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

Or an ambulance - I don't know anywhere in the UK where you have a private A&E and ambulance.

This really doesn’t require another sodding app! It’s a staggering level of privilege when people just assume that everyone has access to smart phones, let alone bank accounts.

Is this how people see low income female cleaners?

I pay cash wherever I can
I paid for my holiday in cash
any small work on my house I pay in cash
I prefer it
if a shop says no cash - that’s fine but I won’t shop or buy anything from them

I just had new carpets paid cash in the shop
paid the carpet fitter in cash on the day

none of them had a problem with it

Just to be clear - he isn't asking for cash but has said a few things about me paying in amounts of under £2k and into his "other account" so it doesn't have to go through the main one. As far as the invoices go I am paying tax but I don't think he is...Plus he pays a wage to a family member, who I have never even seen but sends me invoices with all the same spelling mistakes as the builder.

Do you want a criminal working for you? Is the cash in hand not just to dodge tax, but also to make payments for illegal drugs?

I agree with @Zanatdy about the double standards. Though the level of cash in hand jobs available is part of the attraction for those migrating in small boats, compared with other countries.

Not sure about that. I remember over 30 years ago good hairdressers were self employed and would rent a chair in good salons in Mayfair etc as the tips made it worth the journey in.

not sure if that still happens now.

But if you're a one-man/woman or little family business, cash doesn't have to be paid in to the bank at all.

It's perfectly possible to account for cash income legitimately for tax purposes, but then keep it as your wages. My parents ran their own business many years ago and they never actually banked the cash that our family needed for our own everyday personal expenses, only to needlessly pay bank charges for doing so - every penny went through the books for the accountant and taxman, though.

Yes this annoys me no end. People up in arms about those on benefits or arriving on small boats, but don’t seem to care about all the lost revenue from tax dodging. Especially when they are not even charging less. I’d pay bank only as cash is a real pain.

I paid my cleaner in cash (£12.50, it was five years ago) and figured it was none of my business if she declared it or not. But to say it outright when it’s more than what some nurses get paid beggars belief. I do think cleaning needs skills but you can learn on the job and it doesn’t require any qualifications.

And what I meant by my comment is that almost nobody would dare admit that they are (or try to) commit benefit fraud but openly admit they dodge taxes because they feel like it.

I've never had a trades person ask for cash.

Our area has a complete dearth of builders. Trying to even get one to turn up to quote has taken me 4 years, and no I am not joking. As this one actually turned up and seemed keen I jumped at it! He has recently moved to our area, presumably because he can see everyone wants work doing but no one is doing it. It seems the other builders all made their ££ and moved abroad.

No YANBU. Why is it that people constantly complain about ‘benefit scroungers’ but seem to think that stealing from the state is otherwise ok?

it’s such a double standard and really annoys me.

From a professional standpoint, he's right to do this: he does not want to be connected with tax fraud in any way.

If someone sees no issue with committing fraud regarding taxes, why would you think you could trust them in your house?

I posted on another thread about my builder and how it has taken over 3 months do to a 3 week max job. All fully paid for and just sitting waiting for him to complete whenever he fancies. I think Burnham is trying to sort this with the trade plans he has to ensure payment is checked off against work done on an app. I imagine he will need to do this for a lot of "self employed" workers of all kinds. It might actually increase productivity as well as actually raising some tax for the workshy freeloaders!

Banks charge more for cash going into the account than bank transfers. I used to work for a garage/dealership and the cash charges (not allowed to keep more than 5k in safe overnight so had to pay into bank) than any other. Also a pain to take to the bank , as no bank nearby and over certain amounts needed more than one person.

He doesn't refuse to use it although like a lot of people we do tend to just pay for things with our cards. He just doesn't use it at places that are quite likely avoiding tax. It's not about the effort of getting cash out.

I can’t go over all the reasons again - please just scroll back and read all the posts. There are so many legitimate reasons. In addition, you are presumably suggesting that cash payments be banned? I posted with some reasons why that is a truly terrible idea. Be careful what you wish for.

It does seem to be a particular thing with Chinese takeaways. The majority of people who run them seem to be first-generation immigrants (very strong Chinese accents and not very fluent in English), so I wonder if some of them just see it as a way of avoiding the hassle of negotiating 'peripheral' aspects of running a business in a foreign country via a foreign language. They may even struggle to get a suitable bank account without UK documentation and proof of previous financial activity here.

It may also just be a cultural thing - possibly in the same way that virtually every Chinese takeaway has a TV, yet those offering other national cuisines very rarely do?!

Moreover, this is just me surmising, but given how notoriously authoritarian and over-reaching the Chinese government is in individuals' lives, I can well understand recent immigrants from China instinctively fearing governments (especially unfamiliar foreign ones) and wanting to limit their ability to control, interfere and sanction as much as possible.

Tradespeople asking for cash in hand has always been strongly associated with tax evasion which is at best immoral and at worst illegal. How are guarantees offered with no proof of work done?
Given that one would find it very difficult to file returns to HMRC or get a bank loan without a bank account there is no reason other than illegality to refuse payment through a bank account instead asking for cash in hand.

What makes you assume that the cash in handlers are all above board?

My mobile hairdresser was one of the only ones okay during covid as she got furlough as she had always paid her tax and taken bank payments so she survived.

Absolutely ageist. I'm in that age bracket. I'm neither entitled nor salaried.

The Devil’s Avocado getting “exorcised” 😆