California trust accounting template
Blank PDF and Excel workbook, formatted to the structure of the California account (Probate Code §§1060-1064). A template, not a court form.
What this template is
This is a blank accounting in the layout of a California account: a summary of account in charges-and-credits form, followed by the supporting schedules it refers to. It's formatted to the structure of Probate Code §1061 and §§1062–1063. It is a template, not a court form, and no court has approved it.
Use it to see what a trustee's account under §16062 involves before you start, or to organize a short, simple account by hand. Charges (property on hand at the start, receipts, gains) must equal credits (disbursements, losses, distributions, property on hand at the end). In the Excel version the summary pulls each schedule's total, so you can see whether the account balances as you fill it in.
A trustee's account also has to carry the statements required by §16063, including the beneficiary's right to petition the court and the three-year limitations notice. Those statements aren't in the template; your attorney should supply the exact wording.
The summary
The first page is the summary (Amount column). Each line refers to the schedule that supports it:
- CHARGES
- Property on hand at beginning of account (or inventories)
- Receipts
- Gains on sale or other disposition
- Total charges
- CREDITS
- Disbursements
- Losses on sale or other disposition
- Distributions
- Property on hand at close of account
- Total credits
The schedules
| Schedule | Title | Columns |
|---|---|---|
| A | Receipts | Date, Description, Account, Amount |
| B | Gains on Sales or Other Dispositions | Date, Description, Shares/units, Net proceeds, Carry value, Gain |
| C | Disbursements | Date, Description, Account, Amount |
| D | Losses on Sales or Other Dispositions | Date, Description, Shares/units, Net proceeds, Carry value, Loss |
| E | Distributions | Date, Description, Account, Amount |
| F | Property on Hand at Close of Account | Asset, Where held, Basis source, Carry value, Current value |
| G | Property on Hand at Beginning of Account | Asset, Where held, Basis source, Carry value, Current value |
| I | Changes in Form of Assets (Prob. Code §1063(b)) | Date, Description, Account, Amount |
| J | Liabilities at Close of Account (Prob. Code §1063(g)) | Liability, Estimated amount |
| K | Compensation Paid to Fiduciary | Date, Description, Amount |
| L | Cash Reconciliation to Account Statements | Account, Opening balance, Deposits, Withdrawals, Computed ending, Statement ending, Status |
How to fill it in
- Enter the starting balance: the inventory for a first account, or the closing balance of the last account.
- List each receipt, disbursement and distribution on its schedule, with the date and a description.
- Record each sale with its proceeds and carry value, so the gain or loss is shown.
- List the assets on hand at the end of the period. In the Excel version, the summary updates from the schedule totals; the account balances when the ending balance equals the assets on hand.
- Reconcile cash to the closing bank and brokerage statements before you sign.