Q: Is it criminal to use a company issued credit card for personal items such as soft drinks or cigarettes?
A: On several levels, YES, this can be a criminal offense, when the charges were not authorized or approved by the card holder, who had entrusted the person to ONLY use it for company business. Many reported criminal cases can be found in the news where an employee of a public or private university, or a City or State Governmental agency used his or her business card for personal bills and expenses. Plus, this can be considered to be INCOME, for IRS purposes, and this could be additional charges. Often, the revelation of credit card fraud in news reports can trigger an FBI or an IRS investigation for tax evasion.
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