Can a tradesperson insist on being paid in cash?

[LegoTherapy]

They have been found via Checkatrade but I can't find anything about this on their website. The job is around £500 and they have asked to be paid in cash. I'm reluctant not to have a proveable payment history after being burnt with the previous tradespeople. I am using checkatrade to try and avoid cowboys. Do I have to pay cash? TIA.

The plasterer and electrician would walk off the job.

The electrician in particular doesn't need the work from Mr/Ms member of public in their home. He doesn't advertise.

They often work together. I know the plasterer from sport and through other people.

What are you on about??? Dhs cash paid customers get a receipt, with gis company number rtc and follow up work if required. He doesn't meet the threshold so isn't a Ltd company he used to be though.

Vast majority of his work comes via word of mouth so his reputation is always on the line regardless if they pay cash or back.

Most folk think 'they are doing him a favour" paying cash. Its actually a ballache as all his material accounts are done via card.

Be wary of trades people like this, I'd always go for a personal recommendation or even ask in your local community FB group for suggestions. My husband is a self employed trade, we accept cash, cheques, banks transfers and issue invoices if required. We have never added to the cost if someone is paying by bank transfer.

That only works if the payer is there though.

I have family members who are tradies & you’d be surprised how many people are absent on payment day due to ‘insert imaginary excuse here’ and have a neighbour / friend / family member let them in instead so unfortunately they can’t always ensure payment before walking out the door.

@LudoCallTheRocks absolutely this, it happens far too often & it's not like you can just take your boiler or electricity back 😆Some people really are CFs

@EileenUlick

whatever you do don’t use facebook groups

Agree with this!

I always used to ask in local groups thinking local recommendations were best.

It honestly turned up the dregs. The penny dropped after a bit and I always use Yell now. Have had much better people from here. It’s a statement of intent when someone has organised a listing and has a professional setup. You can also read reviews and scrutinise any that are less than 5 stars. (Obviously some may be fake but the more they have the more reliable it is likely to be.)

In contrast to a lot of other people, I've only ever found decent people from checkatrade unless they're recommendations from friends.

I think they can asked to be paid however they want. It's their business how they deal with taxes. My partner is an electrician and he hates being paid in cash. It's mainly old people who try to pay that way.

Checkatrade like most paid for review services are not to be trusted.

I used the Which Trusted Trader one once to find a tradesman.

He was unreliable and unprofessional and I logged a very fair, very factual, but mid/low rated review for him stating how the job was ok (it was only replacing hinges on windows) but they messed me around with different appointments and promises they would be there and to wait for them for 2 days, only coming on the 3rd day. Which refused to publish it.

I had a cowboy through checkatrade and he messed up my doors. Sent photos to checkatrade and they guarantee their members work up to £1,000.
Checkatrade paid me and kicked him out.

No way! That's shocking

I think the worry is by paying cash to get a cheaper rate, if anything goes wrong and you call the builder he'll just ignore and block, but pay the official rate and he'll stand by his work? Perosnally it depends on the job, if it's just a dirty garden job who cares, but if its inside your house plumbing/electrics I'd be wanting an invoice.

But you can, dh was on a sub contracted job. Customer kept delaying payment so thr boss removed all physical items. With a police presence. Armoured cabling, light fittings.

I completely agree with you about the ball ache. My posts have been all about that - how actually most businesses prefer card as cash is inconvenient and expensive.

I'm not saying paying with cash means you don't get a receipt.

Paying 'In Cash' - as in not putting it through the books, cash in hand, means by default your don't get a receipt as it isn't through the books

Agree

Plus you can use a card machine, portable and cheaper than cash these days.

The tradespersons tax is added to the quote, so technically, the op is paying the tax (or not, as the case may be)

You have the choice of the cheaper 'cash' quote, or doing it 'above board' and covering their IT/VAT - it makes no difference to them which one you choose, the amount they net will be the same.

Interesting.
Id always want to check the work before payment so would always be there.
Sounds like they’re trying to get out of payment.

We get it a lot in my business as an architect. You’d be amazed how many clients pay their builders but never seem to have any money to pay us.
We had one client paying a few pounds a month for 20 years. We had to take them to court to get that aswell.
Now we don’t hand over drawings until payment is made. If work is required after planning approval and monthly payments aren’t made we pull the drawings and applications. Luckily as we have copyright we can do that. So Appreciate some people will do anything to get out of paying

It makes a difference if they never pay tax. Your example is of tradespeople who do at least sometimes.

But do you get an invoice for the cash in hand job, seems unlikely.

I don't understand why people are up in arms about benefit fraud but not tax fraud.

Agree.
The least we can do is not pay cash
Maybe report anyone to hmrc that asks for it.
Its very suspect imo.

Oh my god I LOVE this!! Fair play to him, he was abbsolutely right to do that & with police pretection too, very wise. Some people really do have a neck like a jockey's proverbial don't they? & they don't realise it's not just the cost of fixing the problem, it's the inital outlay that goes out of the tradesman pocket & the traipsing back to the suppliers if something someone changes but the time it takes too, it really boils my blood

They dont say anything, but they sure as fuck do off books work.

I know even drs do cash in hand stuff. Teachers definitely do tutoring, gas engineers, sparkys. Maybe they dont ALL do off books, but I bet they all did something for a family member, which could be seen as cash in hand.
Maybe they all report the cash work, I doubt it though. Who is going to tell the tax man about a £500 job when they already pay tax via paye?
I wouldn't.

It makes a difference if they never pay tax. Your example is of tradespeople who do at least sometimes.

@Zippedeedooda as does the tradesman who has quoted for the OP.

People want the cheaper quote but want to get on their high-horse about the persons tax affairs - if it's important to you pay the extra £200, like I said, it makes no difference to the tradesman.

But do tradesmen warrant work off the books?