Lay My Hat

It seems that we (AE)are now required to keep a separate bank account for our chambres d'hotes (even us folk who only open for 3 months per year). It doesn't have to be a business account. Can anyone recommend a cheap account in France, if there is such a thing. We don't need a bank card, just somewhere to pay in cheques and a cheque book!

What is AE? How do you survive with a property in France with no bank account?

AE is 'Auto Entrepreneur', a business regime designed originally to make it easier for small businesses to establish themselves in France. However this government is making it increasingly more complicated and probably driving people back to working 'on the black'. We have a personal bank account and keep accurate accounts for the chambres d'hotes but now have to have a separate account for it!

Credit Agricole is 9,42€ a month.

Try La Banque Postale - the post office's bank. Their rates were quite competitive and better than CA - but I've not checked lately.

kelly wrote:AE is 'Auto Entrepreneur', a business regime designed originally to make it easier for small businesses to establish themselves in France. However this government is making it increasingly more complicated and probably driving people back to working 'on the black'. We have a personal bank account and keep accurate accounts for the chambres d'hotes but now have to have a separate account for it!

Ah I see. Seems a bit unfair. I assume a second account with your existing account is not possible?

I have 2 accounts with Banque Populaire and don't pay monthly charges. One is just a savings account though and I'm not sure if some minimum balance is required to make it free. I pay a little for cards and other things like that.

There're have been lots of discussions in other places about whether this should be a business acount or simply a personal account dedicated solely to the business.

Our personal account is with CA and I went in to see them last week. They've opened me a separate 'ordinary' account with cheque book but no card so I can pay our B&B cheques received in, and cotisations, bookingdotcom's fees out etc. Hope that brings us sufficiently into line! Our other account costs us nearly nothing, apart from the annual fee for our bankcard, so as I've no need for plastic, I'm assuming this will work out as practically free.

Jan

We're looking at ING

My second account at CA for my AE business costs €1 per month, so not expensive