Expense Report Generator
Build an expense claim PDF with dated lines by category, mileage at your own rate, per diem with a part-day rule, reclaimable tax and a cash advance.
| Category | Gross | Reclaimable VAT | Share of the claim |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation | £214.00 | £35.67 | 26.2% |
| Travel — air/rail | £148.60 | £0.00 | 18.2% |
| Client entertainment | £96.20 | £0.00 | 11.8% |
| Local transport | £41.50 | £6.92 | 5.1% |
| Meals | £26.40 | £4.40 | 3.2% |
| Mileage (268.0 miles) | £120.60 | — | 14.7% |
| Per diem (3 full + 2 part) | £171.00 | — | 20.9% |
| Total claimed | £818.30 | £46.99 | 100% |
| Less cash advance | -£150.00 | — | — |
| Net reimbursable | £668.30 | — | — |
EXP-2025-0442 for Priya Raman, — to —: 5 receipted lines totalling £526.70, plus £120.60 mileage and £171.00 per diem — £818.30 claimed, £46.99 of it reclaimable VAT.
The PDF is built in your browser with pdf-lib and never leaves your device. With “amounts already include tax” ticked, the reclaimable tax is extracted from the receipt total as amount × rate ÷ (100 + rate) — 120.00 at 20% gives 20.00; untick it and the tax is added on top instead. Mileage rates, per-diem rates and the part-day percentage are all inputs because they are set by your employer or your tax authority and change every year; check the current figures before you submit a claim.
What is the Expense Report Generator?
This tool turns a pile of receipts into a proper expense claim: a dated line for each item with its category, description and amount, plus the two things spreadsheets always get wrong — mileage at a rate you set, and per diem with a part-day rule.
- Ten expense categories with automatic subtotals and share of the claim
- Mileage as distance times an editable rate per mile or kilometre
- Per diem as full days plus part days at a configurable percentage
- Reclaimable tax per line, extracted from or added to the amount
- Cash advance deducted to give the net reimbursable figure
- A4 or US Letter PDF with a declaration and approval signature block
How to use the Expense Report Generator
- 1
Fill in the company, claimant, employee ID, department, report number, period and approver.
- 2
Add one line per receipt: date, category, description, amount and its tax rate.
- 3
Enter the distance travelled, the unit and your mileage rate to add a mileage allowance.
- 4
Set full days, part days, the daily rate and the part-day percentage for per diem, then any cash advance received.
- 5
Check the subtotals-by-category table and click Download expense report PDF.
About the Expense Report Generator
This tool turns a pile of receipts into a proper expense claim: a dated line for each item with its category, description and amount, plus the two things spreadsheets always get wrong — mileage at a rate you set, and per diem with a part-day rule. It totals everything by category, subtracts any cash advance you have already had, and prints an approval signature block.
The reclaimable tax column is calculated per line. With amounts entered as receipt totals, the tax is extracted from inside the figure, so a 120.00 receipt at 20% shows 20.00 reclaimable. Untick that option and the tax is added on top instead, which is how some finance teams prefer claims to be entered.
Everything is calculated and rendered in your browser using pdf-lib — no receipt data, employee names or amounts leave your device. Mileage rates, per-diem rates and the part-day percentage are all inputs rather than constants, because they are set by your employer or your tax authority and change most years.
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate mileage on an expense claim?
Multiply the distance travelled by the rate per mile or kilometre that applies to you. The rate is set by your employer or your tax authority and changes periodically, which is why it is an editable field here rather than a fixed number baked into the tool.
What is a part-day rule for per diem?
Travel days at either end of a trip usually do not qualify for the full daily allowance, so most policies pay a reduced percentage — 75% is common. Enter the number of part days and the percentage your policy uses, and the tool prices them separately from full days.
How is reclaimable VAT worked out from a receipt total?
When the amount already includes tax, the tax is amount times rate divided by (100 plus rate). A 120.00 receipt at 20% therefore contains 20.00 of VAT, not 24.00. That extraction is the standard method and is what the tool applies when the tax-inclusive box is ticked.
What if the cash advance is bigger than the claim?
Then money is owed back to the company rather than paid out. The tool detects this, flags it, and prints the line as due back from claimant on the PDF with a positive figure, so nobody has to interpret a negative number on a payment run.
Do I still need to attach receipts?
Almost certainly. This generates the claim form, not the evidence behind it. Most expense policies require receipts above a threshold and tax authorities require them for anything reclaimed, so attach them and note the threshold you used in the notes block.
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