Balance of any account

Verified 30 January 2026 - Public Service / Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

The balance of any account is a document written by the employer that lists the amounts paid on the occasion of the termination of the employment contract (dismissal, resignation, retirement, end of FIXED-TERM CONTRACT: titleContent in particular). The employee can sign this document and give the receipt to the employer: this is what we call the receipt for the balance of any account. What are the rules applicable to the balance of any account? We're taking a look at the regulations.

Yes, the employer must give the employee a balance of any account, regardless of the nature of the employment contract (DTA: titleContent, FIXED-TERM CONTRACT: titleContent...) and the reason for the termination (resignation, dismissal, taking of deeds, contractual termination, departure or retirement, termination of fixed-term contracts...).

The balance of any account is a document that makes the inventory of amounts paid to the employee on the occasion of the termination of the employment contract. It's not a calculation.

The balance of any account must include the following information:

  • Accurate inventory of the sums paid to the employee on the occasion of the termination of the employment contract, in particular:
  • Note that the receipt for the balance of any account is made out in 2 copies, one of which is given to the employee
  • Signature of the employee
  • Date of signature of the employee.

The receipt does not have to mention the sums that are not yet known at the time of the termination of the contract (non-compete indemnity, incentive premium for example).

A receipt template for any account balance is available:

Receipt template for any account balance

Please note

When the receipt for the balance of any account mentions all this information, it becomes discharging for the employer beyond 6 months from its date of signature. This means that the employee can no longer contest the amounts indicated on the receipt after this period.

The employer gives the employee the receipt for the balance of any account at the end of his employment contract.

Please note

In case of waiver of notice, the employer may give the receipt to the employee on the day of the actual departure of the company or during the notice not made by the employee.

No, the employee has no obligation to sign the receipt for any account balance.

If the employee does not sign the receipt, it will not have a discharge effect for the employer. Therefore, it does not demonstrate payment of the amounts mentioned therein.

FYI  

This refusal does not entail any particular sanction. The employer cannot refuse to pay the amounts to the employee to the reason for not signing the receipt.

No, the employer has no obligation to send to the employee the balance of any account. This document is wretched, i.e. the employer must keep it available to the employee in the company at the end of the notice period.

YesHowever, the employee can dispute the balance of any account.

The rules differ depending on whether the employee has signed the balance of any account or not:

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The employee signed the receipt for the balance of any account

The employee may contest the amounts mentioned in the receipt for the balance of any account within the 6 months after signing.

For this, he must denounce the receipt for the balance of any account by sending a letter RAR: titleContent to the employer.

The receipt that has been regularly denounced within the 6-month period no longer has a discharge value for the employer. The employee can then challenge the amounts set out in the receipt within the following deadlines:

  • 1 year if the dispute concerns the termination of the employment contract (e.g. severance pay)
  • 2 years if the dispute concerns the performance of the employment contract (example: non-payment of professional expenses)
  • 3 years if the dispute concerns the payment of salary (example: overtime not paid).

The employee can enter the labor court council.

The employee did not sign the receipt for the balance of any account

The receipt that has not been signed by the employee does not have a discharge value for the employer. The employee can then challenge the amounts set out in the receipt within the following deadlines:

  • 1 year if the dispute concerns the termination of the employment contract (e.g. severance pay)
  • 2 years if the dispute concerns the performance of the employment contract (example: non-payment of professional expenses)
  • 3 years if the dispute concerns the payment of wages (example: overtime not paid).

The employee can contest by sending a letter to his employer. In the absence of a reply or in the event of a refusal, he may refer the matter to the labor court council.

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