Booklet A

Verified 01 February 2025 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

Want to grow your savings securely and tax-free? You can open a booklet A. It's an investment where the interest rate is set by the state. Your money remains available and you can withdraw money if you need it.

Booklet A may be opened by all natural persons and by certain legal persons.

Natural person

Anyone can hold an A booklet, there is no age requirement, nationality, or tax residence in France.

One minor can open a booklet A without the intervention of its legal representative, but he can't retire until he's 16. In addition, to make withdrawals, you need the agreement of your legal representative.

If a person is the subject of a legal protection measure (for example: guardianship) it is his legal representative who can open the booklet for him.

Legal person

The legal persons The following may hold an A booklet:

  • Non-profit association not subject to business tax
  • Union of co-owners
  • Moderate-rent housing organization (HLM).

The booklet must be opened on behalf of the legal person by a person who is entitled to represent her legally.

The answer varies depending on whether the holder of booklet A is a natural or legal person.

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Natural person

He is forbidden to hold several booklets A.

A booklet A is personal, it cannot be attached with another person.

Failure to comply with the prohibition on holding more than one booklet A shall be punished by a fine corresponding to 2% of the outstanding amount of the second booklet. The fine shall not be recovered if it is less than €50.

Legal person

A co-owner's association or syndicate may hold only one booklet A.

By exceptionHowever, low-income housing organizations (low-income housing) may open several booklets A.

Failure to comply with the prohibition on holding more than one booklet A shall be punished by a fine corresponding to 2% of the outstanding amount of the second booklet. The fine shall not be recovered if it is less than €50.

Booklet A can be opened in any bank.

Most online banks also offer Livret A.

The account shall be opened by a contract between the bank and the account holder or his representative.

The contract specifies the operating rules of Book A (deposit, withdrawal, calculation of interest, closing of the account, etc.).

The opening contract must contain obligatory the following information:

  • Reminder of the prohibition on holding multiple A-books and the penalties for non-compliance
  • Indication of the verification procedure carried out by the bank with the tax authorities to determine whether the customer already holds another A-book in other establishments
  • Authorization to be given by the customer for the tax administration to (or not) communicate to the bank detailed information on the other A booklets that he would hold.

Please note

The customer cannot refuse the tax authority's reply on the sole existence of a booklet A.

The procedure for opening the booklet A varies depending on the response of the tax administration and the authorization given (or not) by the customer to provide detailed information to the bank.

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The customer does not have an A booklet in another establishment

If the tax authority confirms that the customer does not hold an A-Book at another institution, the bank must open the A-Book to the customer without delay.

The customer holds another A-book and has agreed that the tax authority will provide information to the bank

If the tax authority informs the bank that the customer has at least one booklet at another institution, the bank must transmit the information to the customer, offering to choose one of the following 3 solutions :

  • Closing the existing booklets A itself
  • Allow the bank to complete the formalities for closing the existing booklets A and transfer the funds to the new booklet A
  • Withdraw the request to open the new booklet A.

The customer has another A book and he refused to have the tax authority provide information to the bank

If the tax authority informs the bank that the customer already has at least one booklet A in another institution, the bank must refuse to open a new booklet A and inform the customer of the reason for the refusal.

Yes, it is possible to accumulate a booklet A with other booklet accounts (for example, the sustainable development booklet or the booklet Young).

FYI  

Since 1er January 2009, it is not possible to hold both a livret A and a special account on livret du Crédit Mutuel (livret Bleu) unless these two livrets were opened before 1er September 1979. It is possible to keep these two old booklets provided that one of these two booklets is not transferred to a new banking establishment.

Book A works like a regular savings account.

The paper booklet on which deposits and withdrawals were recorded is replaced by statements of account.

The recipient of booklet A does not receive a checkbook or payment card. However, the bank may issue him with a withdrawal card which can be used in the distributors of his network.

The operations carried out on booklet A (opening, lodging, withdrawal and closing) are free.

It all depends on the establishment where the booklet A is open.

General case

The minimum amount of a payment on booklet A is €10.

Postal Bank

For booklet A opened at La Banque Postale, the minimum amount of a payment is €1.5.

Booklet A may be populated by:

  • Check
  • Cash at the counter
  • Or transfer from an account owned by the booklet A holder.

Since 1er In July 2023, it is possible to make a transfer to his booklet A from a demand account opened in a bank other than the one where the booklet A is located.

There is no obligation to make periodic payments. Deposits or withdrawals are possible at any time.

The situation is not the same for natural and legal persons.

Natural persons

The maximum amount of savings entered in the livret A is €22,950.

When the balance of the booklet reaches the ceiling, or exceeds it, as a result of the addition of interest, as much as possible to make a deposit on the booklet.

The interest generated each year continues to be added, even above the ceiling, and without limit, as long as the booklet remains open.

Legal persons

For associations and unions of co-owners, the maximum amount of savings on the livret A is €76,500.

For syndicates of condominiums whose number of lots of the condominium for use in dwellings, offices or shops is more than 100, this ceiling shall be increased to €100,000.

Low-income housing organizations are allowed to make deposits on their booklet A, with no limit on a limit.

When the balance of the booklet reaches its ceiling, or exceeds it, as a result of the addition of interest, as much as possible to make deposit on the booklet.

The interest generated each year continues to be added, without limit, as long as the booklet remains open.

Minimum Withdrawal Amount

General case

The minimum amount that can be withdrawn from booklet A is €10.

Postal Bank

The minimum amount that can be withdrawn from booklet A is €1.5.

Reminder

If the holder of booklet A is minor, he may not withdraw from his booklet A until he is 16 years old.

Even if the holder is over 16 years of age, his legal representative may object to his withdrawing money from his A-book by notifying the bank by registered letter.

Maximum Withdrawal Amount

There is no maximum withdrawal amount.

But it is not possible to withdraw more money than there is on booklet A. Indeed, the balance of livret A must never be negative.

Place of withdrawal

The incumbent the booklet can make the withdrawal in all agencies.

However, the legal representative of the holder may not withdraw only in the agency where the booklet was opened.

The annual interest rate for Book A is 2.4%.

Interest is calculated on 1er and the 16th of each month.

The value date taken into account for the calculation of interest varies according to the date of the transaction (deposit or withdrawal):

Tableau - Date of the value taken into account for the calculation of interest in Book A according to the date of the transaction

Operation

Until the 15th of the current month

From the 16th of the current month

Deposit

16 of the same month

1er day of the following month

Withdrawal

Last day of previous month

15 of the month

The sums deposited bear interest if they are invested in whole fortnight.

Example :

In case of deposit of money on booklet A between 1er may and may 15, the deposit will be taken into account by the bank on may 16.

In case of deposit of money on livret A between 16 May and 31 May, the deposit will be taken into account by the bank on 1er June.

In case of withdrawal of money on booklet A between 1er May and May 15, the balance of the account will be closed as of April 30.

In case of withdrawal of money on booklet A between May 16 and 31, the balance of the account will be stopped on May 15.

On December 31 of each year, the interest accrued on the year is added to the capital.

The addition of interest on December 31 may increase the value of the booklet beyond €22,950.

Interest added to the capital at the end of the year in turn yields interest the following year, although the ceiling has already been exceeded.

Interest is exempt income tax and social security contributions.

A seizure may be made on booklet A by the administration or by a creditor who has obtained a court order recognizing the debt.

The transfer of a booklet A from one bank to another is no longer possible since 1er January 2012.

If the owner of livret A wishes to transfer it, he must first close it in the first bank and put the savings into an account of his choice. He can then open a new booklet A in another bank and transfer the savings that were on the old booklet there.

The holder of booklet A may close it at any time by sending a letter to his bank or by traveling to the agency.

It must specify the references in booklet A and the account number where the amounts remaining on the booklet are to be deposited.

The bank must close within 15 working days the receipt of the request.

If the bank fails to close within this period, it is possible to to refer to the banking ombudsman.

In order to prove the date of receipt of the application by the bank, you must send the registered mail or request an acknowledgement of receipt at the counter.

FYI  

In the case of closure of the livret A in the course of the year, interest on the period from 1er January to the balance sheet date are credited to the balance sheet date of the account.

If the holder of booklet A is a minor child, or a person under legal protection, the closure shall be made by the legal representative.

The holder of a booklet A may have forgotten the existence of his booklet and may not have been in contact with the bank holding it for more than 5 years.

If the booklet has been considered as inactiveHowever, it is possible to request the recovery of the funds using the online service Ciclade:

Find out if a person is a beneficiary of an inactive account (Ciclade)

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