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Original poster

To report her for tax evasion?

537 replies

hooveringhamabeads · 20/08/2017 12:32

I know of someone who is making around £1k a week, but hardly declares any of her income (she doesn't pay any tax at all so declaring less that £10k of it). She also claims tax credits.

I don't particularly like this person and am tempted to report her. Problem is, pretty much all the money she receives is in cash, so is there any way that the HMRC would actually be able to prove or disprove what she's earning?

OP posts:
Ta1kinPeece · 21/08/2017 17:53

You should definitely report.
I find the "none of your business" attitude indefensible.

I have reported several people and would definitely do it again.

On the form you fill in what you know about them.
You never ever find out whether HMRC act on the information.
They will never ever find out it was you.
If they are not breaking the law nothing will happen.

If you do not report tax cheats, do not moan about the cuts in the NHS and schools and councils as the tax gap cannot be closed.

Saucery · 21/08/2017 17:55

I pay my dog walker by cheque. So no, not always paid in cash.

Batteriesallgone · 21/08/2017 17:56

This is the current wording

I declare that the information I have given on this tax return and any supplementary pages is correct and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.
I understand that I may have to pay financial penalties and face prosecution if I give false information.

The bold is theirs. I think that's pretty clear?

sleeponeday · 21/08/2017 17:56

And, if you're wrong (which you might be), you'll put someone through a lot of stress just out of spite.

Nah. HMRC can also make an educated guess on someone's expected earnings in a given field. It's one of the key triggers to investigate a self employed person, apparently, declared earnings drastically out of kilter with peers in the area. Taxi drivers are the classic example. If this person is declaring around the same as other people in her field do, HMRC are less likely to look into it, and more likely to dismiss a report as unreliable. Or so I am led to believe by DH.

The investigations into it would probably be eg surveillance, a new "client" purchasing her services in cash (so they could see if it tracked on the accounts later) etc etc etc, so if she's doing nothing wrong, she'll never know she was being investigated - it would just look like a random check of her books.

This info is gleaned from DH's job, not my own experience - Moun will correct me if I'm mistaken, I'm sure.

PigletJohn · 21/08/2017 18:02

Is here name on this list yet?

interesting article here

But we need a government that will not allow billionaires and multinationals to live in a tax-free world. It will probably work better when nations act together rather than trying to undercut each other so that everybody loses.

Ta1kinPeece · 21/08/2017 18:02

And, if you're wrong (which you might be), you'll put someone through a lot of stress just out of spite.
Bilge.
She will never know.
If it turns out HMRC are happy they will never act.

Disn3yN3rd · 21/08/2017 18:04

Putting the "report her/don't report her" debate aside, I have to ask how you know so much about this woman.

You've already said you don't like her from previous experiences with her so I doubt she is coming to you and telling you she earns X amount a week, she claims Tax credits etc. How much time are you investing in this woman to "know" all this information about her?

Disn3yN3rd · 21/08/2017 18:04

From the outside looking in, it comes across as you are really angry with her and are looking for a way to get your own back on her.

Lovingit81 · 21/08/2017 18:07

Do it! If she's innocent she's nothing to hide, if she's not she deserves it. Simple as!

GoldTippedFeather · 21/08/2017 18:11

If you are going to tax evade then don't piss people off who might report you. I'd report her in a second if I had proof.

I don't agree with the way this government makes use of the resources they have and I am aghast at tax breaks for the rich BUT of you are working you have a moral duty to pay tax. You are using the resources this country provides.

Also not sure who said it but why on earth do you think lower rate tax payers pay more than half their income in tax? Even with Income Tax, NIC and VAT it's not more than half...

littlebird77 · 21/08/2017 18:11

I really wouldn't get involved in anyone's private finance business full stop

Rachel213 · 21/08/2017 18:12

Report her asap!!!!!

Ta1kinPeece · 21/08/2017 18:13

I really wouldn't get involved in anyone's private finance business full stop
Do not moan about public sector cuts then.

MacTweedy · 21/08/2017 18:17

Report report report. If she's not doing anything wrong then no harm done!

tryinghardnottocry · 21/08/2017 18:18

If you good in Photoshop and have a letter from the Revenue you could make up a letter stating they are aware of her activities via an investigation on social media and require her to bring her affairs upto date with 31 days

This achieves the following:-

  1. You get to frighten the s41T out of her and so get your revenge
  2. She will for certain become compliant going forward
  3. She pays the taxes which keeps us lot happy
  4. She saves not having to pay the penalties and you dont have the guilt of really dealing her a massive body blow
Ta1kinPeece · 21/08/2017 18:20

trying
If you good in Photoshop and have a letter from the Revenue you could make up a letter stating they are aware of her activities via an investigation on social media and require her to bring her affairs up to date with 31 days
Fraudulently pretending to be HMRC is a really really bad idea

Just report her and let HMRC enforce the law
do not become a petty vigilante.

Scotland32 · 21/08/2017 18:24

I don't think it makes any difference who she is, what she does for a living, how much she earns, or who does or doesn't like her - it's not fair that she doesn't pay tax when the rest of us do. If you are sure she is definitely evading, definitely report her. Morally I think you would be totally in the right to do so.

MinnieF1 · 21/08/2017 18:26

Of course the OP should report her. It isn't sour grapes to report somebody for tax evasion ffs! I hate it when people think that paying tax shouldn't apply to them. Imagine if we all did it 😡

Purplealienpuke · 21/08/2017 18:29

Hooveringhamabeads..... is this person a 'guru'?? Living a lavish lifestyle?

lottieandmia · 21/08/2017 18:29

I don't see how you could know for sure what she earns or how much she declares. I always say unless you can see someone's bank accounts you can't possibly know what's really going on. They could be running up a load of credit cards.

I know a lady who was a FL person. I saw one of her talks on YouTube where she was claiming she had started FL because she didn't earn enough to put food on the table. At this time (and still) she had 5 kids in very expensive private schools. Something was clearly not what it appeared to be in that case!

Butteredparsnip1ps · 21/08/2017 18:31

If you are going to tax evade then don't piss people off who might report you. I'd report her in a second if I had proof

This ^ I once had a member of staff who was convicted of benefit fraud, and who couldn't for the life of her think who would have reported her. Bless her, it never seemed to cross this lovely lady's mind that her DH was a complete arse. I'll never know, but I imagine that he pissed off the wrong person.

Ta1kinPeece · 21/08/2017 18:32

lottie
I don't see how you could know for sure what she earns or how much she declares.
It does not matter.
That is for HMRC to check.
But if OP is concerned then they have a moral obligation to fill in the form
online.hmrc.gov.uk/shortforms/form/TEH_IRF

Blu99 · 21/08/2017 18:33

Maybe she works in the beauty industry. Nails, wedding make up, hairdresser etc
I knew a woman who worked a 9-5 job but made a killing doing nails and make up in the evenings and the weekends. Not sure if she declared her extra earnings or not.

I think she deserves to be reported but it's not something I couldn't do comfortably. I leave people to it and hope that they get their comeuppance.

WhollyFather · 21/08/2017 18:36

Surprising - not to say disappointing - level of support round here for tax evasion. Are you all on the fiddle?

OP's motives are irrelevant. She has strong evidence a crime is being committed. Try this, OP.

tryinghardnottocry · 21/08/2017 18:37

trying
If you good in Photoshop and have a letter from the Revenue you could make up a letter stating they are aware of her activities via an investigation on social media and require her to bring her affairs up to date with 31 days
Fraudulently pretending to be HMRC is a really really bad idea

I made the point to try and inject some humor - but my idea germinated from a genuine situation I had a few years back

I had a contractor working for us and I knew he did not pay tax and he advanced the argument that he paid enough tax from his paid employment - very irritating

One day I sent him a letter stating that HMRC had asked me for a list of people I had paid in excess of £2,500 (which was totally untrue) and I asked him for his Tax ref and NIC number . He refused so I said we would have to return the details with just his address. He became very angry and threatened all sorts including the data protection act etc. His best argument was that he charged us less because we knew he didn't pay tax on his work He stopped working for us immediately

A couple of weeks later a letter came in from a local firm of accountants asking us to help them in completing his accounts for the last 4 years

In the end we reengaged him