# Loan Payable

A loan payable is a **liability account** (yellow in Bkper) used to track the amount you owe to a lender, including the interest that accrues over time.

**Example:** Your business takes out a **$100,000** loan from a bank at 7% annual interest.

Before recording, it helps to understand two key components:

- **Principal** — The original sum borrowed. If you repay a $10,000 loan in 10 installments, $1,000 of each installment corresponds to principal.
- **Interest** — The cost of borrowing, expressed as a percentage of the principal over a period. At 5% annual interest on $10,000, the yearly interest is $500.

## Setting up accounts

You need four accounts to track a loan properly:

- **Asset account** (Bank or Cash) — Where the loan proceeds become available.
- **Liability account** (Loan Payable) — Tracks the outstanding loan balance.
- **Expense account** (Interest Expense) — Tracks the cost of borrowing.
- **Asset account** (Loan Payment) — Splits each payment into principal and interest portions, making it easier to reconcile with bank and loan statements.

## Recording the loan

Record the initial loan amount as a movement from the Loan Payable account to the Bank account:

| Date | Amount | From Account | | To Account | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 01/01/2024 | 100,000.00 | Loan Payable | >> | Bank Account | Loan received |

## Recording payments

Each periodic payment involves separating the principal repayment from the interest expense:

**Record the total monthly payment** from the Bank to the Loan Payment account. Then split the Loan Payment into its two components:

| Date | Amount | From Account | | To Account | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 01/02/2024 | 1,500.00 | Bank Account | >> | Loan Payment | Monthly payment #loan |
| 01/02/2024 | 917.00 | Loan Payment | >> | Loan Payable | Principal repayment #loan |
| 01/02/2024 | 583.00 | Loan Payment | >> | Interest Expense | Interest portion #loan |

> **Tip: Practical tips**
> - **Hashtags** — Use a hashtag like `#loan` to easily filter loan transactions from other entries.
> - **Cash flow** — Record future loan payments to identify potential cash-flow issues ahead of time.
> - **Tax implications** — In many regions, interest expenses on business loans are tax-deductible, making it important to separate principal from interest. Consult your tax advisor for specific guidance.