AIBU to want to anonymously report someone who has a cash only job and not pay tax?

[KikiLondon1]

I have a friend (not close) who has a cash in hand job and doesn't declare the income. It really irks me because I work hard and hate seeing my payslip and all the tax etc that gets deducted.
They get benefits on top of this also (which if she declared her income she wouldn't be entitled to).
I guess I've always been live and let live so would be very out of character for me to report her but on the other hand - I think it's just so unfair.
My oh thinks she'll get caught eventually and just leave it.
It's stealing though. Thoughts?

I do hope that all you ladies who’re frothing at the mouth and urging the OP to “repeat, report!” have NEVER EVER paid your cleaner/ironing lady(man)/gardener/odd job man/mobile hairdresser/decorator/ babysitter/ dog walker/car washer etc etc cash in hand??
Somehow I doubt very much this is the case 😂

It's interesting to read these replies, as I am also aware of someone dodging tax (I know the facts, not just hearsay, so am certain of it), and was wondering whether it would be right to report them.

In my case the evader is a very wealthy man, and is not claiming benefits. Being caught wouldn't leave him homeless or struggling. It's not a small amount of tax, and I know that he is deliberately evading it. Does that change anyone's advice?

Very interesting conundrum @WomanWithAttitude

I know lots of teachers who do after school and holiday tutoring cash in hand. I certainly don’t condone it but I never challenge them whenever they tell me about it. I’m just a coward as they are friends and I don’t want a nasty atmosphere or to have to listen to their excuses.

......and I suspect that a fair few of the ‘frothing mouth brigade’ pay for their children to have private tutoring @nNina22 😂
And I don’t believe for one second that none of them pay cash in hand.
Hypothetical in the extreme

*hypocritical!

What are you getting at Luisa27? Is it sonething I said?

There is a difference in paying someone cash rather than accepting cash in hand without declaring it. Paying cash isn’t illegal whereas accepting it but not declaring it is an offence.

I’m one who’d say don’t report. And it isn’t because I think it’s ok and I definitely don’t defraud the tax man. It’s more because I’d think it bad karma for my own soul if I ripped a “friend’s” life apart.

To be clear, I do not think it’s ok. Depending on how many days per week she’s doing it, she’ll be getting £10-20k per year. If it’s at the lower end of that, it’s below the income tax personal allowance anyway. I guess that leaves benefit fraud which is difficult to quantify with the info given.

It's not hypothetical Lisa, it's something I have been thinking about. I probably won't say anything, but I have the evidence to report if I wanted, and this isn't a case of someone who is struggling to get by (which I would have more sympathy with tbh).

Leave her alone.

There are plenty rich tax dodgers- including the queen.

There are lots of wealthy tax evaders. I know of an unmarried couple. She is a partner in an architects earning a very high income. She is the main earner. He works in a different firm earning a high income. They are unmarried and claim they are not living together. In reality they live in a very nice house in a very wealthy apartment. He is getting benefits as a lone father. To get this I assume they have another property which he is supposedly ‘renting’. The three children are all primary school age. I have no idea how they manage to continue doing this but they do. I would live in absolute fear of being caught and facing a huge tax bill.

• a wealthy suburb not apartment!

Absolutely report her, she's stealing from us all. The fact she is boasting about it is your cover, I'm sure it will have crossed someone else's mind to report her too. Just don't tell anyone and nobody will know it was you.

I would report it.

I was self employed for years and dh earns extra cash giginv private tuition. We declared everything.

Not declaring your income and paying taxes due and claiming benefits you are not entitled to is robbing those in society who do need benefits etc.

How can you know she doesn't declare it. You're not HMRC! You can earn up to 105 on certain benefits per week and still be allowed that.

Do you not like her?

I wasn’t referring to you or your post being hypothetical @womanwithattitude 😂

Read my posts properly

I said I found your conundrum interesting - genuinely

oops - presses to quickly!

Too

Trying to hoover and type 😂

....of course it was something you said Nina - that’s why I responded to your post.
I was saying that I agree with you in that I know lots of teachers who do this too - and in my opinion - paying people to tutor your children - if those people arent declaring this income ( as you inferred) is also cheating the system
I guess what I’m saying is basically we all do it to a certain extent - including the “report, report” mouth frothers - hope I’ve made that slightly clearer?

It's not a race to the bottom. Maybe it's not fair technically, assuming you are correct but this attitude is seen writ large around the world right now. Squabbling and bothering over the one slice left while multi billionaires, politicians and those in power walk away with the rest.
If it's not like you then wake up and really think about what it is that's bothering you. The, if I can't have it why should anyone else, opinion is horrible.

OP, you still haven't answered other people's questions about how you know exactly how much she earns and know as a fact that she doesn't declare. What she's earning isn't really £80 a day, it's £80 per day (if true) less expenses. Expenses could easily take her below the tax threshold. Are you certain she hasn't said along the lines of "Ha! I didn't pay any tax last year!" and you've jumped to the conclusion that it's because she doesn't declare.

I am self employed and do a tradesperson's job. People are always making sarcastic comments that they should quit their job and do what I do when they know what I charge. Of course, people who aren't self employed never think about the van insurance, licenses I need, public liability insurance, equipment costs and on and on.

Oh bravo @wontbedoungthat !!

Very eloquently put!

A steady 3/4 year five day a week cash in hand

I’m curious as to what the heck this cash in hand job is!

@wontbedoingthat yeah why dont we all evade tax then? Or is it just the select few who you think should do it? Squabbling over one slice you said? That one slice is quite a huge one COLLECTIVELY. It is not mutually exclusive to catch billionaires and companies tax evaders and the everyday Joes. Think you need to check your right and wrong compass.