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Original poster

To think this is fraud and do I say something or stay out of it?

263 replies

doitellthem · 16/09/2025 09:22

I have NC'd for this. A friend of mine NEVER has to pay for work on her house...she has a family member who is high up in a business and so all of the work is put through the business. She says they are doing the jobs as favours! surely this is fraud! do i stay out of it or say something (who do i even report to!!)She currentky has a landscper in doing the garden...just so happens to be the landscaper who does the work for said business!

OP posts:
Original poster
doitellthem · 16/09/2025 11:04

Verywindyday · 16/09/2025 09:43

I understand what you mean OP.
Her relative owns Company A. Company B does work at your friends house but invoices company A who pays the bill. Friend gets job done for free and Company A has an invoice which is deductible for tax reasons as ‘repairs’
so yes, it’s in no way honest, but I’d still keep out of it. It goes on in plenty of larger businesses and as long as the invoice shows the work being done at Company A, then it can’t be proved otherwise.

yes this. The relative does not own company A...the job is being carried out by company B and Company A pays...unknowingly!

OP posts:
SparklingRivers · 16/09/2025 11:02

Summershutdown · 16/09/2025 09:51

Unless you own the business, it's nothing to do with you.

It's being used as a tax write off, so effectively being paid for by the government.

I wouldn't bother reporting it personally, but I'm surprised how many people are fine with this when benefit fraud threads are full of people saying to report it because it's government money being used.

rainingsnoring · 16/09/2025 10:58

spicetails · 16/09/2025 10:57

We don’t know what’s happening - the OPs description is so ambiguous

Show quote history

I completely agree with you. I said the same in an earlier post, tagged her and asked her to clarify. I also said 'if this is what is happening' in the post you have quoted.

spicetails · 16/09/2025 10:57

rainingsnoring · 16/09/2025 10:55

If this is what is happening, it is tax evasion. It's funny how people seem to be condoning this (if this is indeed what is happening) but are very hard on fraudulent benefit claims and tax avoidance (not even evasion necessarily) by wealthy individuals and companies.

Show quote history

We don’t know what’s happening - the OPs description is so ambiguous

WhamBamThankU · 16/09/2025 10:56

I’d suggest you get a life. And end contact with your lucky friend as you clearly aren’t hers

Hoppinggreen · 16/09/2025 10:56

This affects you how exactly?

rainingsnoring · 16/09/2025 10:55

WhitegreeNcandle · 16/09/2025 10:50

I think you’ve used the wrong language. It’s not fraud but it’s not honest.

So I’m a farmer. If I buy an oven for a workers house it can be a business expense so I won’t pay tax on the £50 the oven cost me. I could be cheeky and buy an oven for my house and just not write on the invoice which house it’s for and charge the business. Therefore saving myself a tiny weeny bit of tax.

Another example more related to yours would be our farm pays a landscape gardener once a month to tidy up round some business units we have. I could send that gardener to my mates house, the invoice is sent to my farm and just says “general landscape work” we pay it saving a bit of tax, my mate buys me dinner and everyone bar HMRC is happy.

Quite surprised there are so many people on this thread that thinks that is ok. In my mind it’s stealing from the taxpayer. I don’t like people who abuse the benefit system and I think it’s abusing the tax system. It’s not honest. It is rife amongst self employed and small business though.

If this is what is happening, it is tax evasion. It's funny how people seem to be condoning this (if this is indeed what is happening) but are very hard on fraudulent benefit claims and tax avoidance (not even evasion necessarily) by wealthy individuals and companies.

BunfightBetty · 16/09/2025 10:53

TheOtherAgentJohnson · 16/09/2025 09:36

Christ why are some Brits such narks? Does it come from all the forelock tugging over royals and toffs? Too much deference to unearned authority.

Weird you think this, because as a Brit I read these threads and think 'Christ, it's now become clear how the Stasi prospered in East Germany'.

Hideous behaviour to take delight in shopping your friends and neighbours because you're jealous they're getting something you're not. OP should keep her beak out.

kellygoeswest · 16/09/2025 10:50

This is so weird, leave her alone.

beAsensible1 · 16/09/2025 10:50

be careful ladies. You might have a friend you despises you.

who needs enemies.

OP you have less than zero actual knowledge of the financials or how the business is processing this. You are just miserable and mean.

Fairyliz · 16/09/2025 10:50

BadgernTheGarden · 16/09/2025 09:30

Presumably the people doing the work are being paid by the business and any materials are being bought by the business? I'm not sure how it's fraud, I would have thought they can charge whatever they like for the work done, or nothing. What do you think is illegal?

I’m assuming that the materials will go through the companies books as legitimate business expenses, so reducing their tax liability.
Something to remember when people complain about public services being underfunded.

tumblingdowntherabbithole · 16/09/2025 10:50

ThinkAboutItTomorrow · 16/09/2025 10:48

Assuming the relative is ‘high up’ not owners and the business is owned by someone else then it’s potentially theft / misuse of company resources if the owner doesn’t know about it. but equally possible the owner is aware and happy with their employee using workers to do ‘free’ work for family. You just don’t know. It’d be mean spirited to grass someone up.

Exactly. One of the benefits of owning your own business or working for family is that you often benefit from free or heavily discounted labour.

LBFseBrom · 16/09/2025 10:50

Stay out of it! It's not your business and nobody has died. I don't get why you are so concerned, good luck to them.

WhitegreeNcandle · 16/09/2025 10:50

I think you’ve used the wrong language. It’s not fraud but it’s not honest.

So I’m a farmer. If I buy an oven for a workers house it can be a business expense so I won’t pay tax on the £50 the oven cost me. I could be cheeky and buy an oven for my house and just not write on the invoice which house it’s for and charge the business. Therefore saving myself a tiny weeny bit of tax.

Another example more related to yours would be our farm pays a landscape gardener once a month to tidy up round some business units we have. I could send that gardener to my mates house, the invoice is sent to my farm and just says “general landscape work” we pay it saving a bit of tax, my mate buys me dinner and everyone bar HMRC is happy.

Quite surprised there are so many people on this thread that thinks that is ok. In my mind it’s stealing from the taxpayer. I don’t like people who abuse the benefit system and I think it’s abusing the tax system. It’s not honest. It is rife amongst self employed and small business though.

Sparklesandspandexgallore · 16/09/2025 10:48

Firstsuggestions · 16/09/2025 10:19

Agree with PP, need clarification on the set up.

If I own a business that does landscaping and pay my staff a salary and decide to send one of the landscapers to my sisters house and not charge her then I do think that should be my business as long as the landscapers are still being paid fairly. As the business owner, I am the only one 'losing out'.

If I work high up in a landscaping company, assigning work, but do not own the company and I send a landscaper to my sisters house but then amend the books so it looks like the landscaper was doing something different or this was part of a different paid for job then that's wrong. They are stealing resources.

In summary is the person sending the landscapers over in a position to gift this work or are they stealing time and resources.

It the latter, simply report it to the business

Agree with this.

ThinkAboutItTomorrow · 16/09/2025 10:48

Assuming the relative is ‘high up’ not owners and the business is owned by someone else then it’s potentially theft / misuse of company resources if the owner doesn’t know about it. but equally possible the owner is aware and happy with their employee using workers to do ‘free’ work for family. You just don’t know. It’d be mean spirited to grass someone up.

defrazzled · 16/09/2025 10:46

"You ought to spend a little more time dealing with yourself, a little less time worrying about what your brother does."

Ferris Buellers Day Off Art GIF by Tech Noir
autienotnaughty · 16/09/2025 10:45

spicetails · 16/09/2025 09:32

How is it fraud?

I think the op is saying the business is paying for the work to be done and then claiming it back as a business expense so saying the work was done for the business when it wasn’t.

Tkaequondo · 16/09/2025 10:42

Who exactly is being defrauded?
I think you don't quite understand the terminology.

tumblingdowntherabbithole · 16/09/2025 10:41

withgraceinmyheart · 16/09/2025 10:31

Yeah it’s theft.

So say for example Person A is high up in a company that owns a chain of hotels. They have various contractors that do work for them, landscapers, plumbers etc.

They send those contractors to Persons Bs house to do work then get invoices sent the company they work for instead of Person B.

Straight up fraud. I’d have to do something about it myself. Wouldn’t mind about losing the friendship if Person B is so dishonest they can take advantage like that.

You’ve just made up a scenario in your head - OP hasn’t said that’s what’s happening at all 🫣

rainingsnoring · 16/09/2025 10:38

withgraceinmyheart · 16/09/2025 10:31

Yeah it’s theft.

So say for example Person A is high up in a company that owns a chain of hotels. They have various contractors that do work for them, landscapers, plumbers etc.

They send those contractors to Persons Bs house to do work then get invoices sent the company they work for instead of Person B.

Straight up fraud. I’d have to do something about it myself. Wouldn’t mind about losing the friendship if Person B is so dishonest they can take advantage like that.

Yes, that would be fraud but it's unclear whether or not this is happening from what @doitellthem has written.

hoohaal · 16/09/2025 10:38

You don’t sound like a great friend. I would keep your nose out.

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 16/09/2025 10:38

withgraceinmyheart · 16/09/2025 10:33

I don’t think the person who owns the business knows they’re paying though. They think they’re paying for work on their properties.

Show quote history

So how is the person on the receiving end, getting those tradesmen to work for her for free, while they’re being paid by the company?

Maybe I’m just thick in not understanding how this is done.

MuffinsAreJustCakesAtBreakfast · 16/09/2025 10:36

If your friend works PAYE for a company and part of her role is organising gardeners for the company's office for example...and she is having those gardeners come and do her house and getting it paid for by her employer - yes report.

If she owns her own business and is employing the gardeners through that, leave well alone.

flatwhiteinabucket · 16/09/2025 10:35

Businesses can own property. The house could be owned by the company for all you know; then invoicing the business for work or maintenance would be the correct thing to do.

You have no idea how her finances are arranged.