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Cash limit lowered, until the end of 2026, for all businesses with POS terminals

2025-11-05 14:37:00, Ekonomi CNA

In the 2026 fiscal package, the government aims to reduce the use of cash in the economy by reducing the value of transactions and installing "POS" in all businesses for card payments.

New legal changes in tax procedures determine the reduction of the threshold for cash payments between businesses from 150,000 lek, which is currently 100,000 lek.

The amendments also establish a limit of 500,000 lek for cash transactions between individuals and self-employed persons/traders. Currently, the law does not provide for such a limit. The establishment of the limit of 500,000 lek was made based on existing transactions and also based on the experiences of other countries.

Data from the first half of 2025 shows that cash payments continue to remain high in the Albanian economy. Around 46.4% of invoicing between businesses and 9.7% of the value of transactions are still carried out in cash, despite the legal limit of 150,000 lek. Meanwhile, in relations between businesses and individuals, 90.6% of invoicing and 64.2% of the value of transactions are carried out in cash.

In this context, the fiscal authorities are proposing the obligation to equip every taxpayer with "POS" terminals at every point of sale, according to the deadlines set by law. The only exceptions will be entities that operate in areas without internet coverage, those who are exempt from issuing invoices, as well as self-employed individuals who are not subject to VAT and do not have more than one location of activity.

According to the project, accommodation structures, the transport sector and public institutions must be equipped with POS terminals by May 30, 2026, while other businesses by December 31, 2026. These deadlines aim to give taxpayers sufficient time to fulfill their obligations and facilitate the implementation process.

In support of this initiative, the Bank of Albania has undertaken a series of measures to reduce the costs of banking transactions and POS equipment. These include the free provision of a POS terminal by MasterCard for 12 months, starting from May 1, 2026, as well as promoting the implementation of the EU Interchange Fee Regulation, which limits bank fees.

According to financial institutions, these measures will help increase the use of electronic payments, formalize monetary circulation and reduce tax evasion./ Monitor