How much may I pay in cash?
Five thousand euros — and fifteen thousand between private individuals. Act 394/2012 on the restriction of cash payments sets two different lines, and that is exactly what people confuse. If one of the parties is a business — a company or a sole trader — a cash payment above €5,000 is prohibited. If the payment is between non-businesses, that is two private individuals acting outside a trade, the line is €15,000. The classic case: buying a used car from a private seller for €12,000 in cash is fine; the same sum paid to a dealership is not. And splitting the sum into several smaller payments does not help.
📋 The rules
- With a business: cash above €5,000 is prohibited
- Between non-businesses: the line is €15,000
- The rule is in Act 394/2012
- An individual: a fine of up to €10,000
- A business: a fine of up to €150,000
🔓 Exceptions
- Splitting one payment into several smaller ones does not evade the ban
- The Act contains specific exemptions, for instance for payments during a crisis situation
- The Act has been amended; check the current wording in the Collection of Laws
⚠️ Penalties & fines
The sanctions are wildly out of proportion to how little the ban is known. An individual who breaches it commits an offence carrying a fine of up to €10,000. A company or sole trader commits an administrative delict and the fine can climb to €150,000. Slicing it up does not work either: splitting one payment into several smaller ones is judged by the true substance of the transaction, not by how many receipts you signed. And the person who received the money can be penalised too, not only the one who paid — the ban covers both handing over and accepting cash above the limit.
📎 Official sources
- Slov-Lex · Act 394/2012 →
- Ministry of Finance · Restriction of cash payments →
- Financial Administration · Cash payments →
❓ Frequently asked
Why are there two different limits?
The Act distinguishes by who is paying whom. If either party is a business — a company or a sole trader — the limit is €5,000. If two private individuals are paying each other outside a trade, the line is €15,000.
Can I buy a car with cash?
From a private seller, yes, up to €15,000. From a dealership or company, only up to €5,000 — above that the payment must be made without cash, by transfer or by deposit into the seller's account.
Does splitting it into several payments help?
No. Dividing one payment into several smaller ones does not evade the ban — what is judged is the true substance of the transaction, not the number of receipts. It is circumvention, with all that follows from it.
What is the fine?
An individual faces up to €10,000, a company or sole trader up to €150,000. And the person who accepted the cash can be penalised as well, not only the one who handed it over.
Does it apply to gifts within a family?
The Act covers handing over and accepting cash above the limit whatever the reason. Between non-businesses the line is €15,000, so ordinary family gifts generally fall well within it — large ones do not.
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