Basicly the ticket( if printed on paper) is the receipt?

So, research bus fare for the city you’re sending your employee to, then calculate their daily travel needs. That will give you a figure to add to a cash per diem you hand them before they leave. The government uses per diems for average miscellaneous expenses, such as meals, and does not generally require receipts in return. So, if for instance you normally allow them $75/day cash per diem for 3 meals (average $25/meal), just add another $25 for travel, and hand them $100 for each day of their stay, thereby relieving them—-and the accounting office—-of the stress of justifying every little penny while wasting a huge amount of cash on vastly more expensive, but receipt-issuing, activities.

I am surprised how some people can look at a disastrously broken system and try to justify its existence using its own stupid rules. Paying 50x as much for something has nothing to do with common sense.

So you want her to take a monthly bus pass for a one week convention? I believe companies have some leeway for tax declaration (low amount in the "cash" section etc ). The company in the story now allows for it so I guess there was a way after all.

One way to avoid the problem is to issue corporate credit cards. The expenditures would still need to be accounted for, but a corporate credit card statement can be used as a receipt in lieu of places that don't offer receipts. My father had a hard time keeping track of all his medical expenses for tax purposes..so he had a credit card that was totally devoted to medical costs. The IRS took the statements as receipts because each transaction was detailed. As someone who used to process travel orders for reimbursement..I understand the headaches of traveling for business all too well.

You can often buy bus tickets at 7-11 in many cities. Either that, or just take a selfie on the bus each time.

Yet the company made the change and apparently can still do its books okay. Also, note that following company rules to the letter is not screwing the company. And while you shouldn't randomly pass out small amounts of money to employees for small expenditures, maybe you could just trust them on this and not assume they're all thieves. I'm glad I don't work with you.

Yes, that's called a per diem.