To report someone for tax evasion

[WhatsHoppening]

An acquaintance doing medical aesthetics and making a bomb but not officially registered as a business and paying no tax despite advertising on social media and posting lots of clients.

This has been going on 3+ Years so not a new act of desperation.

Yes a RGN.
I have no idea about indemnity and protected so wouldn’t like the comment or report on that as I honestly have no clue. In theory if they were done for fraud they would have to report to the NMC themselves

I wouldn’t report someone for this if they were doing it as a sideline to supplement a wage that doesn’t go far enough. Especially a nurse. She’s hardly going to be living the high life, and nurses contribute plenty to society.

If this were one of society’s takers, failing to pay tax on their full time job, I’d feel differently.

@ClocksGoingBackwards I appreciate that but she works one day a week as a nurse to allow for the majority of her week doing this additional work as it’s more lucrative.
I am a teacher so appreciate that public sector workers are underpaid and under appreciated but it doesn’t justify not paying tax. If we all did that we would be in an even worse position as a country.

It’s your civic duty to report them.

They won’t care I know somebody that’s made over £60 grand over the last three years that had they declared it I would’ve been receiving 15% off in child-support nobody cares.

I'd report it.

An unregulated medical professional who moonshines needs to be dealt with.

If they’re not worried about it, why would you be? It’s not your concern. As someone who pays every penny of the tax they owe, I’m not remotely concerned about it. Now if it was Amazon …

I think if you feel strong enough to report it you should be brave enough to confront and ask them about it.

Firstly- she must be working more than one day a week do keep up her registration.
Secondly- unless you are reporting all your teacher colleagues who charge £30 an hour for tutoring on the side I would stay out of it. I suspect this has nothing to do with ‘moral duty’ but jealousy of this women having more money than you.

I used to work for HMRC many years ago and it certainly wasn't unknown to get anonymous reports of people dodging tax. Sometimes we knew about the person supposedly dodging tax, and they weren't. Sometimes it turned up someone completely new to us. Some of these people were a bit stupid, they could have claimed various start up costs and not paid tax legitimately, but by trying to be clever, they got caught.

@Peregrina how is this kind of thing handled what happens next?

Indeed it could but there is not a lookup for sole traders as there is for limited companies or partnerships.

I've been a self-employed sole trader for 15+ years. You wouldn't know that by googling me, I'm not listed on Companies House. It's between me and the taxman - and yes, I pay my tax.

But if you are sure, report them.

When I am queen of the world, the only people doing "medical aesthetics" which I presume is fillers and botox, will be doctors and properly trained nurses. Not amateurs wanting to make some extra cash.

HMRC can easily look up sole traders, so she doesn't need to be sure. HMRC will be able to check.

It would be unusual for someone offering medical procedures not to opt for the protection that a limited liability company offers. Insurance is all well and good, but it is better if it's the company that would get sued rather than you.

Why not just mind your own business

Not if you have the correct accountancy advice, and use tax avoidance measures.

It’s illegal. Would you mind your own business if you saw someone steal from a shop or scam an elderly person? When people evade tax we all lose out.

Because every tax dodger is literally taking money from the rest of us!

Why do you say "mind your own business", tax evader by any chance?

how is this kind of thing handled what happens next?

When I worked for them, if they are already known to HMRC, then nothing, the file is put away again with a note as to why the file was reviewed. If they aren't known, enquiries are made and it's taken from there. It used to depend on how much tax was likely to be involved. There's not a lot of point of spending a few thousands chasing someone for a couple of hundred pounds.

And yes, they ought to be going after the Amazons of the world, but that is a different issue and needs tackling at a national or international level.

Thanks @Peregrina thats helpful. If it is only a few hundred do HMRC put the spookers up the person to get registered and start paying tax or just leave it completely?

Why are you so invested in their life and business? Leave them alone

Funny how people see told to mind their own business when they suspect someone is committing benefit fraud but not when they're not declaring all the money they've made for the state to take

@roarfeckingroarr if someone was committing benefit fraud I’d report that too…?

I am asking @Peregrina as as I’ve said before I don’t want to ruin their life BUT I do think they should pay tax like everyone else. I would much prefer a letter from HMRC telling them to get their shit together going forward than a massive fine but obviously it’s not up to me.

Part of being a society instead of a bunch of individuals looking out for ourselves is contributing and reporting illegal behaviour. Her kids go to school, she uses the NHS but doesn’t contribute what she should via tax. It isn’t fair and there’s no excuse.

By all means report. But be very sure that you're right. My parents got reported in the late 70s. Clean as a whistle as it turned out. Always had been and always would be (they recently died and their accountant told us he'd tear his hair out that they didn't take the legal tax measures they could have!!).
But it nearly broke them. It was awful.

It's just none of your business. You're not the moral or tax police.

@roarfeckingroarr we will have to agree to disagree. It is ALL of our business.

Im sorry @intwrferingma that happened to your parents.