# Returns a list of expense categories.

`GET /accounting/expense-categories`

Group: Accounting › Expense Categories · Operation ID: `expenseCategories`

[Open in the interactive reference](https://docs.api.lensing.ai/?op=expenseCategories)

## Parameters

| Name | In | Type | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `Api-Version` | header | `"v1"` | yes | The API version this request targets, named by its public identifier. Required on every request; omitting it, or naming a version this company does not have, is answered with 400. This document describes version `v1`. |

## Query surface

- `id` — filter by eq, ne, gt, gte, lt, lte, in, notIn, between, like
- `category` — filter by eq, ne, gt, gte, lt, lte, in, notIn, between, like
- `categoryType` — filter by eq, ne, gt, gte, lt, lte, in, notIn, between, like
- `reimbursable` — filter by eq, ne, gt, gte, lt, lte, in, notIn, between, like
- `status` — filter by eq, ne, gt, gte, lt, lte, in, notIn, between, like
- `requireAttachment` — filter by eq, ne, gt, gte, lt, lte, in, notIn, between, like
- `requireAttendees` — filter by eq, ne, gt, gte, lt, lte, in, notIn, between, like
- `externalId` — filter by eq, ne, gt, gte, lt, lte, in, notIn, between, like
- `lastModifiedDate` — filter by eq, ne, gt, gte, lt, lte, in, notIn, between, like
- Orderable: id, category, categoryType, status, lastModifiedDate
- Selectable: id, category, categoryType, reimbursable, status, requireAttachment, requireAttendees, externalId, lastModifiedDate

## Response

`200` Success

Under `data`, an array of expenseCategoriesRow:

| Field | Type | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `id` | string | no | The unique identifier for the expense category. |
| `category` | string or null | no | The display name of the expense category, for example 'Meals'. Unique within the tenant. |
| `categoryType` | string or null | no | The kind of expense. One of 'Pur', 'Dis' or 'PerDiem'. 'Dis' is distance traveled. |
| `reimbursable` | boolean or null | no | Whether expenses in this category are reimbursed to the employee. |
| `status` | string or null | no | The lifecycle status of the expense category. Possible values: 'active', 'inactive'. An inactive category stays readable so historical expense items still resolve, and is not offered for new ones. |
| `requireAttachment` | boolean or null | no | Whether an expense in this category must have a receipt attachment. |
| `requireAttendees` | boolean or null | no | Whether an expense in this category must list attendees. |
| `externalId` | string or null | no | The identifier this category has in an external system. It is not unique. |
| `lastModifiedDate` | string (date-time) or null | no | The date and time the expense category last changed, in UTC. Format YYYY-MM-DDTHH:mm:ss.sssZ. |

## Statuses

- `400` — Invalid request or business failure
- `401` — Missing or invalid access token
- `403` — Not authorized
- `404` — Not found
- `429` — Too many requests
- `500` — Internal server error