A Dutch court upheld an immediate dismissal on 13 August 2026 after repeated false mileage claims and AI-edited expense documents. The ruling highlights the records employers need for expense claims, payroll and company property.
Why this matters
Small claims can drain margin. Problems often surface when employment ends and payroll, expenses and company property must be settled. A receipt photo is only part of an expense file. Mileage needs a route and business purpose. From 1 January 2026, €0.25 per kilometre is the tax-free reference amount. It neither confirms a trip nor creates a right to payment. Keep travel, expense and asset records separately.
Example
The employee claimed mileage from an address where he had not moved. Other claims covered private travel and trips made as a colleague’s passenger. Several dinner receipts were altered or reconstructed with AI. Some totals were changed to fit the employer’s limit. The court upheld the immediate dismissal. No transition payment was due. The employer’s €1,761 deduction for unreturned devices failed. It could not establish that the employee possessed the equipment. The expense file did not support the asset claim.
XTROVERSO tips
- Record the full mileage claim. Include the date, route, business purpose, kilometres, transport method and approver. Record carpooling so two employees cannot claim the same journey.
- Use a clear route for lost receipts. Label a replacement receipt as a reconstruction. Ask for payment evidence and a written explanation. Do not file it as an original receipt.
- Compare related records. Check a small sample against calendars, staff schedules, customer appointments, card payments, payroll and ledger entries. Investigate conflicts between the records.
- Maintain an asset register. Record every phone, laptop, tablet and key. Include its serial number, issue date, assigned user, signed handover and confirmed return.
- Support final-payroll items separately. Keep separate evidence for overpayments, expenses and missing assets. An expense file cannot establish that an employee still holds a company device.
- Handle exceptions fairly. Preserve the file and establish the facts before responding. Immediate dismissal has a high threshold. Keep medical records out of an expense investigation.
Need a practical review of your expense, payroll and asset records? We can help
The data, sourcing, and analysis behind this article were conducted by Paolo Maria Pavan. AI was not used to identify sources, build the factual basis, or produce the analytical judgment contained here. AI was used only as a drafting aid. The final English text was personally reviewed, edited, and approved by Paolo Maria Pavan before publication.
References
- Rechtspraak – ECLI:NL:RBNHO:2026:10263
- Salaris Vanmorgen – Terecht ontslag op staande voet voor onjuiste km-declaraties en onkostendeclaraties via AI
- Rijksoverheid – Wat is ontslag op staande voet?
- Rijksoverheid – Recht op een vergoeding bij ontslag
- Belastingdienst – Verhoging onbelaste kilometervergoeding
- Belastingdienst – Reiskosten en de werkkostenregeling
