Funeral

The amount that may be deducted from a deceased's account for funeral expenses shall be recorded

Publié le 19 décembre 2024 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

As an heir, you are obligated to pay the funeral costs if the deceased did not have a contract to take care of them. In order to pay these fees, a levy on the deceased's bank accounts may be made under certain conditions. The ceiling fixed for this sum shall be raised to 1er January 2025 according to an order of December 3, 2024. Service-Public.fr reminds you of the rules of this provision.

The rules concerning the setting of the amount that can be levied on the bank accounts of a deceased (within the limit of the credit balance of these accounts) to pay funeral expenses are defined by the decree of 7 May 2015.

As of 1er january 2025, this maximum amount is set at €5,910  in application of an order dated December 3, 2024.

The person who provides for the funeral may pay the funeral expenses in this way, up to an amount fixed by decree of the Minister of Economy. Currently, sampling is possible up to €5,830.50 (and the amount available on the accounts).

The bank shall require such documentary evidence as it considers necessary to ensure the use of the money.

The funeral bill must be submitted. An unpaid invoice can be submitted, in which case the money drawn from the account is usually paid directly to the funeral home. If the person has already paid the fee, the amount will be refunded by the bank upon presentation of the invoice paid.

Please note

If you pay the funeral fee but you are not an heir, you can still claim that amount. In this case, you must “have the right to provide for the funeral”, which means that you are the person closest to the deceased.

Reminder

If the deceased has not signed a contract to cover the funeral expenses, it is up to the heirs to pay them. The payment of funerals constitutes a “maintenance obligation”: all direct heirs (ascendants and descendants) are obliged to pay them, even if they renounce the succession. Participation is proportional to the resources and value of what each individual collects in the estate.

To learn more about funeral expenses and their support, you can consult the dedicated sheet of Service-Public.fr : Who has to pay for the funeral?

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