AIBU to be so sick of tradespeople/ cleaners asking for cash in hand?

I honestly think this is the main reason it's done - I know of two seemingly decent men who have done this since they got divorced. Both had fairly successful small businesses, now telling their exes they can't get work, no money coming in, bare mimimum child benefit... but have massive SUVs and nice holidays. It's a fucking scam.

Yes, I am not complaining. The bank is a business.

We don't do a lot of small cost payments though - so I can see why some places, for example the local chippy will insist on a minimum spend on a card to make it worthwhile for them.

I've always considered anyone who does 'cash in hand' for any one beyond a friend/ relative is taking the piss.

My DP is a tradesmans and him and his mates do all sorts of cash in hand and benefits in kind for each other. One of his mates is coming over after work tomorrow to change the cam belt in my car using DP dads ramp, and parts I've purchased myself, and DP labouring for him - I will pay him cash in hand, but that's a favour for a mate.

But doing cash in hand for customers found via normal marketing is taking the piss, also it's surely risky as these customers owe them nothing and could easily stich them up to HMRC if they are unsatisfied in any way.

But amongst these people - there will be a substantial group who are paying no tax....

So no contributions for schools/NHS....

But they sre jusy burden others with cash. They must have used a bank to pay utilities , rent etc

So you are saying that stealing from HMRC is ok as long as you’ve decided it’s fine because you work hard?

What about people on payrolls? They don’t get the choice to lie about what they earn.

Women in crappy relationships may want cash to squirrel away to avoid it being spotted in a universal credit bank check.

This wasn't a thing with tax credits as it was only interest on savings that counted. They'd have needed a lot of savings for it to trigger that threshold.

I wonder how many women they’ve met who do cleaning as a job. It seems at odds with the reality.

That seems fair to me. They are providing you with a secure service meaning your money is safe, not stuffed in Tesco carrier bags under your bed, you have accurate records, can move money safely between accounts, deal efficiently with other financial needs in your company like payroll , NI, pension payments. Sounds like a bargain. What else can you get for 35p?

I had the same with NatWest. Really adds up if you are a small trader with many small transactions.

Government is taking too much tax already, I think its fair that they want to be able to bring home some of the fruit of their own labour rather than just paying into this black hole. Why not? They are working bloody hard for it. If the work is not something that you need guarantee then why not

I agree. They probably do declare transactions, but a lot of them, like barbers salons, are laundering dirty money by putting it through the business as cash transactions. Then again you also have the respectable high street businesses like Boots, who avoid tax by registering their business in an office block in Luxembourg. I refuse to use Boots since I found this out. They aren’t the only ones, but they are my personal fight back against corporate greed.

I think ppl should start standing up to these people more. They are the whingeing Farage voters , who moan about benefit scroingers whilevfiddling the system massively themselves. What a huge hypocritical.joke these people are. They need taking down a peg or two.

We have a limited company and our business bank (Nat West) charges us for each BACS direct debit, Automated payment and others are all at 35p each. So it can add up.

Look at all the self-righteous complaining about tradesmen when there is a tax dodger and convicted fraudster sat at the cabinet table.

I’m perfectly happy to pay my cleaner in cash. It’s legal tender, a perfectly legit way of paying and what she chooses to do in regards to her tax and record keeping is entirely up to her, not my business.

In reality she’s a SAHM with a few cleaning clients on the side so owes no tax anyway as she’s below the threshold so as far as I’m concerned it’s a moot point anyway. But even if she wasn’t it’s still none of my business.

Also pay the window cleaner in cash and the farrier. I would never risk upsetting our brilliant farrier who has done our horses feet for over 20 years and never had so much as pulled shoe! He is made of solid gold as far as I’m concerned. 20 years ago nobody would have ever dreamed of paying for these sort of services in anything other than cash and we have carried on the same as we always have.

People are struggling. Those of us under the yoke of PAYE (including me) have no choice.

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I stopped going to a very skilled nail technician because of the cash only payment demands. She is very good at her job and recently put her fees up and now charges £52 for a set of nails but will post weekly on her instagram a rude comment reminding her clients she can’t and won’t accept anything but cash. I found another girl who uses the same nail prep technique, charges less and doesn’t dodge tax so she will be getting my money.

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Totally agree.

It’s not strange and this thread has set out so many legitimate reasons why some traders prefer cash.

Couldnt agree more. It's a joke and people should start putting their foot down because tradespeople have got everyone by the short and curlies. I too am sick if people who think they have got everyine iver a barrel and that the rules dont apply to them. Vote with your feet people !!!!!

Well done - I see elderly people in bank queues harassed by bank employees to 'use the app'. Unconscionable. Ageist and ableist.

I think it is great if you can choose - where I am currently, it is either cash or no plumber, and even our cobbler put out a sign 'cash only' for all to see. I see more and more people reverting to cash, strangely.

Sadly I think it is. I’m astonished how many people here seem to automatically think that cash equals criminality. I’m wondering if it is a generational thing.