for not declaring my earnings for tax purposes

[sneakylady]

I have a very small business and do cash in hand work a few hours a week and earn £30 - £60 a week, no more, so not exactly a fortune. I have been doing it about 6 months, it comes in handy. dh works, doesn't earn loads, about 23k, we have two little DC. we use it towards the food bill usually.

And I have NO intention of declaring it as it will screw up our already measly tax credits. In fact, I actually feel quite smug for doing it, as we get screwed enough in this country and have every last drop of money squeezed out of us in petrol prices, gas and electric food prices, property prices etc so why shouldn't we keep something for us?

my intention is to slowly build my business then when both DC are at school I will go "legit" and declare it all. AIBU?

The only time I consider this OK is when somebody's trying to climb out of the benefits trap. Depending on the benefits configuration at any one time (if anyone can keep up with the changes), it can leave you between a rock and a hard place.

In your case, though, I think you're BU. It would reduce your extra cash by £10 according to your calculations, but your household will still be better off than if you weren't working. That is what's supposed to happen - you earn, give a bit up, and are still better off.

If you declare your current earnings, then increase your hours/rates, you won't have to declare the increase until next April. And you'll be all above-board, should any busybodies try to snitch :)

I hope you get caught too. I recently had my tax credits stopped as our combined income was over the new rate. I hate to think my hard earned cash goes to tax evaders like you

so whilst others around you play by the rules you cheat all those people from there rightful tax reduction, it is called stealing and you steal £10 per week from all of us.

Just in the same way that shop lifters steal and then the prices in the shops go up and we all pay the price.

Not a good way to live your life.

"I actually feel quite smug for doing it, as we get screwed enough in this country"

Then YABVU. You feel smug to be cheating money out of the government, but have you remembered that the money doesn't belong to some big evil entity, it belongs to all of us?

I dont wish you to get caught.
But i agree with smallwhitecat about the long game. Also insurance, loss of earnings if ill, loan to expand etc.

Although i understand that you dont want to risk getting messed up with the tax credits if you earn more.

Being smug about it is the worst bit I'd say. You're, in effect saying that you're better and more deserving than the rest of us.....the country might not be in such a mess if more folk were honest.

You don't want to work an hour 'for free' because for that hour your money would be going back into the tax system to be used to pay for stuff like hospitals, schools, roads etc...

Why are you a special little snowflake? Most people don't get to keep all their money and not pay tax. For the average UK worker it's effectively taken until [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tax_Freedom_Day#Tax_Freedom_Day_for_workers_in_the_European_Union mid May]] before we get to keep any of our money...

stupid link

Lets see how 'smug' you will feel WHEN and not IF you get caught

I wonder who will be pissed off then!

Somebody will tell on youuuuuuuu.

I'm a neurotic woman who has paid self employed tax on my Ebay earnings ever since I started trading for profit rather than just flogging off dd's old tat things. You may be able to sleep fine without paying your dues...I couldn't.

YABU

It's nice that you're feeling so smug about stealing which is effectively what you're doing.

I presume you wouldn't go into a shop, grab the stuff you were after and just leave without paying? Yet it's fine for you to steal from those of us who do actually bother to pay our taxes? Glad my hard work pays your food bill...

Sad to say though, it's only a tiny % of people who get caught as HMRC just don't have the facilities to look into everything enough.

Agree with what others say though - if you worked a little bit extra in admin, invoicing, drumming up new business or anything really then you could bring it up to the required amount of hours and claim WTC. DH works just under 16 hours a week but he does stuff to make the time up (in his case as he is an accountant, it's easy for him to spend time keeping his knowledge and professional development up-to-date) so we can get the extra benefit. You could also then offset expenses, like council tax, mortgage payments, heating bills, stamps, broadband etc, so you'd probably be a lot better off overall.

I love the holier than thou 'I would claim the money' attitude on this thread. It stinks of bullshit.

YANBU to not claim cash in hand.

YABU to broadcast it on a website such as this and open yourself up to getting caught.

How do you think your tax credits get paid? By people far more honest than you paying their, let me see, what are they called, taxes. So, yes, a HUGE YABVVVVVU

YABVU, so you dont mind taking tax credits from others peoples tax but wont add your own to the pot - hopefully you'll get caught.

Its Karma,

My friend thought she was a real wideo doing a 'couple of hours' driving lessons till she got smashed with a tax bill going back 6 years+fine.

Id stay schtumm, makes for good ammo if you have a falling out with someone in the know

How is it bullshit banana? I registered self-employed when I became an Avon rep. I realise most reps probably aren't registered and I didn't expect to earn much but I wanted to be honest about it. What's so wrong with that?

Charming.
And they say people with disabilities in this country are the scum.

Another one here who hopes you get caught and prosecuted.

YABU

cash in hand is one thing, being smug about it is another.
Go have a read of some of the skint threads recently.

Might take the smug look of your face.

I hope this is a wind up.

Someone with a grudge against me maliciously reported me to HMRC. I was actually paying all my tax, but it was one of the most stressful times I've ever had. I can't imagine how bad it would have been if I had in fact been fiddling my taxes.

I think you're being foolish - as smallwhitecat says, you need to think the long game. It's not that easy to suddenly "go legit".

I wouldn't do it and in fact left a job as they offered cash in hand only and wouldn't put it through the books....