Paying a premium for a service and can only pay by cash.

[Holidayreservation]

Somebody is coming over tomorrow to do a job and they only accept cash. I know this is their full time job (not a single mum doing a bit of ironing on the side).

AIBU?

Aibu.

@BuanoKubiamVej

Taking cash does not mean a business has no formal accounting system or paper trail.

Do you favour all the companies that we know do not pay their share of tax in the UK due to little loopholes? Or is it just low paid workers you would accuse of wrongdoing because they take cash?

On mumsnet, there is a belief that anyone wanting cash is cheating the system. What did someone say up thread? About the overdraft issue... oh yeah, they should just use a credit card. Because everyone can get a credit card in mumsnet blinkered land.

It’s swings and roundabouts - place I worked as a student - whilst payments by customers was cash or car, staff wages were paid weekly by cash but Tax and NI was paid and payslips generated. The reason for this was it meant that they didn’t have to pay the extortionate fee for having a business account as a small business (was part of a Chain but as a kind of franchise thing). So if it’s a small business maybe it is legit and they’re trying to save money without impacting customers. Obviously there’s a chance it’s tax avoidance but who knows.

I run a garden maintenance business as a sole trader.

I find cash makes things a whole lot easier.

As a result of this thread, I've just checked whether my client who I saw on Wed has paid me by bank transfer. He hasn't, so I've just had to remind him, and I'll have to double check later.

With cash, people pay at end of the job, and I dont have to double check. I can pay it into the bank as a lump sum st the end of the month, usually via the post office.

And no, I am not dodging taxes, dishonest, or stealing from anyone. Every penny fully declared.

For those interested and presuming tax avoidance, our business bank for one operation requires an upfront fee of £175, 25p plus a 1.75%+ transaction fee and a minimum total charges for the bank of £25 pcm. There are cheaper methods. There can be a lot of chasing of bank transfers. Chargeback can be weaponised sometimes too.

Well bank transfer would be easiest all round, and it's not hard to check their account on their phone, they could do this before they leave the OPs house.

It's not 'easier all round' though. What you mean is it's easier for you.

There are lots of reasons why someone would want to be paid in cash - it doesn't automatically mean they're dong anything dodgy. I'm a sole trader and about 25% of my clients pay me in cash - I declare all my earnings and pay my taxes!

For many people it's a budgeting thing. They take out x amount to pay the dog walker/cleaner/gardener and then they know exactly how much they have left to cover the bills.

@BuanoKubiamVej

I would take my custom elsewhere. People who insist on cash are fiddling their taxes and basically stealing from the rest of us who are honest. I therefore cannot trust them to supply any kind of service.

Bit of a sweeping statement

There are lots of reasons lots of people ask for payment 8n cash

Op: youhave a choice lay the cash, or find s9 done ekse
Simples

@BuanoKubiamVej

I would take my custom elsewhere. People who insist on cash are fiddling their taxes and basically stealing from the rest of us who are honest. I therefore cannot trust them to supply any kind of service.

Do you buy stuff from Amazon?

@BuanoKubiamVej

I would take my custom elsewhere. People who insist on cash are fiddling their taxes and basically stealing from the rest of us who are honest. I therefore cannot trust them to supply any kind of service.

You absolutely don't know that's true if all people. A cashless society will harm the poorest.

@BarbaraofSeville

Well bank transfer would be easiest all round, and it's not hard to check their account on their phone, they could do this before they leave the OPs house.

I suppose the point about being overdrawn might be relevant, although there's far better ways of managing cashflow that wouldn't mean money is swallowed up, such as putting the spend on a credit card, likely to be cheaper and would be completely free for a few weeks.

I'm surprised they're still willingly accepting cash, after all, they have to risk loss/theft and use it up if they're not planning to bank it, which is also a chore in itself.

Just easier for you

That seems really harsh. Amazon have repeatedly assured their customers and the UK government they pay all of the taxes that think are appropriate. And it's a complete coincidence that lots of large IT firms have established headquarters in Ireland to serve the UK market and other EU markets. That double dutch mechanism is no longer used. And no, that's not because they found an even better way of making sure revenues flow in the right way.

If you are not happy with the terms use somebody else. Its probably a tax dodge though.

Yanbu, it's annoying. This is the 21st century! Our cleaner only takes cash as well which means specifically going to the cash machine each time as I don't use cash for anything else, and it also makes it harder for me to give her the raise she deserves because that would mean needing to fiddle about with coins as well/finding a cash machine that will let your take out fivers.

My husband is a window cleaner, and he prefers cash rather than bacs. He accepts both but with cash he knows instantly whether a customer has paid and can mark it off accordingly. With Bacs he has to spend 2-3 hours a week working through his bank account and cross referencing against his customers. He then has to spend time chasing up missing payments and knowing which account name belongs to which customer.

Likewise the riding school near me have a sign up saying they are no longer accepting bacs transfers because it’s too difficult to know which clients have paid (or not)

So it’s not as simple to say BACS is easier.

@BuanoKubiamVej

I would take my custom elsewhere. People who insist on cash are fiddling their taxes and basically stealing from the rest of us who are honest. I therefore cannot trust them to supply any kind of service.

There are numerous reasons someone might prefer cash. I’m glad I’m not this cynical.

@Holidayreservation

Sorry million miles away.

That it just really annoys me. I have to get in my car to get cash and I’m presuming it’s cash in hand. They’re also charging the same amount as others for the same service so I’m presuming they’re pocketing the difference.

You are presuming an awful lot, aren't you?

Must be at least a week since we've had the "self-employed people are all on the fiddle and cash payments means they are evading tax" nonsense.

I carry a stash of Scottish and/or Northern Irish banknotes for people who insist on being paid in cash. It often makes them realise how maybe a bank transfer would actually be fine after all.

@malmi

I carry a stash of Scottish and/or Northern Irish banknotes for people who insist on being paid in cash. It often makes them realise how maybe a bank transfer would actually be fine after all.

I expect it makes them realise they don’t want customers like you too.

Must be at least a week since we've had the "self-employed people are all on the fiddle and cash payments means they are evading tax" nonsense.

Yes - it never wears out though, does it? HMRC must love this whilst they are cooking up sweetheart deals with Vodafone and looking the other way for Amazon etc

I carry a stash of Scottish and/or Northern Irish banknotes for people who insist on being paid in cash. It often makes them realise how maybe a bank transfer would actually be fine after all.

Imagine actually organising yourself to be a narky twat 😂

@malmi

I carry a stash of Scottish and/or Northern Irish banknotes for people who insist on being paid in cash. It often makes them realise how maybe a bank transfer would actually be fine after all.

And I bet they add the Twat Tax.

Anyone who wants to fiddle HMRC needs to ensure they have absolutely no correctly written records anywhere.

I've used lots of services - mostly trades - who only accept cash. The reason for doing that is that it means they don't have to chase customers for payment and customers don't have to check with them that they have got their money. They have all provide receipts which are duplicates and/or have written records when it involves money.

I once used a builder who wanted everything done by bank transfer. Years later I looked him up and he had been done by HMRC for fiddling his books - twice....