[GNC] HRA reimbursements

[Bill Wohler]

Michael or Penny Novack via gnucash-user <gnucash-user at gnucash.org> wrote:

> > No equity here.  Equity is your net of assets and liabilities.
> >
> > So, if you want to track your HRA balance...  Let us pretend that
> > the thing your partner buys is actually $45 so that the item and the
> > remaining balance in the HRA are different numbers. 

Thanks, Alice. This will work.

> That was a good example of how to record the transactions.
> 
> But let's go back a bit about this HRA. It is a funny kind of asset,
> usable only to reimburse expenses, and depending on what your employer
> has chosen (for this benefit) might be "rollover" (mine is) or "use it
> or lose it" (fairly common)
> 
> a) How is the amount coming on your books? This is part of your
> non-taxable income*. You COULD record it coming onto your books that
> way. Might need an end of year adjustment (for unused portion if "use
> it or lose it")

I'm comfortable giving categorizing it as Income:HRA, which is
non-taxable as you note. In the case of "use it or lose it", Alice's
suggestion for handling the case when you leave the employer would apply
here as well: transfer the unused portion back to Income:HRA.

> b) The expenses reimbursed this way should also be distinguished. You
> want to know what your total medical expenses are BUT these (since
> reimbursed() wouldn't be deductible medical expenses.

I had this same question. Unless someone has a better idea, I'll create
a separate Expenses:Reimbursed medical for these funny kind of expenses,
like the funny kind of income.

Thanks again all!

-- 
Bill Wohler <wohler at newt.com> aka <Bill.Wohler at nasa.gov>
http://www.newt.com/wohler/, GnuPG ID:610BD9AD