Spain: Withdraw Over €3,000 Cash Without Telling the Tax Man? You Risk Massive Fines

[nobel]

I hate cash anyway; I never withdraw money. Everything only by credit card. Collect points, cashback, air miles....
Cash is annoying because it's difficult to use. Shops refuse 100 EUR, 200 EUR notes, etc. Coins are also annoying, heavy and not hygienic.

 

[cuno]

Cash itself can be inconvenient, sure, but the freedom it gives you to buy things without anyone else knowing is becoming increasingly rare.

When you pay for everything with a card or other digital methods, you leave a trail everywhere, and you're basically giving permission for all kinds of institutions to use your data in ways you might not even be aware of.

Personally, I’m just tired of all the surveillance.

btw. crypto is the way of freedom as long as freedom last.

 

[CEOz]

Crypto is a must.

 

[JosephLL]

I hate cash anyway; I never withdraw money. Everything only by credit card. Collect points, cashback, air miles....
Cash is annoying because it's difficult to use. Shops refuse 100 EUR, 200 EUR notes, etc. Coins are also annoying, heavy and not hygienic.

Cash is the only lawful money. There is another medium called "reserves" ( ofc nothing has been "reserved" but anyway..) which should not concern you brcause they never circulate among us non-banks.

So, what you find hygienic is actually **not money by any law**, but a promise from a **private** entity.

The end goal of that private entity is actually to cut your ba..ls and replace it with a synthetic p...y.

 

[marioIT]

The decree targets banks and fintechs, not ordinary account‑holders.

What Royal Decree 253/2025 actually does:​

• Requires banks, e‑money institutions and card issuers to file:
  • Monthly reports of cash deposits, withdrawals, loans and account balances over €3,000.
  • Monthly reports of merchant card payments (the old €3,000 annual threshold disappears).
  • Annual reports on all card activity—charges, reloads and ATM cash, unless the card moves less than €25,000 a year.
• Extends the duty to foreign fintechs serving Spanish residents.
• Shifts most of the workload from yearly to monthly filings, tightening AEAT’s risk‑analysis window from 12 months to roughly 30 days.

The headline €150,000 figure is the maximum administrative penalty the AEAT can impose on entities that systematically fail to file or falsify the new reports.
Private customers are not in scope.
(now they will catch you quicker if you go over those thresholds as it will be reported monthly...)

https://cryptoslate.com/spain-demands-tighter-bank-oversight-fuels-bitcoin-appeal/
https://www.thelocal.es/20250513/fact-check-no-spain-does-not-fine-you-for-withdrawing-e3000

 

[Wysywyg]

Cash itself can be inconvenient, sure, but the freedom it gives you to buy things without anyone else knowing is becoming increasingly rare.

When you pay for everything with a card or other digital methods, you leave a trail everywhere, and you're basically giving permission for all kinds of institutions to use your data in ways you might not even be aware of.

Personally, I’m just tired of all the surveillance.

btw. crypto is the way of freedom as long as freedom last.

The tighter the regs, the more crypto and shadow banking (e.g. hawala) become.

 

[cuno]

Unfortunately, I believe that crypto will also eventually be subject to regulation, making it increasingly difficult to use coins that aren’t fully transparent. Right now, authorities across Europe are waging an open war on cash, and crypto will be next.

 

[CEOz]

I am sure zcash, monero will be the next target.

 

[uplana]

The headline €150,000 figure is the maximum administrative penalty the AEAT can impose on entities that systematically fail to file or falsify the new reports.
Private customers are not in scope.

I figured as much, the rest was probably just a headline meant to grab attention and drive clicks.