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Unlocking bank accounts in the Czech Republic 

Fast and professional assistance in unlocking accounts for private individuals and businesses of any form of ownership

Faced with a tax freeze on your account? Not sure how to unlock your company’s current account or a sole proprietor’s account? The NAWI team offers legal services for legal and private persons in the Czech Republic.

Don’t let financial restrictions hold back your business. Contact us immediately and regain control of your assets.

We specialize in unlocking assets, providing:
  • expert assistance in unlocking a bank account;
  • professional support;
  • a personalized approach.
OUR ACHIEVEMENTS

Account freeze issue: consequences for individuals and legal entities

An account freeze is the suspension of access to financial transactions, including the prohibition on disposing of funds in a current account. Individuals may face difficulties in managing personal finances. Legal entities are more often faced with a halt in business operations, leading to customer loss and deal disruptions.

An account can be frozen in two ways:

  • Imposing a seizure on the funds in the account.
  • Prohibition on conducting any transactions on the account.

 

If you need to unlock a current account or require assistance in unlocking a sole proprietor’s account, contact NAWI specialists.

Reasons for account freezing:
    Tax Authority Actions
  • Delay in tax payments
  • Errors in tax reporting
  • Failure to provide tax reports
    Changes in Banking Policy or Legislation
  • New requirements from the European Central Bank
  • Changes in the rules of the Czech National Bank
    Enforcement of Judicial or Administrative Decisions
  • Seizure of accounts to ensure the settlement of debt obligations AML Review
    Anti-Money Laundering
  • Violation of currency legislation
  • Suspicion of legalization of criminally obtained income
  • Suspicion of money laundering
    Actions of Law Enforcement Agencies
  • Investigation of criminal cases
  • Conducting investigative activities

Unusual Cases of Account Freezing 

Account freezing doesn’t always have obvious reasons. The bank makes the decision to freeze assets in stages. 

Initially, the client’s account is automatically checked, and then accounts whose activities the system perceives as suspicious are reviewed directly by a bank officer. 

Thus, the reasons for atypical cases of blocking include:
  • Client Rating. Often, account owners who are not residents of the Czech Republic receive a high-risk mark in the bank’s CRM system.
  • Transactions from dubious counterparties. If you receive a payment from persons the bank considers suspicious, or a transaction from a country on the EU sanctions list.
  • Non-standard transactions and customer behavior scenarios. Typically, this category includes transferring unusually large sums in a short period, frequent transactions, transfers to or from countries with a high risk of money laundering.
  • Technical reasons. Failures in banking systems, errors in documentation.

How Stricter Legislation Affects Account Freezing

The tightening of legislation regulating banking activities has led to an increase in account blocking cases in recent years. The main reason is suspicion of money laundering or terrorism financing, initiated by the Financial Analytical Office of the Ministry of Finance of the Czech Republic (FAÚ).

According to Czech and EU laws, banks are required to notify FAÚ about suspicious transactions without informing the client.

    According to FAÚ data for 2023:
  • Funds blocked amounted to CZK 3.897 billion;
  • Number of requests for investigation — 7,114;
  • Cases transferred to the General Financial Directorate — 2,496;
  • Criminal complaints filed — 995, with funds blocking — 751;
  • Cases transferred to the police — 924;
  • Cases to the Customs Administration — 457.
Consequences of Account Freezing

    An account freeze typically lasts a few days; however, funds are often frozen for an extended period, which can seriously complicate their withdrawal, leading to downtime and potential business destruction.

    The decision to freeze funds can lead to criminal proceedings under the Criminal Code of the Czech Republic:

  • Article 216 “Legalization of income obtained illegally”;
  • Article 209 “Fraud”.
If the tax authority has frozen an account, resolving how to unfreeze it becomes critical for continuing operations. NAWI provides assistance in unfreezing accounts and offers consultancy on compliance with legislation.
Key advantages of collaborating with NAWI:
Bank Account Frozen – What to Do?
    1. Do not panic or take hasty actions. We advise against trying to unfreeze the account by yourself. Unplanned and chaotic decisions can lead to worse outcomes, errors in documentation, and subsequently, loss of money.

    2. Seek professional legal support. Individuals lacking knowledge and experience in unfreezing bank accounts are almost unlikely to resolve the issue on their own. It is crucial to consult specialists in a timely manner.

    NAWI lawyers thoroughly examine the client’s financial portfolio, consider the most likely reasons for the account freeze, and explore possible solutions:

  • We independently compile a package of documents;
  • We contact banks and bank officers;
  • We negotiate on your behalf;
  • We actively facilitate the rapid unfreezing of assets based on the current situation.

If necessary, we can help open a new account in a Czech bank (personal, settlement, correspondent, guarantee, LORO account, NOSTRO account, capital account).

    3. Explore the possibility of compensation. If business losses are incurred due to the freezing of funds, compensation from the state may be possible. Our lawyers will assist in preparing the necessary documents and will represent your interests in compensation matters with the relevant authorities.
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FAQ
What is an account freeze?
An account freeze is a suspension of access to financial transactions and the control over funds in a bank account.
What is often confused with an account freeze?
An account freeze is often mistaken for a fund freeze or an account seizure, where only certain operations are restricted, not the entire account.
What to do if your bank account is frozen?
Maintain calm, seek qualified assistance, obtain legal support, and collaborate with professionals to quickly unfreeze your bank account.
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