§2156. Charges

            A. The following charges shall be made against income:

            (1) Ordinary expenses incurred or accrued in connection with the administration, management, or preservation of the trust property.

            (2) One-half of court costs, attorney fees, and other fees on periodic accounting, unless the court directs otherwise.

            (3) Court costs, attorney fees, and other fees on other accountings or judicial proceedings if the matter primarily concerns the income interest, unless the court directs otherwise.

            (4) One-half of the trustee's regular compensation, whether based on a percentage of principal or income.

            (5) Expenses reasonably incurred by the trustee for the management and application of income.

            (6) Interest accrued on an indebtedness.

            B. If charges against income are of unusual amount, the trustee may by means of reserves or other reasonable means charge them over a reasonable period and withhold from distribution sums sufficient to produce substantial regularity in distributions.

            C. The following charges shall be made against principal:

            (1) Extraordinary expenses incurred or accrued in connection with the administration, management, or preservation of the trust property.

            (2) Expenses incurred in making a capital improvement to principal, including special taxes and assessments.

            (3) Expenses incurred in investing and reinvesting principal.

            (4) One-half of court costs, attorney fees, and other fees on periodic accounting, unless the court directs otherwise.

            (5) Court costs, attorney fees, and other fees on other accountings or judicial proceedings if the matter primarily concerns the principal interest, unless the court directs otherwise.

            (6) Expenses incurred in maintaining or defending an action to construe the trust or to protect the trust or the trust property.

            (7) One-half of the trustee's regular compensation, whether based on a percentage of principal or income.

            (8) All the trustee's special compensation.

            (9) The amount of an estate tax apportioned to the trust, including interest and penalties.

            (10) The principal of an indebtedness.

            D. If the payment of special taxes and assessments produces an addition to the value of the trust property, the trustee shall reserve out of income and add to principal a reasonable allowance for the depreciation of the improvement under generally accepted accounting principles, although the improvement was not made directly to the trust property.

            E. Regularly recurring charges shall be apportioned to the same extent and in the same manner that receipts are apportioned under R.S. 9:2145 through 2147.

            Acts 2010, No. 175, §2; Acts 2020, No. 17, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2021.