Tradespeople who insist on cash

[Oestrogelsmuggler]

I am trying to get a wood burner installed. I have been given a price by a local company, but was told it'd have to be in cash, or else I'd need to pay an extra 20%, even for a bank transfer.

This annoys me. It looks to me like an obvious tax dodge, for starters. Yet this seems standard among tradespeople these days. I find it offensive when the rest of us dutifully pay our tax.

It's also inconvenient. I resent having to get thousands of pounds out in cash. I can't get it easily in one visit to a cashpoint.

It's made me want to not give him the business - but unfortunately he's the only one who bothered to visit my house and give me a reasonable quote.

Am I being unreasonable?

This!

Tax evasion is a criminal offence. The amazon's of this world may avoid tax but they certainly don't evade it.

What was the quote for the job?

But surely he won't be charging vat if he earns less than £80,000 anyway?

You would be very wise to pay some of it via a credit card (at least £100) which will give you protection if he goes bust without doing the work.

Or pay all of it via a credit card if possible.

I would love to know the amount of tax dodging that goes on in countries like Sweden who have high tax but have much better state support and amenities. I wonder if people see their taxes are being used honestly and fairly for the good of everyone they are more willing to pay?

I am suddenly noticing lots of firms whose card readers seem permanently broken - my hairdresser, a fish and chip shop I like.. It’s so blatant that I can’t imagine they’re all tax dodging as everyone would know?

I am going to have to find a new hairdresser as I don’t want to support them if they’re tax avoiders.

@NOTANUM tbf i use a sumup machine to take card payments and it is really temperamental.

Frustratingly, from a number of initial enquiries that I made, this is the only person in the trade who has actually come to my house to see the job. The rest of them seem content to go off photos alone. They don't know anything about the height of the chimney or other useful contextual factors.

The exact height of the chimney makes very little difference to the quote. They can make a good enough estimate from photos to allow for the amount of liner likely to be required. Most of the quote is pretty standard, and it's cheaper to send you an indicative quote and know you're actually interested from your response to that rather than send someone round and risk that you're just kicking the tyres. They're not daft, they know you'll be getting multiple quotes but only giving at most one person the job.

But, your guy-wanting-cash - is he going to provide a HETAS certificate for cash?

Also, some people hate tax evasion and avoidance, and as a result try to avoid cash in hand tradesman AND Amazon.

I will sometimes use Amazon for very specific things I can't find elsewhere (maybe a power supply for an old laptop). I'm happy to pay the window cleaner £12 cash. But I like having the NHS and look forward to a pension, so in my day to day life I avoid amazon and builders who want cash for massive jobs.

If you pay cash they is no record of the transaction and he may come back and say it was only part payment.

If he is charging VAT you should ensure the invoice has a VAT Registration number on it.

If is underhand like this what else will he fiddle - on a wood burner maybe the HEATAS certificate which may be an issue in years to come if you sell your property.

You are moaning about this but you would be happy to shop at Amazon or one of the companies that dodge millions in tax. Pay by bank transfer but pay the extra 20% & the VAT on the materials.

Im no defender of Amazon but if you know that they are dogding tax have you explained how to all of the tax experts who havent been unable to challenge their use of legally available tax structures

Would you not use legal methods to reduce your own tax or pay more than you have to?

I just wonder if you paid cash where would you stand if there was a warranty claim for poor workmanship or materials... no guv, never been there, never met the lady...

Rubbish, lots of older people like to use cash. Some small businesses accept only cash or cheques because card machines either want to charge to much or dont work for their business. Not everyone accepting cash is dodgy,neither is anyone spending it. OP situation is clearly dodgy, but that does not mean everyone else is!

Card machines dont work for all small businesses in terms of costs and sometimes location. As someone who travels to customers in rural areas, a machine would not be viable, no signal and i would have to charge more due to the fee. Sum up / i zettle are a pain. Happier with cash/bank transfer/cheque.

I'm doing a whole house renovation and I only wish I could pay for some of the jobs in cash. 20% would be huge for me.

But then I also kill house spiders - I have no morals (according to Mumsnet anyways).

The OP can ask for a reciept

Before cards etc everyone paid using cash or cheques. You just ask for a receipt.

The £80000 is TURNOVER, Not profit,
. It only takes 1 or 2 medium sized jobs to hit £80k turnover

Tbf, I'm dubious how many people would pay if it was optional.

You get a recipe. An itemized receipt.

God, the hysteria over paying in cash on mumsnet is epic.

*receipt

She gets an invoice/receipt?!

Never understand why people keep things off the books. In the long run its pretty short sighted. On day, tradespeople may need a mortgage and when they look at the turnover of their business they won't be able to get the deal they should. Also, if something goes wrong with the job they have done or they have a customer fall out - as it's off the books it technically hasn't happened. If they were taken to court and have to show contracts/invoices etc, I don't think that would end well in their favour.

We put everything through the digital quote/invoicing system, customers do ask for cash discounts I say NO.
No favours, it's a business.