Law no. 2025-415 of 13 May 2025 introduces a significant reform in the area of bank charges applied during inheritance proceedings. These new regulations, which will come into force in November 2025, are designed to strictly control the fees that banks are authorised to charge when closing a deceased person's account.
In France, inheritance-related bank charges are estimated to total at least €125 million a year, with high estimates reaching up to €200 million, or around 1% of total bank charges levied by institutions.
Several studies have been carried out on the fees charged, notably by 'UFC-Que Choisir', published in 2023, and by the Financial Sector Advisory Committee (CCSF) in 2024. They have highlighted significant disparities in charges between establishments for similar services. It therefore seemed imperative to establish a harmonised regulatory framework for specific inheritance fees.
The new law introduces a strict framework for bank charges applicable in the event of inheritance, with an innovative principle: total exemption in three categories of inheritance:
For estates that do not fall into these three categories, banks may continue to charge fees, but these will now be strictly limited in two ways:
The law specifically regulates fees for inheritance transactions relating to:
The law is due to come into force six months after its promulgation, i.e. on 13 November 2025. This deadline, initially set at three months, was extended during the second reading in the French National Assembly, to give banks more time to comply with the new legal requirements.
Full implementation of the system requires the publication of a decree, issued after consultation with the Financial Legislation and Regulation Advisory Committee (CCLRF), to specify the conditions of application of the system and the capping of fees.
To ensure that the system is effective, the law expressly empowers officials from the Prudential Supervision and Resolution Authority (ACPR) and the Directorate-General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF) to monitor compliance with these new rules. These new requirements are therefore incorporated into the existing sanctions regime.
In order to comply with these provisions, by November 2025, institutions will need to:
The Government will assess the effectiveness of this reform by submitting a report to Parliament, one year after publication of the implementing decree, detailing the impact of the regulations, in particular changes in pricing practices and the number of beneficiaries of the free scheme.