<P> When a transaction involving more than $10,000 in cash is processed , most banks have a system that automatically creates a CTR electronically . Tax and other information about the customer is usually pre-filled by the bank software . CTRs since 1996 include an optional checkbox at the top if the bank employee believes the transaction to be suspicious or fraudulent , commonly called a SAR , or Suspicious Activity Referral . A customer is not directly told about the $10,000 threshold unless they initiate the inquiry . A customer may decline to continue the transaction upon being informed about the CTR , but this would require the bank employee to file a SAR . Once a customer presents or asks to withdraw more than $10,000 in currency , the decision to continue the transaction must continue as originally requested and may not be reduced to avoid the filing of a CTR . For instance , if a customer reneges on their initial request to deposit or withdraw more than $10,000 in cash , and instead requests the same transaction for $9,999 , the bank employee should deny such a request and continue the transaction as originally requested by filing a CTR . This sort of attempt is known as structuring , and is punishable by federal law against both the customer and the bank employee . Those who habitually run transactions just under the $10,000 threshold will likely subject themselves to scrutiny and / or the filing of a SAR . </P>
<P> When a transaction involving more than $10,000 in cash is processed , most banks have a system that automatically creates a CTR electronically . Tax and other information about the customer is usually pre-filled by the bank software . CTRs since 1996 include an optional checkbox at the top if the bank employee believes the transaction to be suspicious or fraudulent , commonly called a SAR , or Suspicious Activity Referral . A customer is not directly told about the $10,000 threshold unless they initiate the inquiry . A customer may decline to continue the transaction upon being informed about the CTR , but this would require the bank employee to file a SAR . Once a customer presents or asks to withdraw more than $10,000 in currency , the decision to continue the transaction must continue as originally requested and may not be reduced to avoid the filing of a CTR . For instance , if a customer reneges on their initial request to deposit or withdraw more than $10,000 in cash , and instead requests the same transaction for $9,999 , the bank employee should deny such a request and continue the transaction as originally requested by filing a CTR . This sort of attempt is known as structuring , and is punishable by federal law against both the customer and the bank employee . Those who habitually run transactions just under the $10,000 threshold will likely subject themselves to scrutiny and / or the filing of a SAR . </P>
is an attempt to avoid large currency reporting
is an attempt to avoid large currency reporting
structuring
structuring