Accountable plan template, with a filled-in example
A plan document your S corporation can adopt, the resolution that adopts it, the monthly expense report that makes it work — and one month of it filled in, so you can see what a clean reimbursement looks like.
How to use it
- Fill in the blanks in the plan and have your CPA or attorney review it for your state and your business.
- Adopt it by resolution before the first reimbursement, and keep the signed copy with the corporate records.
- Run it every month: submit an expense report with its records, have it approved, and reimburse it from the corporation's account.
It's a starting point, not legal advice. The structure follows the IRS regulation; the details — who approves an owner's own report, which costs you include — are choices to make with your advisor.
1. The plan document
Accountable Reimbursement Plan of [Corporation name]
1. Purpose. [Corporation name] (the "Corporation") adopts this plan to reimburse its employees, including shareholder-employees, for business expenses they pay personally. The plan is intended to be an accountable plan under section 62(c) of the Internal Revenue Code and Treasury Regulation §1.62-2, so that reimbursements under it are not wages.
2. Eligible expenses. The Corporation will reimburse ordinary and necessary business expenses an employee pays or incurs in performing services for the Corporation, including: (a) the business share of mobile phone and internet service; (b) the business share of the costs of a home office that meets the requirements of section 280A(c)(1) of the Code; (c) business use of a personal vehicle, at the IRS standard mileage rate in effect when the miles are driven; and (d) business travel, meals, supplies and similar costs. The Corporation will not reimburse personal expenses, commuting, or any cost the Corporation has already paid or reimbursed.
3. Substantiation. To be reimbursed, an employee submits an expense report showing, for each expense, the amount, the date, the place and the business purpose, with receipts or other supporting records. A receipt is required for lodging and for any expense of $75 or more. Vehicle use is supported by a log of the date, destination, business purpose and miles of each trip. A home office is supported by its measurements, the area of the home and the allocation calculation. Reports are due within 60 days after the expense is paid or incurred.
4. Advances. The Corporation may advance funds no more than 30 days before an expected expense. Any amount advanced beyond the expenses substantiated must be returned within 120 days after the expense is paid or incurred.
5. Reimbursement. The Corporation will pay approved reports from its own account within [30] days of approval. Reimbursements under this plan are not reported as wages.
6. Amounts not substantiated or returned. Any amount not substantiated, or any excess not returned, within the periods in sections 3 and 4 will be treated as wages, reported on the employee's Form W-2, and subject to withholding.
7. Administration. [Title of officer] approves expense reports. A report submitted by that officer is approved by [another officer / the board]. The Corporation keeps each report and its supporting records for at least four years.
8. Effective date and changes. This plan is effective [date] and may be amended or ended by the board at any time, prospectively.
2. The resolution adopting it
Resolution of the Board of Directors of [Corporation name]
RESOLVED, that the Corporation adopts the Accountable Reimbursement Plan attached to this resolution, effective [date], and that the officers of the Corporation are authorized to administer it.
Adopted on [date].
______________________________
[Name], [Title]
In a one-owner corporation the owner usually signs as the sole director. Some states let the board act by written consent in place of a meeting; your attorney will know which form yours uses.
3. The monthly expense report
Expense report — [Employee name] — [Month, year]
| Date | Expense | Business purpose | Records attached | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total to reimburse | ||||
Submitted on ________ · Approved by ________ on ________ · Paid on ________ from account ending ____
Attach the mileage log and, for the home office, the allocation calculation. Submitting every month keeps each expense well inside the 60-day safe harbor.
4. A filled-in example
Here's August 2026 for the owner of Harbor & Pine Design, Inc., the fictional business in our sample report. From July 1, 2026 the IRS business rate is 76¢ a mile; for miles driven before then it was 72.5¢.
Expense report — Dana Reyes, President — August 2026
| Expense | How it's calculated | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile phone — business share | 60% of $110 | $66.00 |
| Internet — business share | 50% of $118 | $59.00 |
| Home office | 12% of $1,875 (240 of 2,000 sq ft) | $225.00 |
| Vehicle — mileage log | 318 miles at $0.76 | $241.68 |
| Total to reimburse | $591.68 | |
Submitted September 8, 2026 · Approved by the board by written consent · Paid September 10 from the corporation's account
Home office allocation
240 sq ft used regularly and only for the business, the principal place of business, in a 2,000 sq ft home: 12%.
| Mortgage interest, August | $1,160.00 |
| Property tax, August | $250.00 |
| Utilities, August | $310.00 |
| Homeowner's insurance, August | $155.00 |
| Home costs × 12% | $225.00 |
Mileage log
| Date | Destination | Business purpose | Miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 4 | Lakeview Dental, 1200 Shore Rd | Rebrand kickoff meeting | 42 |
| Aug 11 | Harbor Print Co. | Press check for client brochures | 18 |
| Aug 13 | Coastal Brewing | Site photos for packaging project | 96 |
| Aug 18 | Regional design conference | Trade show — client prospecting | 94 |
| Aug 20 | Office supply store | Supplies for client workshop | 14 |
| Aug 26 | Lakeview Dental, 1200 Shore Rd | Presentation of final designs | 42 |
| Aug 28 | Bank and post office | Deposit client checks, mail proofs | 12 |
| 318 miles × $0.76 | $241.68 | ||
What the example gets right
- Each line shows how the amount was worked out, not just a total.
- It's submitted within days of the month's end — well inside 60 days — and paid from the corporation's account.
- The trips start from the home office, which is the principal place of business, so they're business travel, not commuting.
- The phone and internet shares are the same every month, set once from a sample of real use, not picked to make a round number.
One thing to tell your accountant: the home office share of mortgage interest and property tax is reimbursed here, so it shouldn't also be deducted on your personal return. Whether this fits your business is a question for your CPA or tax attorney.
Sources
- Treas. Reg. §1.62-2 — accountable plan requirements, safe harbors, and amounts treated as wages
- Treas. Reg. §1.274-5 — records, including receipts for lodging and for expenses of $75 or more
- Rev. Proc. 2019-46 — mileage allowances at the standard rate
- IRS standard mileage rates — 72.5¢ through June 30, 2026; 76¢ from July 1, 2026
- IRC §280A(c)(1) — home office qualifying uses
General information, not advice for your situation. Whether a strategy fits depends on your facts — talk to your CPA or tax attorney about whether you qualify before you put it in place. Your accountant remains responsible for your return.
Know where yours stands, all year.
OpenYear reads your books, shows which strategies fit your business and why, and keeps the records each one needs — ready for your accountant. It's built for owner-operated S corporations.