dh is evading tax by buying firewood cash in hand

[saladdodger2015]

We've switched firewood suppliers and the new one is half the cost. Its very much a guy doing it for beer money, no website, no invoice, no company just cash in hand.

Aibu to be concerned about this?

[SurlyCue]

Couldnt you just buy firewood elsewhere? Or is your DH in charge of money and wood purchasing?

[toldmywrath]

Cross post with many (re vat)! I get paid in cash sometimes & I declare it all on my self assessment tax return. No one can be accused of being complicit in tax evasion just because they get paid cash!

[Mrsbird311]

Really, you are actually worried about this? Do you pay babysitters and cleaners and expect a receipt? He may well be declaring the cash but preferred cash as cheques and debit cards incure banking charges, and maybe by keeping his costs down he is able to offer his wood at a reduced price, if you are that bothered ask him!!!!

[NCIS]

You don't have to be VAT registered if your turnover is below a certain level, can't remember off hand what that amount is. It's not your DH's job to police the wood sellers tax returns, unless he's their accountant.

[toldmywrath]

And I don't supply an invoice , but it would be no bother if my customers wanted an invoice anyway.
I'd buy my logs from the cheapest supplier,as long as the quality was good. (& I didn't suspect that they were being 'liberated' as a PP said )

[toldmywrath]

Mrsbird has hit the nail on the wood head there.

[Showy]

Does anybody know if being VAT registered is dependent upon turnover?

We buy our wood cash in hand. I know the guy I buy it from and he's completely above board in every respect.

[toldmywrath]

Showy

[landrover]

Just because he is self employed and taking cash, doesn't mean he is a crook! How horrible to think that!!!

[Fairyfellowsmasterstroke]

OP - Are there any wooden gates/fences/sheds left in your town

Just wondered!!!!

[Ifyourawizardwhydouwearglasses]

FFS.

Yes. YABU.

1. You have no reason to believe that this man is not declaring his earnings.
   
2. It's none of your business anyway.
   
3. Even if he's NOT declaring all his cash, for 'a handful of deliveries a week' and presumably only in winter, he's hardly going to be screwing the taxpayer out of much.
   

Either buy wood from him or don't, but accept that his financial affairs are absolutely none of your business.

[LurkingHusband]

A few years ago, I was had the misfortune to be listening to a local radio phone in. The topic was hand car washes. I had to listen didn't have radio station on speed dial as this unbelievably stuck up presenter declared that she wouldn't use a hand car wash as they are foreign "probably" didn't pay tax.

Luckily I didn't need to ring. Every caller after that tore her a new one, and told her to mind her own business.

Want to worry about people evading tax. Talk to Vodafone - they had a £6 billion tax bill written off. How many logs is that ?

[TranmereRover]

you do realise that if you buy your coffee in starbucks, it's not YOU who's avoiding tax?

[saladdodger2015]

I didn't assume cash in hand was theft ffs it was someone that demanded cash in hand sounded dodgy.

I heard something about car washes often being used for money laundering purposes. Not sure if that's real or just breaking bad.

[MaxPepsi]

As others have said, not everyone is vat registered.
And whilst he might be trying to earn something extra, by the time he's finished completing his vat return and put down the costs of, fuel, machines, van, petrol for his chainsaw etc etc he won't be diddle the tax man either!

[Wellwellwell3holesintheground]

It's because you can wash large amounts at a time. Much quicker than using the machine.

[Ifyourawizardwhydouwearglasses]

[Chilicosrenegade]

Blimey op. Talk about a non issue.

Not laughed this hard for ages.

Is it coz its Wednesday? There's an awful lot of odd threads today....

[LurkingHusband]

Cash in hand can be great - better than bounced cheques. Also means you can pay your suppliers immediately. Which can (depending on what you do) be beneficial in terms of getting a discount, as most suppliers would rather have £1 today, than £1.05 tomorrow. Especially if they have suppliers.

When I worked (every penny of tax paid) in the motor trade, customers who paid cash were always charged a touch less. Bear in mind waiting for a £300 cheque to clear (this is 20 years ago) meant having a car on the premises for 3-5 days. If we charged for that (storage) it would be £30/day.

Bear in mind that commercial bank services add an overhead to the cost of doing business. You don't need a bank account to work in cash.

[xvxvxvxvxvxvxvxv]

Call 999

[FamilyAdventure]

Paying in cash isn't avoiding tax. Accepting cash isn't avoiding tax.

Someone who refuses any payment method other than cash has a reason he wants the money to be off the record.

You don't need to be VAT registered to issue an invoice.

In OP's situation my main concern would be where the wood's coming from. If something is very cheap, there's always a reason.

[gobbynorthernbird]

Someone who refuses any payment method other than cash has a reason he wants the money to be off the record

Assuming he doesn't have a portable card reader, maybe he just can't afford for a cheque (or several) to bounce, or a client forgetting to make a transfer.

[LurkingHusband]

FamilyAdventure

Someone who refuses any payment method other than cash has a reason he wants the money to be off the record.

A rather sweeping generalisation .

[MoreBeta]

Cash is still legal tender and a perfectly legal way of paying for goods and services. He may be declaring the income. It is not your concern and he is very likely well below VAT threshold as other say.

[FamilyAdventure]

VAT isn't the only kind of tax he should be paying on the money though MoreBeta.

I don't think so Lurking. And if that person is also refusing to issue invoices/receipts there is something up.

Everyone saying it's none of my business is enabling IMO.