Probate Code §§ 1060–1064 & Judicial Council Form GC-400 Reference
California Probate Schedules A–F & Form GC-400 Guide
How Charges and Credits balance to $0.00 variance under California Probate Code §§ 1061–1063, what belongs on each schedule, and the exact clerical traps that trigger probate examiner continuances.
The Mandatory Probate Code § 1061 Balancing Equation
Under California Probate Code § 1061 and § 1063, every fiduciary account must open with a mathematically verified Summary of Account (standard Judicial Council Form GC-400(SUM)). Unlike commercial profit-and-loss statements, probate accountings reconcile strictly on Carry Value rather than daily market fluctuations:
CHARGES (What the Fiduciary Is Responsible For)
- 1. Property on Hand at Beginning (or DE-160/161 Inventory & Appraisal)
- 2. Additional Property Received (supplemental inventories / after-discovered assets)
- 3. Schedule A — Receipts (dividends, interest, rents, refunds)
- 4. Schedule B — Gains on Sales / Other Dispositions
- 5. Net Income from Trade or Business (if applicable)
= TOTAL CHARGES
CREDITS (How Those Assets Were Handled or Held)
- 1. Schedule C — Disbursements (debts, taxes, admin fees, upkeep)
- 2. Schedule D — Losses on Sales / Other Dispositions
- 3. Schedule E — Distributions to beneficiaries/heirs (at Carry Value)
- 4. Net Loss from Trade or Business (if applicable)
- 5. Schedule F / Ending Property on Hand (strictly at Carry Value)
= TOTAL CREDITS (Must Equal Total Charges to $0.00 Variance)
Line-by-Line Reference: California Probate Schedules A–F
Scroll horizontally on mobile if needed. Each row maps Judicial Council statutory authority alongside the most frequent examiner deficiency observed in practice.
| Schedule | Account Side | Probate Code | Required Entries | Common Examiner Rejections |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beginning Balance / DE-160 Property on Hand at Beginning of Account Period | Charge | Prob. Code §§ 1061(a)(1), 8800 | For initial estate accounts, must match the Inventory & Appraisal (Form DE-160 / DE-161) to the penny. For subsequent or trust accounts, must match the prior court-approved ending carry value. | Valuation mismatches between Form 706, DE-160/161, and ledger share counts — especially in corporate actions or stock splits. |
| Schedule A Receipts (Income & Principal Cash Inflows) | Charge | Prob. Code §§ 1062(a), 1063(a) | Interest, dividends, rent, royalties, pension/SSA receipts, tax refunds, and non-sale principal receipts categorized chronologically or by category. Feeds directly into the Prob. Code §§ 10800/10810 statutory fee base. | Treating return-of-capital or transfer deposits between estate bank accounts as new Schedule A income, artificially inflating the statutory fee base. |
| Schedule B Net Gains on Sales or Other Dispositions | Charge | Prob. Code § 1062(d) | Realized positive difference when Net Sales Proceeds (gross sale less closing costs/commissions) exceed original Carry Value (DE-160 value or cost basis). Increases the statutory fee base. | Using market value at time of sale instead of original DE-160 Carry Value, or mixing gains and losses without separate line-by-line Schedule B and D detail. |
| Schedule C Disbursements (Administration, Taxes & Expenses) | Credit | Prob. Code § 1062(b) | Court filing fees, probate referee fees, property taxes, mortgage interest, utility bills, repairs, bond premiums, CPA fees, and court-ordered payments with payee, date, purpose, and voucher auditability. | Paying unapproved statutory attorney/executor fees before court order, or misclassifying personal-use disbursements on prior-firm takeovers as trust expenses. |
| Schedule D Net Losses on Sales or Other Dispositions | Credit | Prob. Code § 1062(d) | Realized negative difference when Carry Value exceeds Net Sales Proceeds on real estate, securities, or tangible property sales. Subtracts from the Prob. Code §§ 10800/10810 statutory fee base. | Failing to subtract net sales losses from the statutory fee base calculation in final distribution petitions. |
| Schedule E Distributions to Beneficiaries & Heirs | Credit | Prob. Code § 1062(c) | Preliminary and final distributions of cash or in-kind assets transferred to beneficiaries during the account period, valued strictly at Carry Value regardless of fair market value at distribution. | Recording in-kind property distributions at distribution-date FMV instead of historical Carry Value, breaking the Charges = Credits equation. |
| Schedule F / Property on Hand Ending Property on Hand (Carry Value Schedule) | Credit | Prob. Code §§ 1061(a)(6), 1063(a) | Itemized schedule of all remaining cash balances, brokerage securities, real property, and tangible assets held at the closing date, presented at historical Carry Value (Form GC-400 Schedule of Property on Hand; widely cited by practitioners as Schedule F alongside supporting Schedule G liabilities and Schedule H ending fair market values under § 1063(a)). | Reporting only ending Fair Market Value in the balancing equation instead of Carry Value, causing automatic examiner notes. |
Beyond A–F: Supporting Schedules (Prob. Code § 1063) & Deep-Dive Guides
Probate Code § 1063 mandates additional explanatory schedules whenever the estate holds fluctuating market assets, unpaid liabilities, or trusts requiring income-vs-principal tracking:
Schedule of Market Value (Ending FMV)
Under Prob. Code § 1063(a), ending assets must display both historical Carry Value (used on Summary of Account) and current Estimated Fair Market Value as of period close.
Statutory Fee Base Computation
Schedules A, B, and D directly determine statutory compensation under Prob. Code §§ 10800 & 10810: DE-160 + Schedule A + Schedule B − Schedule D.
UFIPA Principal vs. Income Split
Trust and estate accounts with separate income beneficiaries require § 1063(c) allocation across Receipts (Schedule A) and Disbursements (Schedule C).
Filing in Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, Santa Clara, or Alameda?
Review local Probate Notes posting schedules, clearing forms (such as OC L-0892 & SDSC PR-177), and Local Rules for each Superior Court.
Frequently Asked Questions on California Probate Schedules
Why does Judicial Council Form GC-400 show Schedules A–E plus Property on Hand, while attorneys ask for Schedules A–F (or A–H)?
Under California Rules of Court, Rule 7.575 and Probate Code §§ 1061–1063, Form GC-400 designates Schedules A (Receipts), B (Gains on Sales), C (Disbursements), D (Losses on Sales), and E (Distributions), followed by Ending Property on Hand and additional schedules under § 1063 (such as Fair Market Value and Liabilities). In California practice, many probate courts and attorneys label Ending Property on Hand at Carry Value as Schedule F and supporting Market Value / Liabilities schedules as Schedules G and H.
What must balance on a California Probate Code § 1061 Summary of Account?
Total Charges must equal Total Credits to the exact cent ($0.00 variance). Charges equal Beginning Property on Hand (or Inventory & Appraisal) + Additional Property Received + Schedule A Receipts + Schedule B Gains + Net Business Income. Credits equal Schedule C Disbursements + Schedule D Losses + Schedule E Distributions + Net Business Loss + Ending Property on Hand (at Carry Value).
Does unrealized market appreciation belong in Schedule A or Schedule B?
No. Unrealized market appreciation or depreciation never enters Schedule A, B, or D during the accounting period. Historical Carry Value remains unchanged on the Summary of Account until an asset is sold, exchanged, or distributed; current Fair Market Value is disclosed only as a supplemental schedule under Probate Code § 1063(a).
How do inter-account bank transfers affect Schedules A and C?
Internal transfers between two estate or trust accounts (such as moving cash from a probate checking account to a money market account) must net to zero and should not be counted as Schedule A Receipts or Schedule C Disbursements. Counting internal transfers inflates Schedule A and distorts the statutory fee base.