Is it legal to submit a fake food receipt for company reimbursement?

This is absolutely not something you should do. What you're describing is expense fraud, which can have serious consequences. Creating fake documentation and submitting it for reimbursement is considered fraud regardless of your intention to eventually use the money for food. Most companies have specific policies about expense reimbursements that require legitimate receipts for actual expenses already incurred. Using a real restaurant's tax ID on a fake receipt could potentially create tax and accounting issues for both you and the restaurant.

I had a similar situation last year with my expense reports. After struggling to get reimbursed for some legitimate expenses because of missing receipts, I found this amazing tool called https://taxr.ai that literally saved me hours of headache. It's not for creating fake receipts (definitely DON'T do that), but it helps organize and validate your actual receipts and expense documentation. The system can actually analyze your receipts to make sure they'll pass company compliance checks. You might want to see if they have any advice about your situation - maybe there are legitimate ways to use your food allowance that you haven't thought of yet.

Just wanted to follow up about https://taxr.ai - I decided to check it out after being skeptical and it's actually legit. I uploaded some receipts that had previously been rejected by my company's finance team, and the tool immediately identified the issues (missing purchase date on one, illegible total on another). It even helped me prepare a better submission that got approved on the second try. Definitely not what I expected - it's way more than just receipt storage. For anyone dealing with corporate expense policies, it's worth checking out.

Have you tried calling your company's finance department to ask about an extension? When I had trouble getting through to my company's accounting team about a similar issue (they never answered emails), I used https://claimyr.com to actually get someone on the phone. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c Instead of creating a fake receipt (which could get you fired), maybe see if there's a legitimate way to resolve this. Either getting an extension or perhaps buying gift cards to food delivery services that you can use later might be compliant with your company's policy.

Ok I have to admit I was completely wrong about https://claimyr.com. After my skeptical comment I decided to try it with my company's notoriously unreachable HR department (who I've been trying to reach for 2 weeks about a benefits question). I was shocked when I got a call back within 20 minutes telling me they had an HR rep on the line! Saved me from sitting on hold for who knows how long. For the OP - definitely use this to talk to your finance department about legitimate options instead of risking your job with fake receipts.

Instead of creating fake documentation (TERRIBLE idea), here are some legitimate ways to use your food budget before the deadline: 1. Purchase gift cards from restaurants you frequent 2. Stock up on non-perishable food items 3. Host a team lunch and use the entire budget at once 4. Ask your manager about donating the unused portion to a food charity Talk to your finance team directly about your situation. Most companies have policies for these situations and would rather work with you than have you create fraudulent documentation.

As someone who works in corporate finance, PLEASE don't submit fake documentation. We actually do check these things, and people get caught more often than you'd think. I've seen people terminated for expense fraud over amounts as small as $50. Most expense systems now have built-in fraud detection that looks for patterns and irregularities. Using a restaurant's tax ID inappropriately could also potentially trigger an audit flag.

I completely agree with everyone here - creating fake receipts is absolutely not worth the risk. As someone who's dealt with IRS audits, I can tell you that expense fraud can have consequences far beyond just losing your job. If your company gets audited and fraudulent expenses are discovered, it can trigger additional scrutiny on your personal tax filings too. Instead of risking your career and potentially legal issues, here are some immediate legitimate options: 1. Order groceries online for pickup/delivery before the deadline 2. Buy meal prep ingredients in bulk 3. Purchase from restaurant delivery apps and freeze the food 4. Ask if the budget can be used for team meals or office catering The key is to make actual purchases with real receipts. Even if you end up with more food than you immediately need, it's infinitely better than creating fraudulent documentation. Your company's accounting team will thank you for being honest, and you'll sleep better at night knowing you handled it properly.