TC-31 Frequently Asked Questions
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Where can I find the TC-31 form?
The TC-31 form is posted on the Trial Court Revenue Distribution Guidelines page of the State Controller’s Office (SCO) website, under the TC-31 Forms and Instructions header.
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Is there a schedule showing the deadlines to remit collections with the TC-31?
The Delinquent Date Schedule is posted on the State Accounting Forms and Information page of the SCO website, under the Accounting header.
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Where can I subscribe for TC-31 updates?
To subscribe, visit the TC-31 Updates Email Subscription Service page on the SCO website and follow the instructions to sign-up.
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Where do I submit the TC-31 form?
Submit one signed original and one copy of the signed TC-31 form with the payment to:
State Treasurer, Cash Management Division
915 Capitol Mall, Room 319
Sacramento, CA 95814
or
State Treasurer, Cash Management Division
P.O. Box 942809
Sacramento, CA 94209-0001
Do not submit TC-31 forms to SCO unless requested by SCO. -
Whom can I contact for any TC-31 questions?
Please email LGPSDTaxAccounting@sco.ca.gov.
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For audit finding penalty and interest matters, whom do I contact?
Please email LGPSDTaxPrograms@sco.ca.gov.
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For questions on revenue distribution, whom do I contact?
Please review resources on the Trial Court Distribution Guidelines page. If you have additional questions, please contact LocalGovPolicy@sco.ca.gov.
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Whom do I contact for electronic payments?
Please email the State Treasurer’s Office (STO) at CTSMD_In_Out_Wires@treasurer.ca.gov and CC: finserv@treasurer.ca.gov. Attach TC-31 forms and include the collection month/year, date, amount, and method of payment.
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Whom do I contact for the 50/50 Excess Split Revenue Computation Form?
Please email Jason Haas at Jason.Haas@jud.ca.gov or Donna Newman at Donna.Newman@jud.ca.gov. Once complete, please email the form to 5050Revenue@jud.ca.gov. Government Code section 77205(b) requires counties to remit revenue for deposit into the State Trial Court Improvement and Modernization fund (0159) no later than 45 days after the end of each fiscal year in which the fees, fines, and forfeitures were collected. TC-31 account codes are Fund 0159, Agency 0250, and Revenue 164603. Please use the “prior” fiscal year.
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Whom do I contact for the Court Facilities Payment (CFP) letter with the breakdown of the payments?
Please contact Becky Porter at Becky.Porter@jud.ca.gov or (916) 643-7035. Pursuant to GC section 70353 (a), the CFP shall be remitted to the Controller quarterly on July 1, October 1, January 1, and April 1. TC-31 account codes are Fund 3066, Agency 0250, and Revenue 131706. Per Judicial Council, unless the court has moved out of county space and a new CFP has been triggered, the amount will be the same each fiscal year.
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Are dollar signs needed in the “Amount” column?
Please do not put dollar signs next to the amounts. SCO Key Data Operators do not key dollar signs in the system.
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What is the correct fiscal year when entering the form?
TC-31 forms are based on the fiscal year (July 1-June 30).
Example: The correct fiscal year for April 2022 remittance is “2021”, as it is included in FY 2021-22 reporting. -
How do I remit additional collections for a month previously remitted?
Remit additional collections on a separate TC-31 form with a new Remittance Advice (RA) number. Do not mix with the other regular collections. For the collection month and year, enter the original month/year of the first remittance. Include the following note at the bottom of the TC-31: Additional Remittance for RA# (number used in the previous remittance).
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If I remitted more than the correct amount for a previous remittance, how do I recover the excess amount?
Please apply the credits to future remittances in the TC-31. For questions on how to apply credits please contact, LGPSDTaxAccounting@sco.ca.gov.
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What are the guidelines for negative amounts in the TC-31?
TC-31 forms with negative amounts should always be submitted with supporting documents that explain the negative amounts. Processing of TC-31 forms will be put on hold until SCO receives the supporting documents.
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How do I fill out the TC-31 form for audit related payments?
Please use a separate form and do not combine them with the regular remittances. Enter the following:
• Month Code – Enter “99”.
• Collections for the Month/Year – Enter “Audit” and the range of fiscal years under audit.
• Fiscal Year – Enter the prior fiscal year.
• Code Section and Description – Add the Audit Finding Number based on the Summary of Audit Findings at the end of the Description. -
What should I do if I have corrections to previous remittances and they belong to fiscal years where SCO already conducted an audit?
Please contact LGPSDTaxAccounting@sco.ca.gov. Normally, once the final audit report is issued, there should be no more adjustments to the remittances for the Collection Months within the scope of audit.
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Is there a limit to the amount of credits that can be applied to future remittances?
If the credits are results of SCO audit findings and are listed in the Summary of Audit Findings, all amounts can be applied to future remittances. If the credits are substantial and not from an SCO audit, please contact LGPSDTaxAccounting@sco.ca.gov.
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For 50/50 Excess Revenue Split, what is the penalty for missing the August 15 deadline to remit revenue funds?
Remittances related to Government Code (GC) section 77205 are covered under GC section 68085(h)(i)(1) which states: “Upon receipt of any delinquent payment required pursuant to this section, the Controller shall do the following: (1) Calculate interest on the delinquent payment by multiplying the amount of the delinquent payment at a daily rate equivalent to the rate of return of money deposited in the Local Agency Investment Fund pursuant to Section 16429.1 from the date the payment was originally due to either 30 days after the date of the issuance by the Controller of the final audit report concerning the failure to pay or the date of payment by the entity responsible for the delinquent payment, whichever comes first.”\
The formula is:
Interest = Delinquent Amount x No. of Days Delinquent x Daily LAIF Rate (taken from https://www.treasurer.ca.gov/pmia-laif/historical/quarterly.asp) -
How do I send payments for penalty or interest on delinquent remittances?
Please submit them separately from the regular collections. Use the TC-31 form sent with the billing letter. Enter the current fiscal year for all penalty or interest remittances.
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How do I correct wrong entries in the TC-31?
Please email LGPSDTaxAccounting@sco.ca.gov, and attach the original TC-31 highlighting the error and a signed revised TC-31 with the reason for the error. SCO will prepare a journal entry to correct the error.
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Are counties/courts still required to submit the original TC-31 with wet signature?
For electronic payments, if a copy of the TC-31 was already sent via email to STO, counties/courts are no longer required to mail the original TC-31 with wet signature. If paying by check, mail the original TC-31 with wet signature with the check. A copy of signed TC-31 is also acceptable. If a copy was already mailed with the check, keep the original TC-31 with wet signature in your office for audit purposes.
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Why are some codes not listed in the TC-31?
The TC-31 only contains the most common codes. However, there are blank lines where codes may be manually entered. For any codes not listed, please contact LGPSDTaxAccounting@sco.ca.gov.
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What is the Court Construction fund Consolidation?
With the amendment of GC 70371 (b) and (c), the Immediate and Critical Needs Account (fund 3138) is now abolished and The Court Construction Fund (3037) is its successor fund. This is effective July 1, 2021. Therefore, all collections received for fund 3138 starting July 1, 2021 are remitted to fund 3037.
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What are the new codes for Fish and Game 711.4?
Please use fund 3364 (Department of Fish and Wildlife – California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Fund) instead of fund 0200 (Fish and Game Preservation Fund). This became effective July 2020. Agency code 3600 and revenue code 125600 stay the same. For more details, please see fund 3364 in the Manual of State Funds on the Department of Finance website.
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What are the new codes for Health and Safety Code 103680(b)?
Please use the new codes 0903-0690-20XX-237500, formerly 0268-8120-20XX-125600.
Chapter 25, Statutes 2019 (SB 94), Penal Code section 13520 (a), abolished fund 0268 (Peace Officer’s Training Fund), effective January 1, 2020. -
What changed in the codes for Penal Code 1214.1 (a) – Civil Assessments?
The codes are 0001-0250-20XX-164400. The fund code is changed from 0932 (Trial Court Trust Fund) to 0001 (General Fund). This is pursuant to its amendment contained in Chapter 57, Statutes of 2022 (AB 199), effective July 1, 2022.