To report a guest house to the HMRC

[Graciescotland]

Stayed due to work, they would only accept cash payments in advance, receipt promised but never materialised. Then promised it would be posted No response to email etc. so I can't get the expense reimbursed and now apparently there's no record of my stay . Would it be horribly vindictive of me to report them for tax evasion to HMRC?

Given you can't get a receipt and need it to claim back expenses that seems entirely reasonable. What a shocking way for a business to behave. I would be interested in what the CAB would say about a matter like this.

Just imagine someone else having this experience who can't afford not to be reimbursed- you will have done them a favour.

My problem is that I booked on the phone and so I really have no proof that I stayed there. I suppose I could write a sternly worded letter but I suspect a whinge on Trip Advisor would help forewarn the masses. They should be warned in advance, coloured bedlinen ffs.

Write and let them know that you will be taking action if you do not receive your receipt for your stay on X night costing £Y by the end of this week.

Then if no receipt is forthcoming please please do report them using the relevant HMRC hotline number.

Their actions mean they are evading tax and possibly VAT also which won't be helping the economy, leaving the rest of us to pick up the tab. They are also enabling themselves to be cheaper than other B&B businesses by not needing to pay tax on all of their earnings hence able to price accordingly which may cause honest competitors to lose trade.

I am not certain which of these "crimes" is worse! Send them a letter by snail mail, explaining why you need the receipt. If it is still not forthcoming, send them another one, registered, giving them a deadline and saying you are going to a) report them to HMRC and/or b) put a review on Trip Advisor accusing them of crimes against bed linen and refusal to issue a receipt.

Unfortunately you should have insisted on a receipt when you handed over the cash, not allowed yourself to be fobbed off, but it's always easier in hindsight! In terms of claiming your expenses there is absolutely nothing you can do unless your employer takes pity on you (but as they then haven't got a receipt they could fall foul of the auditors).

If I were advising you (ex-CAB) I would suggest you write to them as Sloobreeus says, saying that you will report them to HMRC if they won't issue a receipt as you can only assume their insistance on dealing in cash and not issuing receipts is done for the purpose of tax evasion (though I would just do the registered mail thing to save time). Personally I wouldn't "threaten" Trip Advisor as that is more of a subjective thing, but I would put a review up later either saying that they refused to issue a receipt or you only managed to get one out of them after threatening HMRC, depending on what happens. I would also contact HMRC regardless as if it takes this much to get a receipt out of them you can only assume that people who aren't bothered never get a receipt and their money never makes it onto the books. Decent businesses doing the right thing are disadvantaged when less than honest businesses take the piss.

Yes report them- this is disgraceful behaviour for any business

do you have phone records showing your initial call to their number complete with date? do you have any random receipts showing you were in the area during your stay. do you have a copy of your email asking for the receipt? all small things but might help the bigger picture.

Agree first write to them, then write to them using recorded mail. Keep a record of each contact. Then contact HMRS and make comments on trip adviser.

you should of got a receipt once you paid,why would you leave it till you had left

my nail bar deals in cash and cash only,no receipt (loads do this) are they cheating the system,maybe but i wouldnt report

although i do actually walk away with the goods and dont need a reciept

did you use a mobile to contact the b&b

I know it sounds strange not to have gotten a receipt when I paid but I didn't have enough cash for the whole stay when I checked in so the owner told me to pay later(I stayed for five nights). I paid on the third day at breakfast as I didn't see her the day before. I had to go to work and the owner said she'd organise receipt. There was no one around but the cleaner when I left so I called later that day and she said she'd post it. Maybe I'm a trusting soul but normally hotels etc. are quite good at this sort of thing.