Both the [C(NH2)(3)](+) cations and the [Hg2Cl5](-) anions of the title compound occupy special positions on two different twofold axes, one passing through the central Cl atom of the anion (along [100]), the other along a C-N bond of the cation (along [010]). The coordination polyhedron around the I-Ig atom can be described as a distorted octahedron of six Cl atoms, with two short [2.306(5) and 2.322(4)Angstrom], two long [2.905(7) and 2.906(7)Angstrom] and two very long [3.271(6) and 3.344 (6) Angstrom] Hg-Cl distances. In the crystal structure, there are alternate layers of cations and polyanions. Taking the very long Hg-Cl contacts into account, the polyanions are built of Hg2Cl5- units (which can be described as two HgCl2 fragments connected via a chlorine anion), interconnected through the common square-planar coordinated Cl atom. Two factors act to stabilize the structure of the crystal, i.e. the electrostatic interaction between the adjacent layers and the network of N-H ... Cl hydrogen bonds.