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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

How do I pay our lovely cleaner?

137 replies

Alwaysfullofquestions · 13/12/2021 09:46

We’re hiring a woman to clean once a week because work is getting busier and busier and i also have a chronic illness which causes fatigue so I struggle to keep on top of it.

My only question is how do I pay her? She wants to be paid in cash but I want to make sure I’m doing it correctly, should I be paying by BACs? Or does it not matter? Anyone I’ve hired before for things like gardening or rubbish removal has been online banking.

Just want to make sure I’m doing it right and sorry if this seems like a stupid question!

OP posts:

MaryAndGerryLivingInDerry · 13/12/2021 10:19

@JustLikea

Cleaners always get paid cash

No they don’t.

hivemindneeded · 13/12/2021 10:20

Just pay cash!

Some people don't have a bank account. Or may not have one in this country and international transfer fees are extortionate. Some people are so badly in debt that money paid into the account gets swallowed up but they need some income to pay for food and other necessities.

She's asked for cash so why are you even asking how to pay her?

Merryoldgoat · 13/12/2021 10:20

I pay mine in cash. I seriously don’t care about her tax affairs. I just get a month’s cash out at a time. It’s not a big deal.

MrsMcCluskeysCat · 13/12/2021 10:21

@MrsMcCluskeysCat

Even if she was tax dodging it wouldn't matter whether you paid cash or not, just because you pay by BACS doesn't mean she has to declare it (well not yet anyway).

Sorry that should have said 'it doesn't mean she is declaring it'. Obviously she should be declaring it but you can still be paid by BACS and not declare it, HMRC don't magically have access to her bank account.

BurbageBrook · 13/12/2021 10:22

Just pay her cash, it's none of your business whether she pays tax. She may be under threshold anyway.

logsonlogsoff · 13/12/2021 10:24

Just give her the cash. It’s up to her to do her own taxes. If she’s tax dodging and you don’t like that then get another cleaner.

MLMshouldbeillegal · 13/12/2021 10:24

@ChangeChingyChange

It's up to you, if she wants cash its because she's tax dodging. If you feel uncomfortable with this then insist on Bank transfer only. She could say no then you've lost her as a cleaner. I'd have the conversation with her before she starts. Would it really bother you that much to not just pay her in cash?

No, it's up to her.

The cleaner is self-employed. The cleaner decides how she wants to work. She has decided she wants cash, OP can choose to go along with that or choose not to. The cleaner can choose whether she wants OP as a client. OP cannot "insist" on anything.

And this idea that everyone being paid in cash is a tax dodger is so tired and insulting.

logsonlogsoff · 13/12/2021 10:24

Unless she’s claiming benefits too - in which case report her.

MsAgnesDiPesto · 13/12/2021 10:26

@coatilove

Of course you wouldn't get in trouble for paying cash! Paying cash isn't illegal lol it's up to her to sort her taxes.

Fwiw my cleaner asks for cash and it absolutely pisses me off it's a massive inconvenience so perhaps have a think about that and set your stool from the beginning and tell her you don't have time for cash.

I’m not sure setting out your stool is the right way to start a relationship with your cleaner 😁

MaryAndGerryLivingInDerry · 13/12/2021 10:27

@logsonlogsoff

Unless she’s claiming benefits too - in which case report her.

What the fuck?? You think people who claim benefits can’t work too?

SirensofTitan · 13/12/2021 10:27

@InTheLabyrinth

Paid cash doesn't automatically mean tax dodging. Can we stop that please. Yes, those that want to dodge tax prefer cash, but cash doesn't mean they aren't declaring in it. Dad got paid in cash for most of his life. He also paid tax and NI.

It's up to her to declare her earnings, and pay appropriate tax. She's self employed, so NI is on her too.
If cash isn't difficult for you, and that what she prefers, go with it. If cash is tricky for you talk to her about bank transfer.

It's a total MN trope, every week when a paying in cash thread comes up there has to be at least 300 posts saying that cash = tax dodging

I don't know what kind of life posters lead that they think this is a universal truth.

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 13/12/2021 10:30

She's told you how she likes to be paid, so pay her in cash.

I would want to be paid in cash too because it saves chasing people up who ' forget' to transfer the money etc

Lockheart · 13/12/2021 10:32

You can dodge tax with bank transfers just as much as with cash. The question is whether it's reported by them on their return, which is nothing to do with you. And no of course you won't get in trouble

Contrary to what people seem to think, HMRC are not in the habit of monitoring everyone's bank accounts and going in hard if they suspect someone is being paid in cash.

They barely have the resourcing to reply to my letters in good time when there's hundreds of thousands of pounds of tax at stake, let alone starting an enquiry into a small-scale cash-in-hand sole trader.

maddening · 13/12/2021 10:32

@ChangeChingyChange

"It's up to you, if she wants cash its because she's tax dodging"

What a stupid comment, most unreasonable to effectively accuse anyone of a crime based on no evidence at all and an assumption you are making.

out of order imo.

Itloggedmeoutagain · 13/12/2021 10:37

Self employed person here.
When people ask how I would like to be paid I give them the option to do either BACS or pay cash. Because I don't mind. If I was paying for a service and I asked how they'd like to be paid, I would pay them in the method they asked!
Some of my clients pay cash, some transfer, some do a mix of both depending on the week and their own circumstances.
I declare it all.

MLMshouldbeillegal · 13/12/2021 10:40

I don't know what kind of life posters lead that they think this is a universal truth.

They are either judging others by their own low moral standards, or do not know anyone who is working for themselves or running their own business. (And no, MLM huns are not included in "running your own business".)

MsMarch · 13/12/2021 10:43

@MrsPelligrinoPetrichor

She's told you how she likes to be paid, so pay her in cash.

I would want to be paid in cash too because it saves chasing people up who ' forget' to transfer the money etc

Yes, this. I think a lot of cleaners want cash for this exact reason. I've seen many cleaners on here commenting on how hard it can be to get money out of people.

I can think of of other reasons too including if they are being financially abused, if they are not comfortable with online banking, if they need cash for their own purchases, if they are new to this country and struggling to get a bank account set up etc.

logsonlogsoff · 13/12/2021 10:44

‘ What the fuck?? You think people who claim benefits can’t work too?’

Jesus, take a chill pill! I meant benefits not entitled to… maybe you don’t know people who say their not working, claim for everything then do cash in hand work but I do.

Cupcakeschocolate · 13/12/2021 10:49

Even if she was tax dodging I bet she's hardly making a fortune. It wouldn't cross my radar. She probably wants cash so she won't have to hound you to pay her.

MaryAndGerryLivingInDerry · 13/12/2021 10:51

Jesus, take a chill pill! I meant benefits not entitled to… maybe you don’t know people who say their not working, claim for everything then do cash in hand work but I do.

No. You said if she’s claiming benefits, report her. You didn’t qualify it with anything. For starters, how on earth would a client know what benefits their cleaner was claiming or whether they were entitled to them?

SleepingStandingUp · 13/12/2021 10:52

Perhaps she wants cash because she pays for something else in cash and it means she has cash on hand. Perhaps she's been burnt before about "oh I definitely sent it!" via bank

MaryAndGerryLivingInDerry · 13/12/2021 10:53

Do people do this sort of hand wringing over paying cash in a shop? I know a few cleaners (I am one myself) and to my knowledge none of them have ever been done for not declaring income. My mums hairdresser has been though. Not putting cash payments through the till. Local corner shop has been done for the same.

Itsalmostanaccessory · 13/12/2021 10:53

@logsonlogsoff

It is they're not their.

I wouldn't usually correct you but you're benefit bashing a cleaner just because she wants to be paid cash, which is completely legal and there are many legitimate reasons for it. At least learn the difference between they're and their before you start bashing other people for asking for a totally legally payment method and deciding she must be a tax dodging benefit fraud.

maddening · 13/12/2021 10:56

I pay the lady that does my cleaning by bank transfer a month in advance, so she is never having to chase me which is the reason I expect most have issue with when customers pay late, having to remember which customers have paid what etc.

Mischance · 13/12/2021 10:56

Just pay her cash - what is the problem?

I pay mine in cash - I put the money out each time and all is well. Never occurred to me to question it.

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