Structuring, also known as
smurfing in
banking jargon, is the practice of executing
financial transactions such as making bank deposits in a specific pattern, calculated to avoid triggering
financial institutions to file reports required by law, such as the United States'
Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) and
Internal Revenue Code section 6050I (relating to the requirement to file Form 8300). Structuring may be done in the context of
money laundering,
fraud, and other
financial crimes. Legal restrictions on structuring are concerned with limiting the size of domestic transactions for individuals.