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AIBU?

AIBU to not be an cash point for my boss?

161 replies

kardashianklone · 21/04/2018 07:51

New job (in the UK). Boss not a UK national and is paid into non UK account in home currency. Boss flat out refuses to open UK bank account. Boss claims they cannot take out money from AMT using their home bank account card an Amex (which I think is not true- more likely boss doesn't want to pay transaction fees). Boss wants to PayPal me the money and for me to take out cash from my account for every transaction. This includes small things like lunches and coffees from Pret and big things like their council tax, water rates bill, electricity bill etc. So we are talking easily over a grand quite quickly. Things like household bills are very hard to pay if you don't have a UK bank account or UK registered credit or debit card and you usually have to make international wire transfers (which incur a fee) and they also don't accept Amex which is what boss have. Even buying train tickets on line is a nightmare. I think that 1. It is somewhat unethical of boss to ask me but I can't put my finger on why exactly and 2. what if I ever got audited and hmrc wants to know what this random influx of money that is not from employment is? Boss has asked me twice to do this. I have said clearly "no I don't want to do it, I feel uncomfortable ". Boss ignored me and said "it would really help me out and other people have done it for me" and did sad face and kept the pressure up. AIBU unreasonable and help me articulate why please!

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SavvyBlancBlonde · 21/04/2018 07:54

Sorry - no can do

You don’t have paypal plus you don’t want the fees
You don’t do online banking so this would upset your accounts at home

It does matter if he buys it. No is a complete answer here.

Does your boss have a superior or is there HR?

Juiceylucy09 · 21/04/2018 07:54

How cheeky and inappropriate.

Especially since you said no. Hmrc is a good reason say that to him. It is wrong of him the CF.

BigPinkBall · 21/04/2018 07:57

It will look like money laundering to the banks. Explain to your boss that they don’t have to pay for a bank account in the uk and it would be much simpler if they just opened their own account rather than relying on other people.

borlottibeans · 21/04/2018 07:58

This makes me think of the scam where they send you a cheque, you give them the money, then the cheque bounces

At the very least, as you say, you'd have an awful lot of someone else's money going through your account which could look like undeclared income or money laundering.

Does your company have HR? This is very definitely an HR thing. Or if not and/or you don't want to accuse your boss of something dodgy, could you say you're applying for eg a mortgage so your bank statements need to be an accurate reflection of your income and outgoings?

MrsT4 · 21/04/2018 07:58

Nope Nope Nope!

Is Boss self employed? Can you see the source of these funds? You are massively putting yourself at risk of being a cog in a money laundering wheel here. And opening yourself up to all the consequences of that.

It is not difficult to open a uk bank account if your boss is legitimate and has a UK residence.

Do NOT do this. And start looking for a new job, he sounds dodgy.

NoSquirrels · 21/04/2018 08:00

No.

Boss can open a UK bank account and PayPal into that. Unless he doesn’t have the right documents for a UK account, which makes his status all the more fishy.

Just say no.

Whocansay · 21/04/2018 08:02

Sounds like he doesn't want to bring money into the country to avoid paying tax. This is tax evasion. You will be in serious trouble if you help him. Don't do it.

WellThisIsShit · 21/04/2018 08:02

Your boss sounds vile and very dodgy!

I’d say ‘for tax reasons’? And that you could be accused of money laundering and you’d have no defense as your boss is asking you to take large amounts of money illegally (certainly not through proper channels eg a salary, a U.K. bank account or properly declared via hmrc), into a U.K. bank account and turn it into acceptable / legal goods and services for him... which sounds exactly like money laundering to my uneducated ears! He can tell you where the money is supposed to have come from, but you really have no proof of that and it amounts to you having to take on trust this mans word, when he is clearly behaving in a very non trustworthy manner. I also wonder who is liable / responsible for this? You or him? I suspect saying ‘my boss said it was ok’ isn’t much of a defense, and I’d be extremely concerned he’s setting you up to be the one who’s guilty of fraud/ money laundering / whatever if it ever got found out?

To be honest I’m not an expert (that much is obvious!) but that would be why I’d feel uncomfortable with doing what your boss is asking.

NoSquirrels · 21/04/2018 08:03

He IS using you to avoid having a record in UK of his money through a bank account, so it IS dodgy. “Flat out refuses” has to be for a reason that isn’t legit.

billybagpuss · 21/04/2018 08:03

I'll ditto what pink ball said.

I worked in a bank for many years and that would look like money laundering. The banker can be prosecuted for not reporting it including fines and jail time. I would have reported that like a shot.

gamerwidow · 21/04/2018 08:03

Do not do this! I'm not sure what your boss is up to but this whole business feels dodgy to me.
I can't think of a single legitimate reason for not opening a UK bank account. It's surely more difficult for him to transfer money to you and rely on you to pay for stuff then to just get a UK account. The fact he is prepared to inconvenience himself this way makes me think something morally suspect is underway.

ChasedByBees · 21/04/2018 08:07

Absolutely not for the reasons the others have said above. Tax implications for both of you and looking like money laundering. Even without the legal problems (and they are big) it’s his problem to sort out. What incentive is there to make it yours?

In my work place, if we’re on a meeting out of the office I can’t ask someone who works for me to buy me a coffee even (even though they’d claim it back) as the power imbalance makes it potentially coercive.

Lacucuracha · 21/04/2018 08:07

You were 110% per cent right to say no.

How nany employees does he have? Why is he picking on you? Because you're female?

Does he have no family/friends?

TrickOrRuddyTreat · 21/04/2018 08:10

YANBU at all! Apart from anything else there are potential money laundering issues here - you don't know where the money is coming from originally and just because he says it's wages doesn't make it true!

Tell him it's completely inappropriate to ask you and that due to individual responsibility to report suspected money laundering he is putting you in a difficult position so if he asks again you'll have no choice but to make a report to HM Revenue and Customs to cover yourself. I'd also tell HR.

bonnyshide · 21/04/2018 08:10

Exactly what others have said, a large amount of someone else's money moving through your account will have tax implications.

Just say NO and mean it.

RandomMess · 21/04/2018 08:13

Decide on a statement and email them it.

"I have looked into this and it would have serious tax implications for me and could be considered as money laundering which my bank would flag up automatically"

Which country is their bank account in and do you have a HR dept?

TrickOrRuddyTreat · 21/04/2018 08:13

I took so long typing my post that I missed everyone else saying the same thing! Oops!

ScreenQueen · 21/04/2018 08:18

He sounds like he's filing as a non dom with HMRC on the remittance basis (fine) not declaring his remittances in UK for tax purposes (not fine) and using you as his tax evasion mule (not fine at all).

dentydown · 21/04/2018 08:19

He could get a prepay bank card and PayPal the money into that.
You are not a bank and you could get into trouble as mentioned by other posters.
I could understand a one off coffee or lunch, but he’s asking you to cover his living expenses then pay it back! Not on

JustSeeingHowManyCharactersWeC · 21/04/2018 08:19

Say you get charged for cash with drawals.

Loonoon · 21/04/2018 08:20

This sounds dodgy af. I think it's time to look for a new job - is that doable? He does not sound like a person you want to be associated with.

Myimaginarycathasfleas · 21/04/2018 08:25

“I’ve spoken to my financial advisor about this and s/he has told me it has legal and tax implications so I mustn’t do it. Sorry, I can’t help.”

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TestingTestingWonTooFree · 21/04/2018 08:25

I’d consider doing it for someone I liked who was over for a week, but not on a medium-long term basis. I think he should be asking for favours up the hierarchy not down. If you have HR I’d give them a call, say boss is having some issues getting hold of U.K. cash. Can they help him out please? He’s asked for x and you’ve obviously had to say no.

Snowman123 · 21/04/2018 08:25

It sounds like you could unintentionally be helping her to launder money.

Even although she is not a UK national, with no UK bank account there is a good chance she is liable for UK taxes if she is working in the UK (would depend on her county of residence and how long she is working in the UK for)

It sounds like a difficult situation but you need to find a way of saying no.

NoTNoShade · 21/04/2018 08:26

Why is it your problem that he ‘flat out refuses to open a UK bank account ‘?

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