From a blue lobster costume to a Rolex, expense reports have a way of reminding Accounts Payable professionals that almost anything can eventually land in the approval queue.
October 23, 2026
If you have worked in Accounts Payable long enough, eventually an expense report lands in front of you that makes you stop and ask one simple question:
“They want us to reimburse WHAT?”
Most expense reports are routine. Airfare. Hotels. Mileage. Client meals.
And then there are the other ones.
A Blue Lobster Costume, a Monkey and a Patio Set
In 2023, finance publication CFO Brew asked readers to share some of the strangest reimbursement requests they had encountered.
The answers did not disappoint.
Among the reported expenses were a blue lobster costume, paddleboarding in Miami and a new patio set and gas grill purchased for a “team-building” event held at an executive's home.
One employee reportedly needed a replacement iPhone after a monkey stole the original.
There was even a last-minute tattoo involving the logo of expense-management company Expensify.
These stories were submitted by finance professionals and readers. APPG has not independently verified the individual anecdotes, but they illustrate something many AP professionals already know: unusual reimbursement requests are hardly unusual.
Accountants Have Seen Some Things
The stories did not stop there.
At the 2025 Accountex accounting conference, accountants and bookkeepers were asked about some of the most outrageous expenses they had encountered.
Reported claims included a Rolex watch, wedding dresses and engagement rings, cosmetic surgery, school fees, doggy daycare and an aquarium.
Someone reportedly attempted to claim approximately £500 worth of McDonald's.
And then there was the racehorse.
The explanations can be nearly as creative as the expenses themselves. One Rolex was reportedly justified as necessary “to get to meetings.”
And Then There Are the Really Expensive Ones
Some unusual expense claims go far beyond a questionable meal or an unconventional business purchase.
A 2026 roundup published by spend-management company Moss highlighted several well-documented corporate cases involving expense abuse.
In one case involving a former Atlanta Hawks finance executive, fraudulent spending included a $115,795 diamond ring along with other luxury purchases.
Another case involving former Walmart vice chairman Thomas Coughlin included personal expenses for hunting equipment, liquor and a $2,590 dog enclosure.
At that point, the stories stop being funny.
Funny Until It Isn't
Expense-report creativity has also entered the AI era.
Research released by travel and expense platform Perk in 2026 found that 20% of 8,000 surveyed employees across five countries said they regularly misrepresent expense claims. Eight percent said they regularly use AI-generated receipts.
Separate 2026 research from Medius surveyed 2,386 senior finance professionals in the United States, United Kingdom, Sweden and France. According to the study, 87% said they had ignored a small expense, reimbursement or claim they believed was fraudulent.
Strange Doesn't Always Mean Wrong
There is also an important distinction between something being strange and something being improper.
Dog boarding might initially sound like an unusual business expense, for example. But some employers allow pet-care expenses when an employee is required to travel.
A strange expense therefore should not automatically be rejected.
The real questions are whether the expense has a legitimate business purpose, whether company policy allows it, whether the documentation supports it and whether the appropriate person approved it.
Sometimes the strangest-looking expense has a perfectly reasonable explanation.
And sometimes that $14.72 receipt deserves a second look.
Now We Want to Hear From AP
What's the craziest, funniest or most questionable thing you've ever seen submitted on an expense report?
No employee names. No company names. No confidential information.
Just tell us what they tried to expense. If we receive enough responses, we'll collect some of the best stories for a follow-up featuring experiences from AP professionals themselves.
CFO Brew, “Odd, outrageous, and downright silly reimbursement requests,” March 24, 2023.
CFO Brew
Cloud2Me, “From Rolexes to Racehorses: The Most Outrageous Expense Claims Revealed at Accountex 2025.”
Cloud2Me / Accountex 2025
Moss, “The Most Ridiculous Expense Reports Ever Submitted,” 2026.
Moss
Perk, 2026 employee expense research.
Perk
Medius, 2026 Financial Census research on expense and reimbursement fraud.
Medius
