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
- Each common category has clear coverage and a limit (or a labelled placeholder)
- The approval thresholds and approvers are explicit
- The submission process (receipts, deadlines, tool) is step-by-step
- Reimbursement method and timeline are stated
- Non-reimbursable items and misuse consequences are covered
- Amounts and tax treatment are flagged to set/confirm, not asserted
Anti-Patterns
- Do not leave limits vague ("reasonable") with no number or guidance — that creates the disputes
- Do not bury the process — people need to know exactly how to get paid back
- Do not assert tax/per-diem rules as fact — flag for finance to confirm by jurisdiction
- Do not omit what's not covered — the exclusions prevent the awkward conversations
- Do not make it so strict it signals distrust, or so loose it has no teeth — aim for fair and clear
Based On
Finance-operations practice — clear, category-based expense policies with limits, approval workflow, and a simple submission/reimbursement process.
Example Trigger Phrases
- "Write an expense policy."
- "Write a reimbursement policy."
- "Write our travel and expense policy."
- "Set spending guidelines for the team."
