What Is a Currency Transaction Report?

By Kristi Waterworth – Updated Jul 1, 2025 at 3:08 AM EST

Key Points

Transactions over $10,000 trigger a currency transaction report under the Bank Secrecy Act.
Structuring deposits to avoid reports can still alert banks and lead to a possible suspicious activity report.
Legitimate large transactions shouldn't concern you, as these reports are standard and usually inconsequential.

Have you ever wondered what would happen if you deposited or withdrew a significant amount of money from your bank at once? Sometimes, it triggers a currency transaction report. But don't worry -- these happen often, and unless you're committing a crime, you should be just fine. Read on to understand what's happening behind the scenes.

Loading paragraph...

ATM cash withdrawal of hundred dollar bills. — Image source: Getty Images.

Loading image...

Loading paragraph...

Suspicious Activity Report (SAR)

A report filed by financial institutions to alert authorities about potentially illegal or suspicious financial transactions or activities.

And maybe you deposit twice a day for a few days or even once a day for a week. Your bank can still see those transactions and has a record of them adding up -- even if you're doing it at different branches. This behavior will absolutely trigger a currency transaction report, as well as a suspicious activity report.

Loading paragraph...

Money Laundering

Money laundering is the process of making illegally gotten financial assets appear as though they were obtained legally.

But if you're suspected of money laundering, that's where it gets more dicey, and the suspicious activity report comes into play. Even if you're "only" trying to structure your transactions to avoid the currency transaction report -- which doesn't work, by the way -- you will trigger a suspicious activity report to go along with your currency transaction report.

Related investing topics

Loading paragraph...

How to Spot a Pump-and-Dump Cryptocurrency Scam

The internet has scams? Who knew? We do, and we explain a common crypto scam for you.

How to Avoid Social Security Scams

Keep your money and personal information safe from imposters.

How to Spot and Avoid Student Loan Forgiveness Scams

Scammers prey on people who aren't fully informed about legitimate student loan forgiveness programs.

Loading hub_pages...

A suspicious activity report is more than just a form with some basic information on it, like a currency transaction report. It's a case narrative of what you've been doing at the bank and why the people there think it's fishy.

So, if you structure your deposits or commit wire fraud, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) will likely become involved. They'll decide what happens next, which includes potential federal criminal charges.

Loading paragraph...

About the Author

Kristi Waterworth has been a contributing real estate and financial expert at The Motley Fool, covering real estate, investing, and personal finance topics, since 2020. Kristi has been interviewed by various TV media outlets and podcasts for her real estate investing expertise – from residential real estate to digital real estate and everything in between. Kristi’s journalist career spans over 25 years, and she has written about real estate investing, homeownership, and home construction specifically for the last decade. She was also previously a licensed Realtor and general building contractor before the Great Recession and housing market collapse. She holds a bachelor’s degree in American history from Columbia College in Missouri.

TMFMaldivesBlue

@MaldivesBlues

The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.