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Account

Guardian

General

  • Read the Account instructions provided by the Commonwealth of Virginia, given to you by the Probate Office in your qualification packet. The instructions are also provided under Forms on this website.
  • All bank and investment accounts should be titled with the minor as the owner and the fiduciary as the guardian for the minor.
  • Fill in and print out the Account form provided on this website or complete the Account form provided in your qualification packet with legible handwriting using blue ink. Provide itemized lists to support the summary page.  Font on account and itemized lists must be 12 points or larger.
  • All fiduciaries must sign and date the Account (original signature(s) required).
  • Covering period: The 1st account covers the financial activities during the first four months of administration from the date of qualification. The 2nd and subsequent accounts cover 12 months from the end of the previous account.
  • Check all math on your account and verify correctness before submitting the form. Verify that totals on the itemized lists match the totals on the Account Summary page and that the account balances. The grand total of 1, 2, 3 and 4 must equal the grand total of 5 through 9.
  • Any fiduciary compensation must be in accordance with the guidelines. The current fiduciary compensation schedule is provided on this website.
  • If the minor is a Medicaid beneficiary, provide a copy of the Medicaid card when you file the account. The account filing fee for Medicaid recipients is at a reduced rate. See the Commissioner of Accounts Fee Schedule on this website for details.
  • Include a check payable to “Commissioner of Accounts” for the account filing fee. A current filing fee schedule is provided on this website.  It is important to note that filing fees are based on an account covering 12 months or less and that requires one audit by the staff.  Additional fees will be charged outside of these parameters.
  • File your account with the Commissioner of Accounts Office. Submit the original account, itemized lists, and supporting vouchers without binders, staples or paperclips, as the paperwork is scanned as one document into our system. All documentation must be on 8×11 paper, including all receipts. You are permitted to copy multiple small receipts on one piece of paper and submit. No copies are required.

Beginning Assets

  • For the 1st account, report the total of parts 1 and 2 from the Approved Inventory. For 2nd and subsequent accounts, report the ending assets on hand at carrying value from the previous account.
  • Assets are reported at carrying value in the account until the asset is sold or reinvested.

Receipts

  • Report all interest, dividends, rental income, refunds, and other income receipts earned during the account period.
  • For stocks and securities in dividend reinvestment programs, add any reinvested dividends to the carrying value of the security and increase the number of shares to reflect the additional shares purchased.
  • Do not report market fluctuations.
  • Do not include intra-account transfers as receipts or disbursements.

Gains on Assets Sales

  • Report the net proceeds from the sale of any asset where the sale price was greater than the inventory (carrying) value. Provide original brokerage statements which report the sale or the real estate settlement statement as verification.
  • Report zero as the gain for any asset sold where the sale price was equal to the inventory (carrying) value.

Adjustments

  • Report additional assets that were not included on the inventory or corrections to the value of an asset listed on the inventory. Minor adjustments can be made to balance the account.

Disbursements for Administrative Expenses

  • Report all expenses paid from the guardianship showing the date, payee, and the amount.
  • Provide proper vouchers such as canceled checks (or bank statements which include one side of canceled checks), paid receipts, or original signed receipts in the same order as listed on the account.
  • For reimbursements, proper evidence must be provided showing that the individual being reimbursed made the payment on behalf of the guardianship.
  • For attorney and accounting expenses, a copy of all invoices detailing the service provided must be submitted.
  • Do not include intra-account transfers as receipts or disbursements.

Disbursements for Care of the Minor

  • If the minor has a living parent, disbursements for the care of the minor must be authorized in advance by the Court or by the Commissioner of Accounts. See the hearings page on this website.
  • If the minor’s parents are deceased, the guardian shall provide for the minor’s health, education, maintenance and support AFTER first taking into account the minor’s other sources of income, support rights and other resources. Any necessary and reasonable expenditures should first come from the minor’s income, and if necessary, from the principal of the minor’s estate.
  • Report all expenses for the care of the minor paid from the guardianship showing the date, payee, and the amount.
  • Provide proper vouchers such as canceled checks (or bank statements which include one side of canceled checks), paid receipts, or original signed receipts in the same order as listed on the account.
  • For reimbursements, proper evidence must be provided showing that the individual being reimbursed made the payment on behalf of the guardianship.
  • Do not include intra-account transfers as receipts or disbursements.

Losses on Asset Sales

  • Report the net proceeds from the sale of any asset where the sale price was less than the inventory (carrying) value. Provide original brokerage statements which report the sale or the real estate settlement statement as verification.

Distributions (FOR FINAL ACCOUNT ONLY)

  • Attach a former minor’s notarized affidavit to support the final distribution to the minor when the minor turns 18 years of age.

Assets on Hand

  • Report the assets remaining in the guardianship at carrying value on Line #9 of the summary sheet.
  • Provide an itemized list of each asset remaining in the guardianship. Include two columns for each asset, one for carrying value and one for market value.
  • Provide documentation supporting the value of each asset as of the ending date of the account.

 *Any amounts received as Designated Representative but not included in Receipts

  • If the guardian receives Social Security, Supplemental Security Income, or Veterans Administration benefits as the designated representative of the minor AND the guardian maintains a separate bank account for such funds, the guardian may report the total of these funds in the Assets on Hand field.  If the guardian prefers to maintain one account for convenience and report to the commissioner of accounts, the guardian is required to report the total of these funds under receipts.

For Final Accounts

  • The assets on hand must be zero. Include bank statement(s) reflecting the “0.00” balance.

See “Final Account” page for additional information.