Ian Bryzek, CPA
Private loans owed to the decedent
Informal family loans still need whatever paper exists—texts, checks, and partial notes included.
Write a reconstruction memo when documentation is thin. Do not invent interest rates or balances.
Collections and forgiveness each create their own follow-up records.
What to keep with the file
Collections and forgiveness each create their own follow-up records.
What to do next
Document the loan balance with available evidence and label uncertainties clearly.
What to gather
- Any written loan terms
- Bank transfers or canceled checks
- Communication acknowledging the debt
- Payments after death
- Forgiveness or demand letters
Who usually handles what
- Ian can organize the tax reporting question and the supporting records.
- An estate attorney handles title, authority, trust interpretation, and beneficiary rights.
A practical next step
Document the loan balance with available evidence and label uncertainties clearly.
Questions about title, probate authority, trust meaning, or a beneficiary's legal rights belong with an estate attorney. Start with the Professionals directory: /professionals/
Related guides
This is general tax information, not tax or legal advice. Outcomes depend on the documents, ownership, timing, and law that apply to the particular facts.