Expense Policy Skill
A good expense policy answers the questions people actually have — "can I expense this, how much, and how do I
get paid back?" — before they have to ask. This skill writes a clear, fair policy with category limits and a
simple process, so employees spend confidently and finance isn't chasing receipts.
Note: this is a drafting aid, not tax, legal, or accounting advice. Tax treatment of reimbursements,
per-diem rules, and what's deductible vary by jurisdiction — have it reviewed by finance/an accountant. Set
the amounts to your company's actual budget.
Working from a brief
Given "an expense policy for a 50-person startup", produce the full policy anyway — use sensible,
clearly-labelled default limits (set your amount) and a standard process, marking company-specific choices.
Never present limits or tax treatment as authoritative; flag them to set/confirm.
Required Inputs
Ask for these only if they aren't already provided (else use a labelled default):
- Company context — size, remote/office, and how generous/lean the culture is.
- Categories — what's commonly expensed (travel, meals, software, home office, client entertainment).
- Limits & approvals — any existing per-category limits and who approves what.
- Process & tools — how expenses are submitted (tool/spreadsheet), reimbursement method, and timelines.
Output Format
Expense & Reimbursement Policy
- Purpose & principles — the spirit (spend as if it's your own money; reasonable, business-related), in a line or two.
- What's reimbursable — by category, with limits (set your amount):
| Category |
What's covered |
Limit / guidance |
Approval |
| Travel (flights/hotels) |
… |
e.g. economy; $X/night |
manager |
| Meals |
business meals |
$X/day or per-meal |
manager |
| Software/tools |
work subscriptions |
up to $X |
manager/IT |
| Home office |
equipment |
$X one-time |
manager |
- What's not reimbursable — the clear exclusions (personal items, alcohol policy, fines, etc.).
- Approval — who approves, and the threshold where extra sign-off is needed.
- How to submit — the step-by-step (receipts required over $X, submit within N days, the tool used).
- Reimbursement — method and timeline (e.g. next payroll / within N days).
- Travel specifics — booking process, per-diems if used, and advances.
- Misuse — what happens if the policy is abused.
Mark all amounts (set your amount) and add a note to confirm tax treatment with finance.
Quality Checks
Anti-Patterns
Based On
Finance-operations practice — clear, category-based expense policies with limits, approval workflow, and a simple submission/reimbursement process.
1---2name: expense-policy3description: Write a clear company expense & reimbursement policy. Use when asked to write an expense policy, a reimbursement policy, a travel & expense (T&E) policy, or spending guidelines. Produces a practical policy — what's covered, limits by category, the approval and submission process, timelines, and what's not reimbursable — that's fair, easy to follow, and reduces finance back-and-forth. Not tax/legal advice.4---5
6# Expense Policy Skill
7
8A good expense policy answers the questions people actually have — "can I expense this, how much, and how do I
9get paid back?" — before they have to ask. This skill writes a clear, fair policy with category limits and a
10simple process, so employees spend confidently and finance isn't chasing receipts.
11
12> **Note:** this is a drafting aid, **not tax, legal, or accounting advice**. Tax treatment of reimbursements,
13> per-diem rules, and what's deductible vary by jurisdiction — have it reviewed by finance/an accountant. Set
14> the amounts to your company's actual budget.
15
16## Working from a brief
17
18Given "an expense policy for a 50-person startup", **produce the full policy anyway** — use sensible,
19clearly-labelled default limits *(set your amount)* and a standard process, marking company-specific choices.
20Never present limits or tax treatment as authoritative; flag them to set/confirm.
21
22## Required Inputs
23
24Ask for these only if they aren't already provided (else use a labelled default):
25
26- **Company context** — size, remote/office, and how generous/lean the culture is.
27- **Categories** — what's commonly expensed (travel, meals, software, home office, client entertainment).
28- **Limits & approvals** — any existing per-category limits and who approves what.
29- **Process & tools** — how expenses are submitted (tool/spreadsheet), reimbursement method, and timelines.
30
31## Output Format
32
33### Expense & Reimbursement Policy
34
35- **Purpose & principles** — the spirit (spend as if it's your own money; reasonable, business-related), in a line or two.
36- **What's reimbursable** — by category, with **limits** *(set your amount)*:
37
38| Category | What's covered | Limit / guidance | Approval |
39|---|---|---|---|
40| Travel (flights/hotels) | … | e.g. economy; $X/night | manager |
41| Meals | business meals | $X/day or per-meal | manager |
42| Software/tools | work subscriptions | up to $X | manager/IT |
43| Home office | equipment | $X one-time | manager |
44
45- **What's not reimbursable** — the clear exclusions (personal items, alcohol policy, fines, etc.).
46- **Approval** — who approves, and the threshold where extra sign-off is needed.
47- **How to submit** — the step-by-step (receipts required over $X, submit within N days, the tool used).
48- **Reimbursement** — method and timeline (e.g. next payroll / within N days).
49- **Travel specifics** — booking process, per-diems if used, and advances.
50- **Misuse** — what happens if the policy is abused.
51
52Mark all amounts *(set your amount)* and add a note to confirm tax treatment with finance.
53
54## Quality Checks
55
56- [ ] Each common category has clear coverage and a limit (or a labelled placeholder)
57- [ ] The approval thresholds and approvers are explicit
58- [ ] The submission process (receipts, deadlines, tool) is step-by-step
59- [ ] Reimbursement method and timeline are stated
60- [ ] Non-reimbursable items and misuse consequences are covered
61- [ ] Amounts and tax treatment are flagged to set/confirm, not asserted
62
63## Anti-Patterns
64
65- [ ] Do not leave limits vague ("reasonable") with no number or guidance — that creates the disputes
66- [ ] Do not bury the process — people need to know exactly how to get paid back
67- [ ] Do not assert tax/per-diem rules as fact — flag for finance to confirm by jurisdiction
68- [ ] Do not omit what's *not* covered — the exclusions prevent the awkward conversations
69- [ ] Do not make it so strict it signals distrust, or so loose it has no teeth — aim for fair and clear
70
71## Based On
72
73Finance-operations practice — clear, category-based expense policies with limits, approval workflow, and a simple submission/reimbursement process.
Mohit Aggarwal