Is a business account mandatory for a freelancer? The 2026 rule
- A dedicated account becomes mandatory only if your turnover exceeds €10,000 for two consecutive calendar years (PACTE law).
- This dedicated account is not necessarily a business account: a current account reserved for the activity can be enough.
- Below the threshold, it is still advisable to separate your professional flows from your personal spending.
- Once the threshold is crossed, you have a 12-month period to open the dedicated account.
Is a business bank account mandatory for a freelancer? The answer comes down to a nuance that is often misunderstood: it is not automatic, and it depends on your turnover. Here is exactly what the law says and how to comply without spending needlessly.
The €10,000 threshold rule
Since the PACTE law (2019), opening a dedicated account for the activity becomes mandatory only if your turnover exceeds €10,000 for two consecutive calendar years. A single year above the threshold therefore does not trigger the obligation.
As long as you stay below this threshold, no dedicated account is legally required. The logic is to ease the constraints on very small activities.
The deadline to comply
If the threshold is crossed two years in a row, you do not have to act immediately: the law gives you a twelve-month period to open an account reserved for your activity. This deadline gives you time to compare offers calmly.
A dedicated account is not a business account
This is the key point, often a source of confusion. The law requires a dedicated account, but not necessarily a business account. A separate current account, used exclusively for your activity, can be enough to meet the obligation.
The business account does, however, bring concrete advantages: card payments, payment terminal, integrated invoicing tools, support. Our comparison of the best business bank account details these services for those who want to go beyond a simple separate account.
Even below the threshold, better to separate
Nothing forces you to open a dedicated account as long as you stay below €10,000, but mixing professional receipts and personal spending on the same account complicates tracking and blurs the picture in the event of an audit.
Opening a second account, even a personal one, dedicated to the activity is good practice from the start. It clarifies your accounting and makes it easier to calculate your contributions.
Choosing the right account
Monthly fees, payment methods, cash deposits, management tools: needs vary by activity. For a freelancer just starting out, low fees often come first. Our selection of the best bank for freelancers compares the offers against these criteria.
Key takeaway
The obligation to have a dedicated account is conditional on the €10,000 threshold over two years, and does not necessarily require a business account. For the exact, up-to-date framework, rely on the official sources (economie.gouv.fr, entreprises.gouv.fr), which are authoritative.
Frequently asked questions
From when is the dedicated account mandatory?
As soon as your annual turnover exceeds €10,000 for two consecutive calendar years. You then have twelve months to open an account reserved for your activity (PACTE law).
Do you need a business account or is a current account enough?
The law requires a dedicated account, not necessarily a business account. A separate current account used exclusively for the activity can work. A business account does, however, bring suitable services (card payments, management tools).
And if I stay below €10,000 in turnover?
No obligation to open a dedicated account. It is nonetheless recommended not to mix professional receipts and personal spending, for clear accounting and in the event of an audit.