Definition of Miscellaneous Expense
In accounting, miscellaneous expense may refer to a general ledger account in which small, infrequent transaction amounts are recorded. The account Miscellaneous Expenses should be used as the last resort. For example, the small bank fees would be better recorded in a separate account such as Bank Service Charges instead of recording them in Miscellaneous Expenses.
Miscellaneous expense may also be the description on a company’s income statement that refers to the amount consisting of small balances contained in many general ledger expense accounts.