What the report is for
An expense report is how an employee or contractor asks to be paid back for business costs they covered personally — travel, meals with clients, supplies. Whoever approves it needs three things: what was bought, why it was for the business, and proof. This template is laid out around those.
What's on the form
- Name, department or project, and the period covered.
- Business purpose — one line that explains the trip or project the expenses belong to.
- 12 expense lines, each with date, description, category, receipt number and amount.
- Total expenses, minus any cash advance already received, giving the amount owed.
- Signature lines for the person submitting and the approver, each with a date.
Receipts and numbering
Number your receipts and write the number in the "Receipt #" column, then attach the receipts in the same order. Combining the filled report and scanned receipts into one file is easy with Merge PDF, and Image to PDF turns phone photos of receipts into PDF pages first.
Tracking expenses through the month
If you log expenses as they happen, the expense tracker spreadsheet totals spending by category automatically; copy the lines into this report at the end of the period.
FAQ
Does the form add up the amounts?
No — the total and amount owed are typed. The spreadsheet tracker does the arithmetic if you need it.
What if I received a cash advance?
Enter it in "Less cash advance". If the advance was larger than what you spent, the amount owed is negative — you owe the difference back.
Can my manager approve it digitally?
Yes. They open the PDF in Fill & Sign, draw their signature, place it on the "Approved by" line and download the signed copy.