How To Submit Business Expenses

Employees can use Business Expenses in Compt to create, save, edit, and submit expense reports for approval. A business expense report groups one or more work-related expenses into a single submission so they can be reviewed by the appropriate approvers.

Before submitting a report, employees can add expenses, save the report as a draft, and make changes as needed. After the report is submitted, the expenses in that report can no longer be edited.

This article explains how employees can create a business expense report in Compt, add expenses, save drafts, and submit the report for approval.

Use this process when you need to submit work-related expenses for reimbursement or recordkeeping through Compt.

Employee View Video:

This interactive demo shows the employee experience for creating an expense report and submitting expenses for reimbursement, walking through each step from start to finish.

Before creating a report, make sure you have:

• Access to Business Expenses in Compt
• A clear title and description for the report
• Any required receipts or supporting documentation
• The details needed for the expense type you are submitting, such as amount, mileage, or trip information

How to

1. Log in to Compt.
2. Click Business Expenses in the left sidebar.
3. Click New Expense Report to create a new report.
4. Enter an Expense Report Title.
5. Enter a Description that explains what the expenses are for.
6. Click Create. This opens the new expense report.
7. Click Add Expense to begin adding expenses to the report.
8. Select the correct expense type.

Expense types

• Business Expense
  • Use this option for a standard single expense, such as:
  • A client meal
  • A software subscription
  • Office supplies
  • An Uber or Lyft ride
• Mileage
  • Use this option to submit mileage for a work-related trip. Enter the number of miles traveled. Compt automatically calculates the reimbursement amount based on your company’s mileage rate.
• Per Diem
  • Use this option when your company provides a daily allowance for travel. Compt calculates the reimbursement amount based on your company’s per diem policy and the number of days entered.

9. Complete all required fields for the expense type you selected.
10. Upload any required supporting documentation.
11. Enter a clear description for the expense so reviewers understand the business purpose.

12. In the Reimbursement Type field, choose whether the expense should be reimbursed or reported only.

    Use reported only when the expense was already paid by your company through another method, such as a company card.

13. Click Save to return to the expense report details screen.
14. If you need to add another expense to the same report, click Save and create another instead.
15. Repeat this process until all expenses have been added to the report.
16. Review the report details screen to confirm all expenses are correct.
17. Edit or delete individual expenses if needed before submitting.
18. Click Options if you need to:

• Edit the report title
• Edit the report description
• Save the report as a draft
• Delete the report

19. Click Submit for approval when the report is ready for review.

What happens next

After submission, the expense report is routed for review based on your company’s approval workflow. Your report may be reviewed by a manager, a finance reviewer, or both.

As the report moves through review, the expense status updates in Compt. Once the report is fully approved, the status changes to Processed.

Reimbursement is processed through payroll. For exact timing, Employees should check the FAQ tab in Compt for company-specific details.

Troubleshooting

• I cannot edit my expense report
  • If the report has already been submitted, its expenses can no longer be edited. Review the report carefully before clicking Submit for approval.
• I need to change a saved report
  • If the report is still in draft status, open the report and update the expenses or use Options to edit the title or description.
• I am not sure which reimbursement type to select
  • Choose the reimbursement option if you are requesting payment back through payroll. Choose the reporting option if the expense was already paid through another company payment method.
• My reimbursement amount is not entered manually for mileage
  • This is expected. Mileage reimbursement is calculated automatically based on your company’s mileage rate.

FAQs

Q: Can I save a business expense report before submitting it?

A: Yes. You can save the report as a draft and return to it later before submitting it for approval.

Q: Can I edit an expense after I submit the report?

A: No. Once an expense report has been submitted, the expenses in that report can no longer be edited.

Q: Can I delete an expense before submitting the report?

A: Yes. While the report is still editable, you can delete individual expenses from the report details screen.

Q: Who reviews my expense report?

A: Your company’s approval workflow determines who reviews the report. This may include a manager, a finance reviewer, or both.

Q: When will I be reimbursed?

A: Reimbursement is processed through payroll. For exact timing, Employees should check the FAQ tab in Compt for company-specific details.