Joint Account Rules and Regulations in India | DBS Bank (2024)

FAQs

What are the rules for joint bank accounts? ›

Following are the Joint Bank Account Rules in India per the account mode. Joint: All transactions in the account must be approved and signed by all the account holders. If any one of the account holders dies, the account will be deemed inoperable, and the bank will pass on the balance in the account to the survivor.

If the joint account earns interest, you may be held liable for the income produced on the account in proportion to your ownership share. Also any withdrawals exceeding $14,000 per year by a joint account holder (other than your spouse) may be treated as a gift by the IRS. This may subject you to gift tax.

In case of joint deposits, after the death of one of the depositors, the banks may allow variation/cancellation of a subsisting nomination by other surviving depositor (s) acting together. This is also applicable to deposits having operating instructions "either or survivor".

The money in joint accounts belongs to both owners. Either person can withdraw or spend the money at will — even if they weren't the one to deposit the funds. The bank makes no distinction between money deposited by one person or the other, making a joint account useful for handling shared expenses.

Joint Bank Account Rules on Death

"The joint owner becomes the legal and equitable owner of all funds in a joint account at the instant of death," says Doehring. "It does not become part of the probate estate."

Joint Account with Spouse: If the joint account is held between spouses, any interest earned from the account is generally considered to be income of the first account holder (primary account holder) for tax purposes. It will be taxed as per the individual's applicable income tax slab rates.

A joint account might damage your credit score

Opening a joint account adds a financial link to the other person. This means companies will look at both of your credit histories as part of any credit checks. If they have a poor credit history, this might lower your chances of acceptance.

SBI, ICICI, HDFC, Ujjivan Small Finance Bank, Yes Bank, Kotak Mahindra, RBL Bank, DBS, IndusInd and IDFC First Bank are among some of the lenders offering joint accounts.

In the United States, there are typically two types of joint accounts: survivorship accounts and convenience accounts.

Do joint account holders have equal rights? ›

Joint account holders have the same rights and access to an account as the primary account holder. A joint account holder can designate beneficiaries to the account without authorization from the primary account holder. A beneficiary has no rights or access to your accounts.

You get up to £170,000 protected in a joint account

It's simply the same protection as if each account holder had a separate account. The best way to work out the protection that applies is to know that the FSCS considers that half the money in the account belongs to each person. An example should help...

The Tax Implications of Joint Bank Accounts

If the interest of a connected joint account and fixed deposit is more than Rs. 10,000 per year, the primary account holder is subject to TDS. Joint account of two non-related persons is not accountable to deduction for withdrawals of up to Rs.

When you have a joint bank account, you don't need your partner's permission to take a withdrawal. You can remove funds from that account on your own, and your bank won't ask for verification that the other person on the account is okay with that transaction.

What documents are required to open a joint bank account? Each account holder must provide valid identity proof and address proof documents, such as Aadhaar card, PAN card, passport, voter ID, or driver's license. Additionally, passport-size photographs of all account holders may be required.

In many cases, a judge overseeing divorce proceedings will award each member of a splitting couple 50% of what's in a joint bank account. There can be exceptions, but your best bet is to leave that money alone until you receive instructions on what to do with it.

Primary account holders are legally responsible for the account. Primary account holders can name others as "authorized users" on the account, but they remain responsible for it. Joint account holders share responsibility for that account and both are considered primary account holders.

If the funds in your joint bank account are considered separate property and owned exclusively by your spouse, they may legally be able to drain the account. Similarly, even if the account is community property, a spouse may be able to withdraw money for reasonable living expenses, legal fees, and children's expenses.

A joint account generally passes outside of the will because it is considered to be a non-probate asset meaning it passes directly to the surviving owner rather than through the will.