California vs. Florida court accounting formats.
A fiduciary accounting has to be in the form the local court accepts — and that form differs by state. Here's how California and Florida compare, the code sections that govern each, and what the move to UFIPA changed in both.
The short version
- California: Probate Code §1061–1063 for trusts and estates; GC-400/GC-405 forms for conservatorships and guardianships.
- Florida: Fla. Prob. R. 5.346 for fiduciary accountings; Fla. Stat. §744.3678 for guardianships.
- Both states now allocate principal and income under UFIPA — but California's took effect 1/1/2024, Florida's 1/1/2025.
- The math is the same; the schedules, forms, and citations are what change by state.
The two formats side by side
The ledger work is largely shared. The court-output layer is where California and Florida diverge — different rules, forms, citations, and UFIPA effective dates.
| California | Florida | |
|---|---|---|
| Governing rule | Probate Code §1061–1063 | Florida Probate Rule 5.346 |
| Trust / estate accounting | §1061 summary of account + supporting schedules | Rule 5.346 schedules of receipts & disbursements + statement of assets |
| Conservatorship / guardianship | Judicial Council forms GC-400/GC-405 | Annual accounting under Fla. Stat. §744.3678 |
| Principal & income act | UFIPA — Probate Code §16320 et seq. (SB 522) | UFIPA — Fla. Stat. Chapter 738 |
| UFIPA effective date | January 1, 2024 | January 1, 2025 |
What every court accounting shares
Whatever the state, the accounting tells the court the same story and must clear the same two bars:
- Total charges equal total credits, to the dollar — what the fiduciary started with, what came in, what went out, what's left.
- Principal kept separate from income — beneficiaries' rights to each can differ, so the split is required, not optional.
- Both states draw that principal/income line under a version of the Uniform Fiduciary Income and Principal Act (UFIPA).
California: §1061 and the GC-400/405 forms
California trust and estate accountings follow Probate Code §1061–1063.
- §1061 sets out the summary of account and supporting schedules: receipts, disbursements, gains and losses on sales, distributions, and property on hand.
- §1062–1063 add further schedule requirements.
- Conservatorships and guardianships are filed on the Judicial Council GC-400/GC-405 form series.
- On principal and income, California adopted UFIPA as Probate Code §16320 et seq., effective January 1, 2024 (SB 522), replacing the prior Uniform Principal and Income Act.
HintA multi-year accounting that straddles a UFIPA effective date is governed act-by-act, depending on when each transaction occurred. For a California catch-up covering both sides of 1/1/2024 — or a Florida one spanning 1/1/2025 — the same period can sit under two different versions of the law.
Florida: Rule 5.346 and the guardianship rules
Florida fiduciary accountings follow Florida Probate Rule 5.346.
- Rule 5.346 prescribes the form: a schedule of receipts, a schedule of disbursements, and a statement of assets at the end of the period, among other elements.
- Guardianships (Florida's counterpart to a California conservatorship) file the annual accounting under Fla. Stat. §744.3678.
- Florida adopted UFIPA as the Florida Uniform Fiduciary Income and Principal Act, Fla. Stat. Chapter 738, effective January 1, 2025 — its own enacted provisions under the same uniform framework.
Why the format matters more than it sounds
Correct numbers in the wrong format can still be rejected or sent back. The court expects its own schedules, its totals, and its principal/income treatment.
- Reconstructing the ledger is only part of the job.
- The final step is presenting it exactly as the state requires — a California §1061 summary or a Florida Rule 5.346 accounting.
Watch outDon't file a conservatorship or guardianship accounting in narrative form when the state wants a form. California expects the GC-400/GC-405 series; Florida wants the §744.3678 annual format. Right numbers, wrong wrapper, still gets bounced.
One ledger, both states
Because both states now sit on UFIPA, the underlying work is largely shared and only the court-output layer changes.
- We build one clean ledger, then render it into either the California or Florida format.
- A trustee, fiduciary, or attorney working across state lines doesn't need two different providers.
Common questions
Which California sections govern a trust or estate accounting?
Probate Code §1061–1063 set out the summary of account and supporting schedules. Conservatorships and guardianships use the Judicial Council GC-400/GC-405 forms. California's UFIPA is Probate Code §16320 et seq., effective January 1, 2024.
Which Florida rules govern a fiduciary accounting?
Florida Probate Rule 5.346 prescribes the receipts/disbursements schedules and the statement of assets. Guardianship accountings are required under Fla. Stat. §744.3678. Florida's UFIPA is Fla. Stat. Chapter 738, effective January 1, 2025.
Did UFIPA start at the same time in both states?
No. California's took effect January 1, 2024 (SB 522); Florida's took effect January 1, 2025 — a year later. A period that straddles either date is governed act-by-act by when each transaction occurred.
Can one accounting be filed in both states?
The ledger work is largely the same since both use UFIPA. What changes is the output: a California §1061 summary versus a Florida Rule 5.346 accounting. We prepare both from one clean ledger.
Need an accounting in California or Florida format?
We reconstruct the records and deliver it in the form your court accepts. Free scope, fixed price before you commit.
This is general information about court-accounting formats, not legal or tax advice, and citations can change. Confirm the applicable rules and local requirements with your attorney or the court.