AIBU Is this or isn't this the done thing?

[SoOutingWhoCares]

Persons A + C had their cars MOTd at a Test Centre that does only MOTs and charges the maximum legal amount of £54.85 which the Test Centre stipulates can only be paid in cash. It's an open secret in the town that this is most likely for tax avoidance reasons.

A, B and C met up in a pub recently.
B asked A if their car passed it's MOT and how much it had cost.

A said "£54.85 but obviously I just handed the £55 cash over."

B was horrified and commented that the done thing is to round it up £60 as you are supposed to include a tip for an MOT.

A seemed shocked and said they weren't aware this was a "thing" and asked C to back them up.

C agreed that you don't have to tip for MOT and agreed with A's argument that this particular garage avoids paying tax and that neither A, B or C get tipped in their respective jobs (carework, NHS and education) and also pay tax on all income. If it makes any difference, A is hard up and £55 is a significant amount of money at the moment.

B probed C further, only for C to admit they always tip an extra £10 when they get their car MOTd.

B thinks A is very rude and has committed a faux pas and the staff at the centre will be laughing at them being tight for handing over £55 exactly.

A thinks B is crazy and that most people don't tip when they get an MOT as it's a legal test and not a repair (though they admitted to tipping the mechanic that services/fixes their car).

C has a tendency of tipping everyone for fear of offending someone and is on the fence and isn't sure whether it's the done thing or not.

Who is in the right here?

YABU - It's the done thing to tip when you get your MOT done

YANBU - You don't have to tip when you get your MOT done

I can’t see how they can be avoiding tax? They are more likely to be avoiding costly bank fees for having a card machine!

MOTs are a legal document and have to be registered. It would take HMRC 2 seconds to work out if they aren’t declaring all thier income if they only do MOT tests!!!

The mechanic who MOTs my car is great. He picks it up from my work and drops it back when he’s done. He emails me the invoice (£40 last time) and I transfer exactly that amount using my banking app. I would avoid using a business that was clearly avoiding tax TBH.

Card fees are ridiculously expensive for small businesses so perhaps they prefer cash for that reason.

Lol I'd have requested the 15p change back.

Never tipped for an MOT ever in my life.

How would the garage being paid in cash help them with tax avoidance?

An MOT is registered on the government website in order for you to get your certificate. So it would be very easy for HMRC to check how many MOT's this garage has carried out each year.

And no, tipping for an MOT is not a thing, more likely an extra tenner is a bribe for it being marked as a pass.

The UK is a small island. There is nowhere that remote that neither A, B or C could drive their car to a more reputable tax paying MOT test centre so on that basis you're all being V unreasonable (and tipping a mechanic is madness, I assume bribery?).

Well... I would probably tip my guy. But he does most of the work in his spare time from his home garage before getting the MOT done at the garage he works in for his day job.

as another poster said as MOTs are registered if it is thee only service they offer HMRC know exactly how much tax is due. Its not likely to be for tax avoidance but to avoid bank fees.

Card machines really aren't that expensive to run these days you can get cheap ones everywhere.

And if you are putting actual cash in the bank, many charge you for the privilege of depositing cash as a business.

Same 🤣

YABU for using this A, B, C writing 'style'.

Hilarious-made my night 🤣

Err no...noone tips for an MOT

A, B and C? No you don't tip

I’ve never tipped for an MOT. That’s also a crazy price to pay for one!

I've never tipped for an MOT and I certainly wouldn't tip someone who was blatantly evading tax. Although it sounds as though tax evasion wouldn't be possible in this instance.

It's a myth that card transactions are more expensive, unless they're not banking the cash. It's much more expensive to pay cash into a business bank account.

B is an utter tit.

There's nil chance we would tip for an MOT test.

Interesting about the Tax.

I'm not sure why then they insist on cash and won't even accept a bank transfer.

It is expensive to bank cash, to the extent that my place of worship and our homeless charity requests card or bank transfer donations over cash (and cheques which are the priciest of all).

Thankfully, I agree B is being a tit.

I work in healthcare and am not well paid for what I do. I tip after a meal out and that’s about it. Who can afford to tip everyone? Especially for necessities like an MOT.

I don’t tip anyone and definitely not for a service like an MOT.

Posters who are on their high horses about cash payment being tax evasion are being silly. Cash is legal tender and there’s nothing wrong is using it.

I prefer working with cash for budget reasons and am fully aware (and glad) it's legal tender.

It's the fact that they make a big deal on the phone when you book thay they ONLY deal in cash and won't accept any other form of payment that seems strange in this day and age.

No-one tios for an mot...