What are bank charges in accounting?
Rachel Davis
Updated on December 30, 2025
Bank charges are the various fees accountholders are charged in respect of maintenance of the account along with any other charges incurred in respect of specific transactions (e.g. cheque clearance charges, fund transfer charges, collection charges, etc).
What are bank charges examples?
These fees may be charged on a one-time or ongoing basis. Examples of bank fees range from account maintenance charges, withdrawal and transfer fees, automated teller machine (ATM) fees, non-sufficient fund (NSF) fees, late payment charges, and others.
How do bank charges work?
A bank is like any business, and it costs money to keep one going. Even on a basic, entry-level bank account, many banks will charge you a monthly administration fee just to keep the account open, and then you’ll pay a transaction fee for every withdrawal, deposit and transfer.
What reasons would a bank charge fees?
To make a profit and pay operating expenses, banks typically charge for the services they provide. When a bank lends you money, it charges interest on the loan. When you open a deposit account, such as a checking or savings account, there are fees for that as well.
Why do banks charge fees?
Is bank charges included in bank reconciliation?
Bank Reconciliation: A Step-by-Step Guide. You receive a bank statement, typically at the end of each month, from the bank. The statement itemizes the cash and other deposits made into the checking account of the business. The statement also includes bank charges such as for account servicing fees.
What can you claim back tax on?
Claim a tax refund
- pay from your current or previous job.
- pension payments.
- income from a life or pension annuity.
- a redundancy payment.
- a Self Assessment tax return.
- interest from savings or PPI.
- foreign income.
- UK income if you live abroad.
Do banks charge you every month?
Banks charge monthly checking account maintenance fees that vary, from as little as $6 to as much as $15 per month, to account holders who don’t meet minimum balance or monthly deposit requirements. These conditions typically require a minimum daily or average balance or a monthly direct deposit of a specific amount.
In response to that, South African banks have changed from a formula where they would charge a set fee plus a percentage of the amount being withdrawn, and now tend to go with a simple formula of a fixed fee per R100. TymeBank, for example, will now charge R9 per R1 000 or part thereof.
Are bank charges Debit or credit?
Bank’s Debits and Credits. When you hear your banker say, “I’ll credit your checking account,” it means the transaction will increase your checking account balance. Conversely, if your bank debits your account (e.g., takes a monthly service charge from your account) your checking account balance decreases.
Are bank charges illegal?
A supreme Court ruling in 2009 – which meant that banks do not have to prove that their charges for customers slipping into the red are fair. In 2019 fixed daily and monthly overdraft fees were banned – though instead of a fee, many banks now charge around 40% in interest.
Are bank charges a debit or credit?
What kind of charges does a bank charge?
The term bank charge covers all charges and fees made by a bank to their customers. In common parlance, the term often relates to charges in respect of personal current accounts or checking account. These charges may take many forms, including: monthly charges for the provision of an account
When do I have to pay a bank fee?
Banks will typically charge a fee if a charge or withdrawal is made that puts the account into a negative balance. Many banks offer a type of overdraft protection.
What kind of fees do banks charge for overdrafts?
Overdraft fees – also known NSF fees, for “non-sufficient funds” – are one of the heftiest fees charged by banks. According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the median overdraft fee in 2014 was $34.
What are the expenses of a bank dealing?
The following expenses in respect of bank dealing, come under the head ‘Bank Charges’:- Normal service charges for maintenance of the accounts of the customers. Commission for issuing the bank draft or pay order or money transfers by banks.