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

I don't care. I have ( to the best of my knowledge) never cheated the system. Paid into, still paying in. If somebody will do a job I don't care if they want cash.

There are much bigger crooks out there.

I reported someone on Next Door who openly said he was looking for cash in hand work to avoid paying child maintenance.

And women who do it to protect themselves in financially controlling relationships.

I get particularly exorcised by this argument... I was in ED with elderly relative .... A tradie bloke in next cubicle was whinging that a customer was insisting on not paying him in cash... And how it was 'a liberty' 😱🙄

As he was having active treatment and about to go for surgery in an NHS hospital for a badly broken leg... ... 😱

That’s a GREAT point

And again, there are many, many legitimate reasons to ask for cash. Asking for cash does not mean a business is avoiding tax.

My clients pay me by bank transfer into my Starling business account.

I assume many people do given the number that are under investigation.

My hairdressers won't take cards but she's such a good cutter with my wavy hair. My cleaner who's brilliant will only take cash.

I do think that the vat threshold should be raised.

There are so many people dodging tax like this: builders, plumbers, hairdressers, nail techs, private tutors etc etc etc. It infuriates me that these people will be happy to complain about the NHS or schools but don’t pay the tax they should that contributes to these this. Whenever there is a discussion about raising taxes, it always focuses on big companies and the wealthy (which is important) but ignores all the every day folk paying next to no tax and earning what are often very good salaries (in the case of trades).

I’m happy to pay probably up to a couple of thousand in cash-what they do with it is between them and their accountant

I agree 100%. I recently moved house the removal company wanted cash, several thousand pounds. I said no and went somewhere else and paid more. They thought I was crazy. I’m sure if everyone paid their tax there would be enough in the government’s purse.

The issue happens when it becomes so prolific that it impacts on the money available from central government to give out to prop up society.
Less money equals less for us as a society. Anything from schools, roads, hospitals, benefits, you name it. Society relies on taxes being paid to function.

That is so bizarre. Cash is a completely normal form of payment for goods and services. How on earth have we ended up like this?! There are numerous legitimate reasons why some businesses prefer cash payment - just read some of the posts on this thread.

We Had to take a builder to court when work he carried out was defective. We would have had a hard job proving that we had paid him had we not transferred money to him. Although we gave him some in cash, we had a trail, either email or text msgs, so he couldn’t deny it.

I pay my window cleaners in cash and will continue to do so. They do a great job and can reach all the areas I can't.

That's all I want and I am not going to preach at them about the morals of it all.

Most other tradespeople doing bigger jobs want bank transfers, so that's what they get.

In the end, I just want someone able and willing to do a proper job and to me that is all that matters. I am widowed and my income is modest. If paying cash allows me a couple of hundred pounds off here and there then I'll take that provided I can be confident of the job being done to a good standard.

Even hairdressers are self employed these days. Years ago they never used to be.

People can stand on their doorstep and make a bank transfer. I think it’s a good cover for potential abuse.

Not income of £90,000; turnover.

All these people needing to be paid in cash, why? Surely the only reason for people to be paid in cash is that they're avoiding something:

• tax
• national insurance
• being VAT registered
• paying for their children

I won't be part of it to help them dodge their responsibilities...

People think it’s the rich dodging tax, but I can tell you it’s THIS behaviour that creates the black economy. I refuse to pay cash, ever.

Our local Chinese is strictly cash only. They must make a fortune (cookie).

Absolutely.
I have had a few largish gardening jobs done by a local company. The first two times they asked to be paid, cash, 50% halfway through and 50% on the final day. I didn’t assume VAT dodging, I hadn’t been given two quote, and I did get an invoice. The next time they did a job I was told bank transfer for payment at the end of the job please. The guy didn’t mind telling me it was because he now knew I was a good payer and wasn’t going to scam him like so many people do today. Only yesterday a builder I use often told me he’d had his first ever non payer, but it was a lot of money. Told him to consider asking for cash instalments with new clients. Not every tradesman asking for cash is a scammer, sometimes they’re trying to avoid being scammed themselves.

Yep. We have one in my town exactly the same. I used it once, but won’t again on principle because I strongly suspect the place might be some sort of cover for an illegal set up. The employees all looked exhausted, had their young children with them, weren’t wearing masks when using the electric files to work on gels nor disposable gloves doing pedicures.

The whole set up had a very temporary air about it and again, because it was cash only, everyone is untraceable and presumably have no contracts, employee rights or safety protection.

Yes... and with a lot of nail bars, not paying tax may only be the tip of the iceberg of what the authorities need to investigate them for.