To change my mind when he asked for payment in cash?

My bank didn’t need anything photographic

absolutely agree.

To all the people who don't have passports or a driving license:
a) a passport is just a form of ID. A bank will need a form of ID, and everyone should have that. Passport, driving license, some other form of ID.Identity card, whatever.
b) the second thing a bank needs is proof of address, So that could be a bank statement, a utility bill, etc.

So, just prove that you are who you say you are, and that you live where you say you live..... Not that difficult.

I was approved for a basic bank account (no overdraft etc) in about 5 minutes after sending my passport and a utility bill.

I dont go abroad and dont want to drive for various reasons. I dont have enough spare money to pay for a passport or provisional for the once in a billion years I need them for ID.

In the last 2 years I've applied for (and got) a new bank account, a DBS check, UC, all with out photo ID. All took slightly longer than usual, but all perfectly possible.

I don't have any problem paying cash to tradesmen. I have ordered doors and floors and they requested the fitters are paid in cash on the day, no issues.
No tax evasion involved.
Got a store receipt from the company for the full amount supplied and fitted.

I mean it’s not, but it’s the best chinese takeaway in the town I’m in so. 🤷‍♀️

Staggered by the casual acceptance of tax evasion in this thread. It really is disgusting how many people think tax evasion is a good thing if it saves them cash.

My nearest bank is 45 mins away. The only card machine in the village works about twice a week. I don't know how I would get that much cash out locally!

I'd say no as well - bank transfer or forget it.

If you are paying the "men" get your own cash out you tax evader!

i bought my first passport this year as I needed it to get my Vinted earrings out as they went past a certain amount. Purely for that.

I had a bank account, I’d been with nationwide since child with my child passport I believe so I was fine to make another account there as an adult without ID. They never asked for it.

not everyone has one as standard, it’s expensive and I never go abroad.

I applied for PIP without needing any id except a doctors letter. I’ve been on UC before and it was a bit of a faff and I had to go up in person but bank card sufficed

i am epileptic and my fits aren’t controlled so wouldn’t ever be entitled for a license

I didn’t have a passport or license until this year.

"You're very naive if you think everyone has a passport and/or driving license."

Hi - well then I may be very naive.. How can someone not have a passport? Or any other form of photo ID?

The driving license was just an example - for a bank account, you need a form of photo ID such as a passport) and a proof of your address (it could be driving license, utility bill, various other forms of proof of address).
But passport? Surely everyone has a passport.... am I wrong in thinking this?
Doesn't everyone just have a passport as standard? Happy to be proven wrong but it does seem like the norm.
I have all my family's passports and other documents scanned, so I can send them to whichever authority needs them.
(I know that, for example in Italy a lot of people didn't used to have passports, just Identity Cards, but I think that's changed now)

I’ve managed to reverse a transaction due to quality issues.

i Would only ever pay in cash if the job was done already, never upfront.

Not for any of the reasons that the PP indicated such as quality issues, and not if the recipient disputes it.

Cash is safest for concluding a transaction definitively, followed by bank transfer. Never accept cards for significant payments - and there is no obligation to do so. However, if no other payment method is agreed, there is an obligation to pay in cash.

You're very naive if you think everyone has a passport and/or driving license. I changed banks last year and it was a pain. Not impossible, but took far longer than "seconds"

I don't think everyone being paid in cash is dodging tax, but most people I know who earn "cash in hand" do it for that exact reason. My SIL thinks the fact that her DH (my brother) earns mostly cash in hand is brilliant. They declare just enough between them to be able to claim the max they can in UC without any more work commitments. Everything else is cash in hand. I wonder if she'd be so happy if he left her and dodged paying CM in the same way!

a bank transfer can also be reversed

Really? I’ve managed to achieve a chargeback for two physical services before.

In that case he won't have any problem providing a legal invoice for work done and cash received. Which does not seem the case the OP has explained.

It is very hard for physical services to achieve a chargeback, but for reasons of customer card fraud many trades would not accept card schemes, but only bank transfers - which have no chargeback. Your route for quality issues is the courts.

My local Chinese takeaway insists on cash but will take card begrudgingly. Are they dodging tax?

And everyone should be concerned about whether builders are paying their taxes or not. Unless you like paying more tax so they don't have to.

He's a cowboy. If he's slagging you off online I would just comment saying you were quite happy for him to do the work but your agreement fell apart when he demanded to be paid cash in hand.

Yeah but the thing is if he does a shoddy job or runs off with the money OP hasn’t got a leg to stand on. With banks you can do chargebacks if something bad happens or he’s a scammer.

frankly I am not arsed if he’s not paying his taxes, but I want security in my purchase

YABU. Cash is completely legitimate and unless he/she offers to accept other payment methods is the payment method you should assume. There is no obligation to pay fees to banks or other institutions just to accept payment - cash is expected and required unless they've agreed to otherwise, and if your other payment methods didn't work you would be expected to produce it in any case without delay.

There is no reason to assume tax fraud, and frankly that's their legal obligation not your concern.

If he’s paying the workers in cash it’s probably to avoid tax, so one has to wonder if he’s paying their full National Insurance, or compulsory workplace pension contributions either. Better to hire someone who puts it all on the books properly, and doesn’t get aggressive about clients wanting to pay by a method that is safe, reliable and happens to be traceable.