# Expense Policy > Creates corporate expense policies with spending limits, approval workflows, and reimbursement procedures. Use when establishing rules for business spending and reimbursements. - Skill: `reaperinvest/expense-policy` (Agent Skill) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add reaperinvest/expense-policy` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/reaperinvest/expense-policy/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Coding & Dev Tools - Author: reaperinvest (https://skillmd.com/u/reaperinvest) - Updated: 2026-09-22 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/reaperinvest/expense-policy --- # Expense Policy ## When to Use This Skill Use this skill when you need to: - Create an expense reimbursement policy for your team or company - Define spending limits, approval workflows, and acceptable expenses - Establish receipt requirements and reimbursement timelines - Document travel, meals, and entertainment expense rules **DO NOT** use this skill for budgeting (use budget-planner), accounting setup (use bookkeeping-setup), or personal expense tracking. This is for company expense policies. --- ## Core Principle A GOOD EXPENSE POLICY EMPOWERS EMPLOYEES TO SPEND WISELY WITHOUT ASKING PERMISSION FOR EVERY COFFEE — CLEAR LIMITS, SIMPLE RULES, FAST REIMBURSEMENT. --- ## Phase 1: Company Context ### Required Inputs | Input | What to Ask | Default | |-------|------------|---------| | **Company size** | "How many people will this policy cover?" | 1-10 | | **Team structure** | "Who approves expenses? (founder, managers, self-approval under threshold)" | Founder approves all | | **Common expenses** | "What do people typically expense? (software, travel, meals, supplies)" | Software, meals, supplies | | **Budget constraints** | "Any hard spending limits?" | Reasonable and necessary standard | | **Reimbursement method** | "How do you reimburse? (payroll, direct deposit, corporate card)" | Direct deposit | | **Remote or in-office** | "Is your team remote, in-office, or hybrid?" | Remote | **GATE: Do not proceed without company size and common expense types.** --- ## Phase 2: Policy Framework ### Expense Categories and Limits ``` ## [Company Name] Expense Policy **Effective date:** [Date] **Applies to:** All employees and contractors authorized to incur expenses ### Spending Limits | Category | Per-Occurrence Limit | Monthly Limit | Approval Required | |----------|---------------------|---------------|-------------------| | Software/subscriptions | $[50]/month per tool | $[200]/month | Under $50: self-approve | | Office supplies | $[100] | $[200] | Under $50: self-approve | | Business meals | $[75]/person | $[300] | Under $50: self-approve | | Client entertainment | $[150]/event | $[500] | Always | | Travel (domestic) | Per diem or actual | $[2,000]/trip | Always — pre-approval | | Travel (international) | Per diem or actual | $[5,000]/trip | Always — pre-approval | | Professional development | $[500]/event | $[1,500]/year | Always | | Home office equipment | $[500] one-time | $[1,000]/year | Over $200 | ### Pre-Approval Required The following expenses ALWAYS require pre-approval regardless of amount: - Travel bookings (flights, hotels) - Client entertainment over $[75] - Any single purchase over $[200] - Recurring subscriptions over $[50]/month - Conference or event registration ``` ### Approval Workflow ``` ### Approval Process | Expense Amount | Approver | Timeline | |---------------|---------|----------| | Under $[50] | Self-approved | Submit receipt within 5 business days | | $[50]-$[200] | Direct manager | Approved within 3 business days | | $[200]-$[1,000] | Department head / Founder | Approved within 5 business days | | Over $[1,000] | Founder / CEO | Pre-approval required | ``` --- ## Phase 3: Rules and Procedures ### Receipt and Documentation Requirements ``` ### Documentation Requirements - **Receipts required for:** All expenses over $[25] - **Receipt format:** Digital photo or PDF (paper receipts not required if digital available) - **Receipt must include:** Date, vendor name, amount, items/description - **Missing receipt:** Provide a written explanation and manager sign-off. Repeated missing receipts may delay reimbursement. ### Submission Deadline - Expenses must be submitted within [30] days of purchase - Late submissions (30-60 days) require manager approval - Submissions over 60 days old will not be reimbursed without VP/Founder exception ``` ### Reimbursement Process ``` ### Reimbursement - **Submission method:** [Expense software / email / spreadsheet] - **Reimbursement cycle:** [Bi-weekly with payroll / monthly on the 15th] - **Processing time:** Approved expenses reimbursed within [10] business days - **Method:** [Direct deposit / added to payroll / corporate card] ``` ### What Is NOT Reimbursable ``` ### Non-Reimbursable Expenses - Personal purchases of any kind - Alcohol (unless pre-approved for client entertainment) - Traffic violations, parking tickets, or legal fines - Pet care or childcare during travel - First-class or business-class airfare (unless pre-approved for flights over 6 hours) - Gym memberships or personal wellness (unless part of benefits package) - Political contributions or charitable donations - Expenses for family members or non-employees ``` --- ## Phase 4: Policy Document ### Final Policy Template ``` ## [Company Name] Expense Reimbursement Policy ### Purpose This policy establishes guidelines for business expenses incurred by [Company] team members. The policy ensures expenses are reasonable, properly documented, and reimbursed promptly. ### Scope Applies to all full-time employees, part-time employees, and authorized contractors of [Company]. [Insert Phase 2 categories and limits] [Insert Phase 3 rules and procedures] ### Policy Violations Violations include submitting personal expenses, falsifying receipts, or repeatedly exceeding limits without approval. Violations may result in delayed reimbursement, repayment requirements, or disciplinary action. ### Policy Updates This policy is reviewed [annually]. Changes communicated [30] days before taking effect. ### Acknowledgment I have read and understood this expense policy. Name: _______________ Date: _______________ Signature: _______________ ``` --- ## Example: 8-Person Remote Startup **Key provisions:** Self-approval under $50, founder approval over $50. Software under $50/mo self-approved. $500/year professional development budget. Home office stipend of $500 one-time for new hires. Monthly meal allowance of $100 for team events. Receipts required over $25. Reimbursed with bi-weekly payroll. --- ## Anti-Patterns - **No policy at all** — "just be reasonable" works until someone expenses a $300 dinner. Write it down. - **Overly restrictive** — requiring approval for a $10 Uber ride wastes everyone's time. Set sensible thresholds. - **Slow reimbursement** — employees floating company expenses for 60+ days breeds resentment. Reimburse within 2 weeks. - **Inconsistent enforcement** — if the policy applies to everyone, enforce it for everyone. Including founders. - **No per-diem option for travel** — per-diem rates eliminate receipt-chasing for meals during travel. Consider offering it. --- ## Recovery - **No expense tracking system:** Start with a shared spreadsheet template. Upgrade to expense software (Expensify, Ramp) when team exceeds 10 people. - **Team already has bad habits:** Announce the new policy with a 30-day grace period. After that, enforce consistently. - **Contractors vs. employees:** Contractor expenses should be included in their contract rate, not reimbursed separately, unless the contract specifies otherwise. - **International team:** Set per-diem rates by country and accept expenses in local currency with conversion at time of purchase.