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Business Expenses

34 Examples of Business Expenses

 , January 27, 2016 updated on June 18, 2020
A business expense is a business cost for goods and services that are used up quickly. As a rule of thumb, periodic payments such as monthly wages are considered expenses. The purchase of capital that has a useful life that extends into the future is generally considered an investment in an asset as opposed to an expense. The following are common types of expenses.
Accounting Fees
Administration Fees
Advertising
Amortization
Bank Fees
Communication Expenses
Consulting Fees
Cost of Goods Sold
Depreciation
Education & Training
Employee Benefits
Equipment Rentals
Freight
Insurance
Interest Payments
Legal Fees
License Fees
Maintenance
Management Fees
Marketing Expenses
Materials
Meals & Entertainment
Office Supplies
Pension Plan Contributions
Professional Fees
Property Taxes
Regulatory Fees
Rent
Repair Costs
Salaries
Sales Commissions
Travel Expenses
Utilities
Vehicle Expenses
Generally speaking, firms try to attribute production, marketing and sales expenses to cost of goods sold where possible. For example, firms may include factory salaries in cost of goods sold and other types of general administration salaries as a separate expense. An accurate cost of goods sold figure is essential to understanding the profitability of a firm.

Notes

There are many nuances in determining what is a valid business expense for the purposes of financial reporting and taxes. The list above is a general and global view of a topic as opposed to specific tax or accounting advice.
Overview: Business Expenses
TypeBusiness Costs
Definition (1)A business cost for goods and services that are used up quickly.
Definition (2)A business cost for something that is used within a financial period or year.
Definition (3)A business cost that is immediately tax deductible.
NotesExpenses may be either operating expenses or capital expenses.
Related ConceptsCapex
Opex

Business Costs

This is the complete list of articles we have written about business costs.
Advertising
Amortization
Asset
Business Costs
Business Travel
Capex
Cost Vs Expense
Employee Benefits
Expenses
Fixed Expenses
Maintenance
Materials
Operating Expenses
Opex
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