.
Is there a limit to how many expenses I can add?
No, you can add as many line items as you need. Generate and download unlimited expense reports entirely for free.