An expense report template is a simple record of money you spent for work. Your employer reads it, checks it against your receipts, and pays you back. A clear one gets approved faster and leads to fewer questions.
What an expense report template includes
The top of the page names the employee and the person who approves the claim. It also holds a report number, the date you submit it, and the period the costs cover. If the claim is for a trip, add the departure date, the return date and the destination.
The middle is a table with one line for each cost. Each line has a date, a category, a short description and an amount. The bottom shows the total, any advance you were given, and the amount due to you.
How to fill in the report, step by step
Work through the editor in this order.
- Enter your name and, if your company uses them, your employee ID and department.
- Add the name of your manager or approver.
- Set the dates the report covers. For a trip, use the departure and return dates and add the destination.
- Write the business purpose in the details box, in plain words, such as "client visit" or "team training". US rules treat the business purpose as one of the things an expense must prove.
- Add one line for each cost. Pick a date, choose a category such as airfare, lodging, meals, ground transport, mileage or other, and describe what you bought.
- Enter the amount for each line. Keep one cost to one line so each can be matched to a receipt.
- Enter any advance you already received. The editor subtracts it and shows what is due.
- Check the total, then type your name and the date in the employee signature box. The approver signature box is for your manager to fill in.
Receipts and proof to attach for reimbursement
A report says what you spent. A receipt proves it. Attach a receipt, an invoice or a card statement line for each cost whenever you can. In the US, lodging and costs above a set amount need documentary evidence, and tax authorities in some other countries expect written proof too.
A printed form cannot hold images, so staple or upload the receipts with it. If you lose one, write a short note on the line saying what the cost was and why it is missing. Keep your own copies for as long as your employer and local tax rules ask. If you need to give a customer or colleague proof of a payment, a Receipt can help.
Mileage and travel costs on an expense report
If you drive your own car for work, record each trip. Note the date, where you started and ended, and the distance. Multiply the distance by the rate your employer uses, and enter the result as a mileage line. Rates change, so take yours from your employer or your tax authority rather than from an old template.
For travel, keep flights, hotels, meals and local transport on separate lines. This makes it easy to see where the money went.
Expense report templates for Excel, Google Sheets, Word and PDF
Excel and Google Sheets are good if you want formulas that add the lines for you. Word is easy to edit but does not calculate. PDF works well for sending a finished report.
The editor above gives you the layout and does the math. Download it as a PDF to print for a paper file or to send by email.
How to submit the report and get reimbursed
Send the signed report and receipts to your manager or to finance, depending on your company's process. Check your employer's deadline for claims, and send it soon after the costs happen, since old receipts are harder to match.
If your advance was larger than your costs, you may owe the difference back to your employer. If your business bills a client for costs, you may also need an Invoice or a Statement of Account to track what is owed.
What an expense report must show in your region
This table comes from our research on official guidance.
| Field | United States | United Kingdom | European Union | Canada | Australia |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report number | Optional | Optional | Optional | Optional | Optional |
| Date submitted | Optional | Optional | Optional | Optional | Optional |
| Employee name | Optional | Optional | Optional | Optional | Optional |
| Manager or approver | Optional | Optional | Optional | Optional | Optional |
| Employee ID, department | Optional | Optional | Optional | Optional | Optional |
| Period from (or departure date) | Optional | Optional | Optional | Optional | Optional |
| Period to (or return date) | Optional | Optional | Optional | Optional | Optional |
| Destination (travel) | Optional | Optional | Optional | Optional | Optional |
| Business purpose | Required | Optional | Optional | Optional | Optional |
| Employee signature and date | Optional | Optional | Optional | Optional | Optional |
| Approver signature and date | Optional | Optional | Optional | Optional | Optional |
Sources
- Publication 463, Travel, Gift, and Car Expenses (Chapter 5 "Recordkeeping", Chapter 6 "Reporting and Reimbursements")
- Exemption for paid or reimbursed expenses (480: Chapter 2)
- EIM30275 — Exemption for amounts which would otherwise be deductible: checking systems: models
- Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (Compilation No. 222, compilation date 17 June 2021), sections 900-35 and 900-115
- Reimbursements (GST/HST Memorandum 9-4)
- Reimbursement of work-related expenses - IPG-120
- Create an Expense
- Distance Expenses
- Creating Expenses
- Free Excel Expense Report Templates ("Simple Expense Report Template", "Employee Expense Report with Mileage Template")
- Expenses and benefits: business travel mileage for employees' own vehicles — Rules for tax
Not legal or tax advice. This is general information, not legal or tax advice.
Questions
What is included in an expense report?
A report usually shows who is claiming, who approves it, the dates covered, and one line for each expense with a date, category, description and amount. It also shows the business purpose, any advance you already received, and the total due to you.
How do you fill out an expense report?
Add your name and your approver, set the dates the report covers, give the business purpose in the details box, then add one line for every cost. Subtract any advance, check the total, add your signature and send it with your receipts.
Is there a free printable expense report template?
Yes. Fill in the editor above and download it as a PDF, ready to print. The signature boxes can be left empty if you prefer to sign a printed copy by hand.
Do I need receipts for every expense on the report?
Not always, but it is safest to keep one for each cost. Your employer sets its own rules, and tax rules in some places require proof for larger costs or for lodging. Check your company policy and keep what you can.
How do I file an expense report for reimbursement?
Complete the report, attach your receipts, sign it and send it to your manager or the finance team. Do it soon after the trip or purchase, and check your employer's deadline for claims.
What is the difference between an expense report and a reimbursement request?
An expense report is the detailed list of costs with dates, categories and proof. A reimbursement request is the ask to be paid back. In most workplaces the report is how you make that request.