Can a company refuse to reimburse expenses?

Asked by: Glenna Parker  |  Last update: September 1, 2025
Score: 4.9/5 (72 votes)

In many cases, you are entitled to reimbursement for your work costs. And if your employer won't reimburse your expenses, you have a right to seek relief through a legal complaint or lawsuit.

Can an employer deny expense reimbursement?

This means that if you're a California-based employee and you incur reasonable business expenses necessary to perform your job, your employer is obligated to reimburse you under California law. Failure to do so can result in penalties and potential legal action against the employer.

What happens if my employer doesn't reimburse me?

Under California labor laws, your employer has to reimburse you for all work-required losses and expenses. If your employer has failed to reimburse you for work-related expenses, you may be able to recover compensation by filing a lawsuit.

What are the rules for reimbursement?

What Is An Expense Reimbursement?
  • The expense must be for deductible business expenses that are paid or incurred by an employee in the course of performing services for your organization.
  • The employee must be required to substantiate the amount, time, use, and business purpose of the reimbursed expenses.

What states have expense reimbursement laws?

As of January 2025, 11 states require employee reimbursements by law:
  • California.
  • Illinois.
  • Iowa.
  • Massachusetts.
  • Minnesota.
  • Montana.
  • New Hampshire.
  • New York.

Defending Your Company against Expense Reimbursement Fraud

37 related questions found

What is the employer policy of reimbursement?

The expense reimbursement process allows employers to pay back employees when they spend their own money as part of conducting business. This typically does not need to be reported as income because employees are simply making up money they've already spent on your behalf.

How long do companies have to reimburse expenses?

How long does an employer have to reimburse employee expenses in California? In California, employers should typically reimburse employee expenses within the same pay period they were incurred.

What are the rights of reimbursement?

Reimbursement Rights means the rights of the Curing Party which has exercised its Self-Help Rights (as defined below), to collect from the Defaulting Party the reasonable costs and expenses actually expended by the Curing Party in exercising its Self-Help Rights, including reasonable attorneys' fees.

What is the $75 receipt rule?

The employer requires employees to submit paper expense reports and receipts for: 1) any expense over $75 where the nature of the expense is not clear on the face of the electronic receipt; 2) all lodging invoices for which the credit card company does not provide the merchant's electronic itemization of each expense; ...

Under what circumstances are employees usually reimbursed by their employer?

Under California Labor Code Section 2802opens in a new tab, an employee is entitled to be reimbursed by his or her employer "for all necessary expenditures or losses incurred by the employee in direct consequence of the discharge of his or her duties, or of his or her obedience to the directions of the employer." Thus, ...

What is the expense reimbursement policy?

An expense reimbursement policy is a set of guidelines that dictate what out-of-pocket purchases employees can make on behalf of their company, and how and when they will be paid back for work-related expenses.

Can you refuse to work if you haven't been paid?

Legally, you may have the right to refuse work if your employer hasn't paid you, but this can vary by state. Always seek legal advice before taking such actions.

What is the Labor Code 221?

It shall be unlawful for any employer to collect or receive from an employee any part of wages theretofore paid by said employer to said employee. (Added by Stats. 1937, Ch.

What are the three rules that must be met for expense reimbursement to employees to be considered an accountable plan?

The requirements of the accountable plan rules are found in Treasury Regulation 1.62-2; and they require that the payee (1) establish the business purpose and connection of the expenses; (2) substantiate the expenses claimed to the payer within a reasonable period of time; and (3) return any amounts to the payer which ...

Do reimbursements have to go through payroll?

Generally speaking, employees are not required to report reimbursements as income or wages and therefore are not taxable. Nevertheless, there are some exceptions. For example, if your employer provides you with a company car, but you use it for personal reasons, some of the costs may be taxable to you.

How do I ask my employer for reimbursement?

You'll want to justify why you're due a reimbursement. Basically, you have to be clear about what you are asking for repayment for any why. You'll also need to prove your expenses by providing all the necessary details and documentation.

What is the $2500 expense rule?

Adopting the de minimis safe harbor provides several advantages: Simplified tax recordkeeping: Property owners can immediately deduct expenses for purchases like appliances or minor upgrades if they cost $2,500 or less per item. This ease of documentation aids in maintaining straightforward tax records.

What is the 60 day rule for reimbursement?

Employees are required to submit expense reports for travel expenses within 60 days of when the travel occurred. Reimbursement requests submitted by the expense owner more than 60 days after an expense is incurred may be reported as taxable income unless a reasonable justification for the delay is approved.

What is the 90 day receipt rule?

A receipt showing that your employee has applied to replace a document that was lost, stolen or damaged. The receipt must come from the originating agency issuing the replacement document. The employee must present the replacement document within 90 days of the hire date.

What is a reimbursement clause?

The reimbursement of expenses clause outlines the conditions under which one party will repay the other for costs incurred while performing contractual obligations, typically requiring the expenses to be deemed reasonable and necessary.

Can an employer refuse to reimburse travel expenses?

If an employer fails to reimburse an employee for reasonable work-related travel expenses, the employee may be able to file a lawsuit for compensation. An employee may be able to seek reimbursement of necessary expenditures, as required by California labor law.

What is the act of reimbursement?

Reimbursement is the act of compensating someone for an out-of-pocket expense by giving them an amount of money equal to what was spent.

Can an employer withhold expense reimbursement?

Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), employers are not required to reimburse employees for business expenses. However, such expenses may not reduce non-exempt employees' wages below the minimum wage, nor decrease their overtime compensation (state law may require employees to be reimbursed for business expenses).

What is the timeline for expense reimbursement?

Set a timeframe to request reimbursements

Many businesses use the 30/60 rule, which requires employees to submit reimbursement requests within 30 days, but no later than 60 days after incurring expenses.

What states require expense reimbursement?

Eleven U.S. jurisdictions currently place expense reimbursement requirements on employers:
  • California - "all necessary expenditures and losses" incurred for work.
  • Illinois - "all necessary expenditures and losses" incurred for work.
  • Iowa - "expenses... ...
  • Massachusetts - all "necessary and unavoidable" expenses for work.