At a glance
- Threshold
- Cash of more than $10,000
- File within
- 15 days
- Related payments
- Added up over 12 months
- Keep
- 5 years
On this page
What Form 8300 is used for
The IRS and FinCEN use Form 8300 to follow large cash payments. A dealer files it when cash for a car, counted the IRS way, goes over $10,000. Filing is routine and doesn't accuse the buyer of anything; it only reports the payment. Use the free Form 8300 worksheet.
Cashier's checks, money orders and other instruments
In a retail sale of a consumer durable like a car, cashier's checks, bank drafts, traveler's checks and money orders with a face amount of $10,000 or less count as cash (26 CFR 1.6050I-1). One over $10,000 doesn't, because the bank that issued it already reports it. A cashier's check that is the proceeds of a bank loan isn't cash either; you may rely on the loan documents.
Personal checks and wire transfers are not cash for Form 8300.
Do you file? Common dealer scenarios
| What the buyer paid | File? |
|---|---|
| $12,000 in currency for one car | Yes |
| $7,000 in currency and a $4,000 cashier's check, same car | Yes |
| A $15,000 cashier's check | No |
| $9,000 in currency and a $15,000 cashier's check | No |
| $6,000 in currency down, then $5,000 in money orders later on the same car | Yes |
| A cashier's check from the buyer's bank loan | No |
| $20,000 by wire transfer or personal check | No |
Examples only. In the fifth row, the form is due 15 days after the payment that took the 12-month total over $10,000.
"How do I avoid Form 8300?"
You can't, legally. Breaking cash into smaller payments to stay under $10,000 is structuring, a federal crime for the buyer and for anyone who helps (31 U.S.C. 5324). The split payments still count, and cashier's checks of any size count when you know the buyer is trying to avoid the report.
If a buyer asks to split payments to avoid the form, say no, and file when the total crosses the threshold.
Filing, statements and records
- File within 15 days of the payment that crosses the threshold; if that day is a weekend or holiday, the next business day.
- E-file if your business files 10 or more other information returns in the year, such as W-2s and 1099s. Forms 8300 don't count toward that number.
- Send each buyer a statement by January 31 of the next year, with your business name, a contact, and the total cash reported.
- Keep a copy for 5 years with the supporting papers.
Rules checked and limits
Rules checked October 31, 2026. We read every rule on this page in the eCFR or on the agency's own site, and each is linked in the sources below. We re-check them every quarter.
Templates and tools, not legal advice. CarShots is software, not a law firm. For a question about your own dealership, ask your attorney or your state dealer association.