Both Slovakia and the Czech Republic cap cash payments, but the numbers — and the surrounding rules — differ. In Slovakia a cash payment may not exceed EUR 5,000 whenever at least one party acts as a business, and EUR 15,000 between private individuals, with fines up to EUR 150,000. In the Czech Republic there is a single daily limit of CZK 270,000. And while Slovakia still requires cash takings to be recorded through the eKasa system, the Czech Republic abolished its equivalent, EET, at the start of 2023.
What are the cash payment limits?
In Slovakia, Act No. 394/2012 Coll. sets two thresholds. A cash payment above EUR 5,000 is prohibited whenever a business or legal entity is involved, which covers most commercial transactions; between private, non-business individuals the ceiling is EUR 15,000. Anything above must be paid non-cash.
In the Czech Republic, Act No. 254/2004 Coll. sets a single limit of CZK 270,000, measured as the sum of all payments between the same payer and recipient within one calendar day, foreign currencies included. In both countries the limit cannot be sidestepped by splitting one obligation into several smaller cash payments — the amounts are added together.
What are the penalties?
Penalties fall on both the payer and the recipient. In Slovakia a non-business individual faces a fine of up to EUR 10,000, while a business or legal entity faces up to EUR 150,000. In the Czech Republic exceeding the limit is an administrative offence carrying a fine of up to CZK 500,000 for a non-business individual and up to CZK 5,000,000 for a business or legal entity.
In each case the authority sets the amount according to the seriousness and circumstances of the breach. The practical takeaway is the same in both countries: for sums near or above the limit, pay by transfer and keep the documentation.
Which payments are exempt?
Both laws carve out situations where a non-cash payment is impractical. Typical exemptions cover payments connected with the activities of banks and currency exchange, and payments made during a state of emergency or crisis; the Czech law also exempts, for instance, tax and duty payments and wages. For an ordinary business these exceptions are marginal, and the safe assumption is that anything above the threshold must go by transfer.
The exemptions do not change the basic discipline: keep documentation for every larger payment, because a clear, traceable record is exactly what protects you if the tax authority asks questions later.
eKasa vs EET: the real difference
The sharper contrast is in recording cash takings. Slovakia keeps the eKasa system under Act No. 289/2008 Coll.: a business receiving cash for goods or defined services to a final consumer must record the takings and issue a receipt. The cash-limit and eKasa rules apply at the same time — one governs how much cash you may accept, the other how you must record it.
The Czech Republic went the other way. Electronic records of sales (EET) were abolished on 1 January 2023 by Act No. 458/2022 Coll., and the system is no longer operated even voluntarily. Czech businesses therefore face no blanket obligation to record takings through such a system, though ordinary bookkeeping and documentation duties remain.
Why do states restrict cash?
The purpose of these rules is not to complicate business but to curb tax evasion, money laundering and corruption. Large cash payments are hard to trace, which is why they became a target of regulation across the European Union. Non-cash payments leave a clear trail that a tax administration can verify.
For a company operating in both markets, the message is to treat each country’s rules separately: the Slovak thresholds and eKasa on one side, the single Czech limit without EET on the other. When in doubt near a limit, pay by transfer.
It is also worth remembering that the restriction binds both sides of a deal. The recipient must refuse cash above the limit even when it is offered, so neither party can assume the other carries the risk alone. Because the limit is measured on the value of the whole transaction — including any foreign-currency portion converted to the local currency — it should be considered when the price is first agreed, not only when the money changes hands.
How should a cross-border business handle cash?
A company active in both markets should set a simple internal rule — pay anything near or above the local limit by transfer, and keep cash only for small operational expenses. On top of that, a Slovak operation must run eKasa for retail takings, while a Czech operation does not, yet still needs proper cash records within its bookkeeping. You can read more in our overview of Slovak tax advisory for companies.
The mistake to avoid is applying one country’s practice to the other. The Slovak thresholds, the eKasa duty and the Czech single limit without EET are separate regimes, and treating them separately is the cleanest way to stay compliant and audit-ready.
Not sure whether a particular payment may be made in cash, or how to record cash takings correctly in either country? We are happy to set up your company’s cash regime in line with the law.
FAQ
How much may I pay in cash?
In Slovakia a cash payment may not exceed EUR 5,000 when a business is involved, or EUR 15,000 between private individuals. In the Czech Republic the limit is CZK 270,000 per calendar day between the same payer and recipient. Amounts above must be paid non-cash, and the limit cannot be avoided by splitting one payment into smaller parts.
What is the penalty for exceeding the limit?
Penalties apply to both the payer and the recipient. In Slovakia a non-business individual faces up to EUR 10,000 and a business or legal entity up to EUR 150,000; in the Czech Republic the fine reaches up to CZK 500,000 for a non-business individual and up to CZK 5,000,000 for a business or legal entity. The authority sets the amount according to the seriousness and circumstances of the breach.
Do I still have to record cash takings?
It depends on the country. Slovakia still requires cash takings from sales to final consumers to be recorded through eKasa under Act No. 289/2008 Coll. The Czech Republic abolished its EET system on 1 January 2023, so there is no blanket obligation there, although ordinary bookkeeping and documentation duties remain.