Making a claim form: examples and free template

Simplify claims for your organisation with a claim form.

By Jessica Rangel on 10 March 2025

To track and manage a company or organisation's expenses, it is necessary to create expense claim forms. A claim form lists all expenses incurred by a person or team in a given period, with details such as date, purpose, amount and method of payment.
Want to download the declaration template right away? Click here!

 

1. Collect all receipts and invoices

The first step in creating an expense report is to collect all receipts, invoices and other documents related to the expenses. It is important that you have all the necessary information for your accounts, including the date, the purpose of the expense and the expense amount.
For receipts, it is important to include the following information:

• Name of seller/service provider (person or company you paid to)
• Transaction date (when you paid)
• Detailed description of the goods or services you purchased (what you bought)
• The exact amount you paid
• Precise payment method (how you paid: cash, debit card, last four digits of credit card)

For invoices, it is important to include the following information:

• Full name and address of employee
• Full name and address of recipient (manager)
• A unique invoice number
• The invoice date
• The due date

Tip: use an expense management mobile app to easily save your receipts
Capturing receipts electronically makes it easier to find and store them. With a app for mobile expense management you can take a picture of your receipt and send it to your expense management system send. Because it is a lot easier to approve and process these claims, you no longer have to worry about manually collecting and processing physical receipts and invoices.

2. Choose a template

There are many templates for creating claim forms, including Excel spreadsheets, Google Sheets, or your own PDF template.
Moreover, these websites have free templates for claim forms:

• Simple Expense Report Template
• Simple Expense Report Template for Excel
• Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Google Slides Templates
• Business Expense Report Template 

Whether you use a simple template, your own custom-made template or an Excel spreadsheet, you must include at least the following items:

• The claim period: start dates, end dates and purpose
• The submitter of the claim form: name, position, department and telephone number
• The recipient of the claim form: staff number, manager's name and manager's position
• Expense details: date of expense, description of expense and amount of expense

3. Make a headline

The header should provide a general summary of the claim form. These fields are mandatory, and are likely to remain the same regardless of the type of claim form.
The header of a claim form usually contains the following:

• Name of person or team responsible for expenses
• The period covered by the declaration
• Any other relevant information, such as the name of the project or department

Below is an example of a header for a claim form.

4. List expense categories

Once you have a template, the next step is to provide guidelines for how employees should complete claim forms. You can do this by providing explicit instructions in the document or in your company policy documentation. You can also set up your claim form template with specific fields - this way you help employees by reducing any uncertainty or questions.
In the template, list the expenditure including: the date, purpose, amount and payment method.
Make sure you also organise spending by category, such as travel, meals or necessities.
Common expense categories: 

• Housing 
• Office supplies
• Business dinners 
• Parking 
• Aviation

Other expense categories:

• Online tools and software subscriptions
• Home office equipment and technology
• Print
• Gifts for employees
• Maintenance and repairs

Tip: create a template for your claim forms with expense categories
If you expense management software uses, you can often set categories or cost types to align employee expense reports with your accounting system. A preset selection makes filling it out for employees faster and easier, so no time is lost answering unnecessary questions.

5. Add up all expenses

Calculate the total amount of each category and the total of all expenses. A simple way to do this is to use a formula to calculate the amounts that employees have entered on the expense form. However, this should always be double-checked and compared with receipts and invoices.
When calculating expenses with multiple currencies, it is important to have policies in place to ensure compliance and accuracy. The University of Amsterdam for example, has forms and a written-out guide on their website for students and staff claiming expenses incurred in foreign currency.
Best practice: calculating expenses with multiple currencies

• Forms declaring expenditure in foreign currency should be accompanied by invoices, bank statements or other documents.
• The actual exchange rate on the day of your purchase or on the invoice date must appear on all supporting documents
• If you want to support your employee with an advance prior to a business trip, it is advisable to use the exchange rate of the date of the purchase/invoice.

6. Submitting and processing claim forms

Once the employee has completely filled in the form, they can submit it to the appropriate person or department for approval. Depending on your organisation's policy, this could be a supervisor, manager or accounting department.

7. Keep a copy of your data

Finally, make sure you keep a copy of the expense claim for your records. You may need to refer to it in the future or use it as a reference for future expense claims. Legally, it is also important for your company to Save receipts, credit card statements and online data.
In the Netherlands, according to the tax authorities, a business administration must be kept for at least seven years.
In Germany, businesses have to keep receipts, turnover records, VAT registers and cash books keep at least ten years to comply with tax laws.
Make use of a expense management system to make sure you keep your records, and allow employees to look back at their expenses. Having an overview of all your expense claims helps you financially plan for future business expenses, and makes it easier to plan future budgets.

Next steps to manage business expenses

Creating a claim form may seem like a daunting task, but by following these simple steps, you can make the process simple and efficient. By carefully tracking your expenses, you can help your organisation manage the budget effectively and make sure you get reimbursed for all your expenses.

Bonus: A free Google Forms template

Despite the drawbacks, it is still better to let employees submit their claims online rather than physically.
We offer you a free online claim form template to. We created this using Google Forms and it can be customised to your own accounting workflow.
Your employees can use it to submit transaction justifications. For all expenses, from travel to meals.
Use the free template to make declarations easier. And save the organisation a lot of time in the process.

1. Download the claim form by clicking the button above;
2. Customise the fields to suit your own accounting workflow;
3. Send the form to all employees;
4. Accountability data is automatically maintained in a summary.

Let us know If you have a question about the Google Forms template. Or if you need advice on customising fields. 

 

Get started with SimpledCard today

Book a demo and let our experts help you find the best expense management solution for your organisation.

 

 

FAQ

1. What is a claim form?

A claim form is a document that allows employees to justify and reclaim business expenses. It provides insight into expenses incurred and ensures that everything is processed according to internal rules.

2. Why is a claim form important?

It helps companies keep control over business expenses, prevent fraud and ensures structured records.

3. What should be on a claim form?

Important components are: date of the expense, description, amount, means of payment, reason for the expense and an attachment such as a receipt or invoice.

4. How do I create a digital claim form?

You can easily create a claim form with tools like Google Forms or Excel. Digital forms make for faster processing and fewer errors.

5. What are the benefits of an automated claims process?

Automated processes save time, reduce administrative burdens and provide faster reimbursement to employees. It is also easier to monitor rules and budgets.