GnuCash: how to enter the purchase of a corporate bond with accrued interest

[Mike or Penny Novack]

>>>>> I have not figured out how to enter the purchase details of a
>>>>> corporate bond with accrued interest.  If the interest is rolled
>>>>> into the purchase price, it would erroneously affect any capital
>>>>> gains calculation if / when the bond is sold or called.  How can

The mention of "capital gains" in connection with bonds makes me shudder.

You didn't say what tax jurisdictions you are under, but please get 
professional advice. We here do not have the qualifications to advise on 
matters like this. My understanding (though this does not apply to me 
personally, not directly holding any bonds outside of tax deferred 
accounts) is that in my jurisdiction, if you bought a bought a bond for 
990 and later sold it for 1000 that $10 would be considered INTEREST 
INCOME and not a capital gain. That is because the price of a bond may 
be "discounted" if the coupon rate is less than the currently prevailing 
rate (in other words, they are being sold to yield the prevailing rate 
for their risk class and maturity). Zero coupon bonds (the interest they 
are offering determined by the depth of the discount) are NOT a way to 
get to declare interest income as capital gains. "T-bills" for example 
are sold this way.

But like I said, I'm neither a professional nor an amateur who has 
carefully read up on that bit of the tax code for my own purposes (since 
doesn't apply to me).

A bond being sold carrying unpaid accrued interest is a whole other 
complication and about that I know nothing. Get professional help. Or if 
not, read the rules for yourself.

Michael D Novack, FLMI