[GNC] Executor for Estate - how would you classify money spent before estate is funded?

[Christopher Treen]

Hi, Sorry for your loss!

I too am NOT an accountant, but when setting up my company accounts 
using GC, I bought the massive 700+ page "Accounting for Dummies" tome. 
Over the past years, I have personally lent the company funds and then 
repaid myself later.

Based on A-4-D's suggestion, I now have the following structure:

  * Equity:
      o Notes (Long-term)  << e.g. bank loans
      o Notes (Short-term)  << e.g. similar to your loans to the estate
      o Opening Balance  << Initial start capital (also from me)

e.g. You might credit the Short-term, for say, $100 and debit the 
estate's checking account.

I personally label the transaction something like "Investor: Chris 
Purpose: xxx"

When you repay the loan, you do the opposite, clearing the Notes to 
zero.  "Repay Investor: yyy"

Works for me, might for you too and would allow you to record multiple 
persons contributing to the estate.

Chris



On 03-Feb-2026 16:22, Maf. King wrote:
> On Tuesday, 3 February 2026 14:46:42 GMT Bruce Griffis wrote:
>> This is an accounting "how would you" question, not a technical GnuCash
>> question.
>>
>> I am the executor for my mom's estate. There were expenses before the
>> estate was set up, and as of now - it is still not funded. I paid a few
>> expenses out of pocket and will need to be reimbursed by the estate. I
>> covered three months of heat and electric, two months of Verizon and an
>> electrician. I think as I set it up in GnuCash - the money I spent would
>> be considered a loan from me to the estate, as I expect to bill the
>> estate for those expenses.
>>
>> Is that the correct way to go about this? Set it up as a small, personal
>> loan from me to the estate, then pay the estate expenses from that loan?
>> Then at some point once it is funded, pay off the loan to me?
>>
>
> That's how I would do it in the UK  (actually, did do it when my wife passed)
> - usual caveats about not being an accountant and not knowing your local laws
> and practices (and quirks) apply, of course.
>
> Maf.
>
>
>
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