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?

@ThreeJoeys I did. I clearly don't read it the way you have. Additionally one post from one poster suggesting we look at the bigger picture as opposed to people saying leave individuals alone and just deal with corporations.

Quite frankly it's as I said earlier, low hanging fruit is easier than dealing with those big avoiding corporations. It's pretending to be seen to be doing something whilst vilifying the poor.

Three Joeys.

The vast majority of people in this world would much much rather have a safe, permanent job that left them able to afford basic necessities, a few luxuries and a way of making a small contribution to society. Very few people would prefer to juggle an insecure cash in hand job with claiming benefits and feeling like they could lose all their income at any moment.

I'm not naive, you've been reading too much daily mail.

@LetTheRiversRun

There are countless newspaper articles explaining how the cost of benefit fraud is dwarfed by the cost of tax avoidance and evasion in the UK - here’s one for starters and you can look up others yourself to give some substance to your posts:

www.google.co.uk/amp/www.indy100.com/article/benefit-fraud-tax-dodging-paradise-papers-evasion-avoidance-billions-government-statistics-8056846%3famp

Well said @SuperMumTum

And OP - if you want to report her because you believe she’s acting fraudulently and you resent paying tax yourself, at least have the decency to talk to her first. Otherwise you’re just being cowardly.

@Barbaro and @Stardust1234567

Again for the record, I have never been in a position to need benefits, touch wood.
The only thing I've ever taken were pens and notepads because I was always losing them - full disclosure. I'm not dishonest I do not break rules (although I have sped whilst driving before). I queue, I get up for less able passengers.

I have never claimed benefits. Not committed a crime. It's not hard to live like me. to me. But it is hard for other people, in other circumstances.

I still say let the government do their own detecting. I'd also like to ask you to stop assuming about people. I and many people can have this opinion without doing something wrong/illegal themselves.

What is she doing that gives her £80 cash a day?

@SuburbanRhonda I think that's what is so distasteful. The anonymity. Either stand by it or don't. Reminds me of the scene in the Sound if music, when the family try to make their escape and the trusted butler rings the Nazis.

I can't believe how many people are saying the OP is BU to want to report!

This person is stealing and it's not acceptable!

An old DP did this once, although it wasn't a regular job or anything. Certainly not enough to mean we wouldn't be entitled to benefits. It was our landlord wanting helpers for manual labour jobs in his properties... Not that my exDP was qualified to do that in the first place and he would chuck him some money here and there. No regular pay date or anything.

But then I reckon that landlord was v dodgy anyway. Remember exDP talking to some of the other workers that worked for landlord... Apparently they worked for the landlord cash in hand (regularly) and in return they got to stay in one of his properties rent-free...

It’s not just about OPs friend though. Jobs that pay cash in hand with no tax can (not most of the time, but possibly) be money laundering vehicles, in which case there’s likely to be massive crime behind it. Or more likely, they are not be paying tax as businesses themselves. Or they are employing people on illegal contracts (eg no statutory sick pay etc) and exploiting their workers.

So yes I would report!

I wouldn't bother reporting...it won't make you feel good op.

What about the multi million pound companies who evade tax? And the politicians who seem to create tax loopholes for themselves. That’s stealing on a much bigger scale but not much gets done about it.In fact it’s almost seen as the ‘done thing’ for the super rich and they all stick together while expecting ordinary people to grass eachother up for far lesser crimes ! If this was dealt with maybe we could all pay less tax.
If you plan on doing something about your friend at least have the decency to let her know you’re not happy and give her the chance to either give up benefits or the job.
Or do you want your friend to get a criminal record ? It still won’t mean you pay less tax.

faultymain you might be happy to keep your nose out of it and let crimes happen, just let the police and government do all the work, fine. What's the point of neighbourhood watch then? I don't live like that, if I see a crime happen I report it. They are thankful for reports as its evidence, it helps the court case. So you sit back and not help, I will keep doing so.

Faulty, never had sick pay or child benefit? Expect you will get a pension.
All of us benefit indirectly or directly from a civilised society and welfare state, NHS, education, having bins emptied...

What did I say that 3joeys agreed with?

Lockhart, in that case report the employer

Oh looky, another thread where a 'benefits cheat' is telling all and sundry about what they are up to and providing a full breakdown of their finances.

I don’t think you are bad or petty for wanting to report it. If there was less benefit fraud etc more money would go to those who need it and to our public services which definitely need it! I know someone who earns just under £200 a day, 5/6 days a week, cash in hand. She is also on benefits and lives in a council house. It really is my fair on hard working people and on those who need the support. I would like to report her but I’m a wimp (and I like her) lol!

The anonymity. Either stand by it or don't. Reminds me of the scene in the Sound if music, when the family try to make their escape and the trusted butler rings the Nazis.

GODWIN

I’d leave her to it.

There is permitted earnings on benefits. For some benefits this can be over £100 per week.

If she’s not entitled to benefits they’ll catch up with her before too long. I think, as a friend, it would be better to have that conversation with her, rather than dobbing her in. I’ve done this myself with a friend, who stopped claiming soon after. Probably helped that I’d been investigated myself (I hadn’t done anything remotely wrong BTW but it was a whole heap of stress).

As she's boasting it's very likely that £80 is the max, equally as likely that she doesn't earn every day.
£80 a day Mon-Fri with 6 weeks holiday (allowing for bh etc) is £18460. Given that there are days she probably doesn't work, plus presumably work expenses it is reasonable to expect that she could be earning less than £10k.

Think I might start doing some cash in hand jobs now, since it seems to be so acceptable on here. I already earn enough so would have to pay 40% on anything I'd earn, but meh, you're all just jealous and spiteful if you deny me the right to defraud the government and pocket some undeclared income.

£80 a day, so £10 an hour? If she has a family she’d still get tax credits/hb etc.

It's very easy to report using this link. It's very important that you don't raise suspicions or tip off the person concerned

What a sneaky, shitty way to go about reporting people.

OP, if you are reporting her as a concerned UK citizen, tell her what you are doing and why. Don't be a sneaky shit.

If you are reporting her because you are jealous tell her what you are doing and why. Don't be a sneaky shit.