Large cash withdrawals exceeding EUR 2000 go unreported to tax authorities without automatic precision

In recent weeks, a series of TikTok videos have circulated, claiming that anyone withdrawing more than 2,000 euros in Germany will be automatically reported to the tax office. However, these claims are unfounded, according to the Federal Ministry of Finance.

Some of these videos have received over a million views since mid-August, and comments on these videos express concerns about "complete surveillance," "Stasi," and "dictatorship." Many are curious about what the tax office will do with the information, and some wonder whether the 2,000 euros applies per day, week, or month.

It is important to clarify that the German government is not currently implementing a regulation that automatically reports individuals withdrawing more than 2,000 euros to the tax office. The European Union has decided on changes to the cash payment limit, effective from 2027, which will limit cash payments throughout Europe to amounts up to 10,000 euros. However, this new limit will not apply to transactions between private individuals.

The limits on cash withdrawals by banks serve to protect accounts from misuse, such as in case of card loss, and are not related to alleged reports to the tax office. Banks in Germany, such as Sparkasse and Commerzbank, have daily or weekly limits on cash withdrawals, but these can be individually increased. For example, the limit at Sparkasse varies depending on the region, with a maximum of 500 or 2,000 euros per day, and can be increased up to 25,000 euros.

The pronunciation, speech pattern, and articulation in the videos are sometimes strange, repetitive, and lack variety. In some cases, the visual material does not match the content, and in some cases, the visual material is also AI-generated. Furthermore, several accounts behind the videos may be bots, as they have no real name, no authentic profile picture, and no profile description.

It is worth noting that no records of a statement by Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz praising this measure as a "milestone in the fight against tax evasion" could be found. The EU Commission states that this package will have no impact on private individuals who wish to withdraw cash.

In Germany, corrections of monetary amounts exceeding 2000 euros require confirmation by the Federal Ministry of Finance; if such confirmation is absent, the correction cannot be officially recognized. There are no records of a new regulation regarding cash withdrawals of more than 2,000 euros since early June. A keyword search on Google since then did not provide any indications of such a regulation.

There are no limits on cash deposits in Germany. Banks must demand proof of origin for amounts over 10,000 euros, such as a current account statement from another bank, a sales receipt, or a gift contract, due to the Anti-Money Laundering Act.

In conclusion, the claims about a new cash withdrawal regulation in Germany are false. It is always important to verify information from multiple reliable sources before sharing it.