Inheritance

A new ceiling for bank fees in an estate

Publié le 06 janvier 2026 - Public Service / Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

When closing a deceased's account, a bank may charge you for the various steps to be taken (inventory of funds, establishment of exchanges with the notary, etc.). The amount of these fees has been regulated by law since last year. On 1er In January, a new ceiling was set for these inheritance bank charges.

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Image 1Crédits: René La/peopleimages.com - stock.adobe.com

Since November 13, 2025, there is a cap on the fees a bank can charge you when closing a deceased's account. Since then, fees have been capped at 1% of the total amount of account balances and the valuation of the deceased's savings products.

Since 1er January 2026, the amount of these account closing fees cannot in addition not exceeding €857, in any case (against €850, between 13 november and 31 december 2025).

This amount is upgraded annually to inflation the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE), namely ‘the annual average of consumer prices, excluding tobacco, calculated on the last 12 monthly price indices published by INSEE in the penultimate month preceding the valuation date’.

Please note

Inheritance bank charges are completely abolished:

  • where the accounts and savings products in question were held by a minor;
  • when the total balance of the deceased's accounts and savings products is less than €5,965 (this amount, revised annually in line with inflation, was set at €5,910 until 31 December 2025);
  • when the heirs present to the bank a deed of notoriety or a certificate signed by all of them, and the transactions related to the succession do not show obvious complexity.

Reminder

Banks charge, under the name “bank inheritance fees”, the various steps that they must take upon the death of one of their clients: among others, an inventory of funds, the transfer of money to heirs and the establishment of exchanges with the notary.

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