According to the Tax Authority, there is no legal limit on the amount of money a citizen can keep in his bank account. Anyone can hold €5,000, €50,000 or €250,000 without breaking any rules. However, some movements – especially cash – generate automatic notifications to the Treasury. Here comes the role of a number that many do not know.
Banks operate according to indicators set by the Bank of Spain and under Law No. 10/2010 on the Prevention of Money Laundering. This regulation requires certain operations to be reported to SEPBLAC, even when the owner is an ordinary wage worker who only deposits household savings.
The income monitored by the treasury in 2025
| factor | He deserves | date | fountain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cash deposit is subject to notification | 3000 euros | 2025 | Bank of Spain / Law 10/2010 |
From this moment the mystery is revealed: banks are obliged to notify the treasury of anything Cash income equal to or greater than 3,000 euros. Transactions that, without reaching this amount, are unusual for the client profile or appear to be fractions are also reported to avoid the minimum.
Why €3000 is the key figure
The rule does not punish having money, however How it moves. SEPBLAC classifies any relevant cash income as an analyzable transaction, since these types of movements do not leave immediate financial traceability. If someone deposits exactly €3,000 every two weeks, the system triggers an additional warning.
A compliance technician from a Spanish entity sums up the reasoning as follows: “We don’t look at the ending balance, we look at habits. Isolated extraordinary income activates nothing; Unjustified repetition, yes” (internal interview, January 2025).
What will happen with 10,000 euros?
Many users confuse this limit with the daily income limit. The amount of 10,000 euros only applies in two cases:
- Cross-border monetary movements: Any entry or exit from Spain of €10,000 or more must be declared using Form S1.
- Cash payments between individuals or companies: The law sets a maximum of €1,000 when an entrepreneur or professional intervenes.
Therefore, the real operational limit in bank accounts is €3,000 per cash deposit.
How do banks justify (and how should they justify)
When an office detects a suspicious transaction, it usually requests supporting documents: payslips, sales contract, transfer receipts, etc. This happens to anyone. On a Friday morning, a customer from central Madrid had to explain her income of 4,200 euros from selling her motorcycle; It was enough to show the contract to close the incident.
The IRS does not require taxes simply for depositing money, but it can ask for clarifications if the process does not fit the declared activity. There are two official quotes that confirm this criterion:
- “Entities are obligated to report operations that may be linked to money laundering.” — Law 10/2010, Art. 18 (BoE, last updated 2024).
- “Financial entities must implement enhanced supervisory measures when a transaction file does not match customer information.” — Bank of Spain, Supervision Guide 2024.
Movements that activate alertness the most
- Recurring cash receipts exceeding €2,000.
- A series of deposits worth 900-1200 euros made on consecutive days.
- Deposits from third parties who have no clear relationship with the owner.
- Remittances from at-risk countries.
- Income that does not match the declared income.
In 2025, the Bank of Spain reports that average household savings will grow by 3.7% year-on-year, with deposits exceeding €1.03 trillion. In this context, banks are improving algorithms to detect anomalies, not penalize savings.
So how much money can I have in my checking account?
Whatever you want. There is no limit. You can accumulate €65, €7,700 or €120,000 without Treasury intervention just to get the balance. Surveillance only appears when they mix monetary, Unexplained income also Inconsistent operations.
Is it worth splitting the income? On the contrary: doing so to avoid controls can generate more suspicion. The best practical recommendation is simple: keep supporting documents. It should be possible to explain a sale on Wallapop worth €350, a return from a family member or specific income from a professional activity without effort.
Banks also have a margin. If the customer is transparent, the incident will be resolved within minutes. If not, an internal file can be opened and a report submitted to SEPBLAC. This does not mean imposing an automatic penalty, but it does imply more careful monitoring.
Tips to avoid problems with the treasury
- Always keep receipts: Contracts, snapshots, invoices.
- Avoid splitting large incomes If the only goal is “not to attract attention.”
- Announcing complementary economic activities (Classes, workshops and occasional sales) to avoid discrepancies.
- Use transportation when possible; Provides instant tracking.
In short, the Treasury does not chase the balance, but rather the source of the funds. Through consistent documentation and transactions, any deposit – whether it is €500, €3,000 or €20,000 – is processed without any complications.