What transactions exactly count as "cash" for Form 8300 reporting?
Executive summary
Form 8300 requires businesses to report receipts of “cash” over $10,000 because Congress and regulators treat large cash receipts as a red flag for money laundering, tax evasion and other crimes [1] [2]. The IRS and FinCEN define “cash” broadly to include currency and certain monetary instruments, set precise rules for related/structured payments and list notable exceptions—understanding those categories is essential to know when a Form 8300 must be filed [3] [4].
1. What the IRS means by “cash” — currency and coin
At the most basic level, “cash” for Form 8300 explicitly includes U.S. and foreign coins and currency — the physical bills and coins that people instinctively think of as cash [5] [6]. The form and its instructions require reporting the amount in U.S. dollar equivalent when foreign currency is received, reinforcing that physical currency of any country counts if the aggregate exceeds the threshold [6] [5].
2. Cash equivalents: cashier’s checks, money orders, traveler's checks and bank drafts (with limits)
Beyond bills and coins, the rules treat certain monetary instruments as “cash” in specific circumstances: cashier’s checks, bank drafts, traveler's checks and money orders are included when received in a designated reporting transaction and the instrument’s face amount is $10,000 or less [5] [3]. Financial institutions, by contrast, have a separate obligation to report purchases of these instruments over $10,000 through currency transaction reports (CTR) — a distinction that affects which form is used and by whom [5] [3].
3. Designated reporting transactions and when non‑cash looks like cash
“Designated reporting transactions” — retail sales of consumer durables, collectibles, or travel and entertainment activities — trigger inclusion of cashier’s checks, money orders and similar instruments as reportable “cash” when paid to a trade or business [3] [5]. The IRS guidance and references make clear that the context of the sale matters: a business receiving such instruments in those retail scenarios may have to treat them as cash for Form 8300 purposes [3].
4. Related transactions, structuring and the 12‑month/24‑hour counting rules
Payments that are connected or clearly related must be aggregated: a business must file Form 8300 when it receives more than $10,000 in cash in a single transaction or in two or more related transactions, with specific timeframes applying (e.g., 12‑month related transaction counts and examples of 24‑hour aggregation are cited in institutional guidance) [3] [7] [8]. The IRS warns about “structuring”—attempts to split payments to evade reporting—and instructs businesses to combine related payments and to file if the combined cash exceeds $10,000 [3] [9].
5. What is not “cash” for Form 8300 — common non‑cash items and exceptions
Personal checks, wire transfers, credit card payments and other nonmonetary transfers generally do not count as cash for Form 8300 reporting [3] [9]. Certain transactions are also carved out: charitable contributions to tax‑exempt organizations need not be reported by the organization as Form 8300 reportable cash, and casinos follow different reporting requirements under FinCEN rules when cash is part of gaming activity [2] [4]. Agents who promptly pass received cash into a second reportable transaction and disclose the necessary information may also be exempt under narrow agent rules [4].
6. Filing triggers, timing and practical examples
Form 8300 must be filed within 15 days of the receipt that causes the cash total to exceed $10,000 and businesses must give notice to the named payer by January 31 of the following year for required filings [10] [1] [8]. The IRS and multiple university compliance guides illustrate practical scenarios — dealers, auto sales, jewelry purchases and university tuition payments — to show how a $6,000 cash payment followed by $5,000 in cash later can cross the threshold and trigger reporting [2] [3] [7].
7. Where reporting guidance is porous and what remains for practitioners to confirm
Sources consistently outline the main categories and examples, but routine gray areas remain: determining when transactions are “related” or whether instruments qualify as cash in unconventional deals can require judgment and, in complex cases, consultation with counsel or the IRS instructions [8] [4]. The IRS permits voluntary filings for suspicious activity even below $10,000, signaling that concerns about evasion can prompt reporting beyond strict dollar triggers [4].