To think it's an outrage employer isn't financially responsible?

[ToeSucker]

Working for start up.
There are a million issues with dirty politics, toxicity etc.
My big problem is they started paying staff via revolut and are not paying HMRC, NI or student loan contributions. Instead they're just paying the net pay amount via revolut and the rest of the money is going missing.
They've stopped paying contractors too. They're ghosting them.

We just got a 50k investment and loads of people who were meant to be paid have not been. CEO insists they have been.

I have just found out CEO told other founders my ex-colleague and friend phoned him asking for equity instead of expenses money they're owed. This never happened according to my friend.

I have my resignation letter sent. I am going to escalate to HMRC etc but everyone seems very casual about this when it seems quite serious. AIBU?

Gosh, I don’t understand business but it’s clearly dodgy as F*ck.

Might be worth calling in your local Police station and giving them an outline? Might be fraud?

How to you know that? Don’t companies do live reporting these days? Who’s running the payroll?

OP needs to report to HMRC.

https://www.gov.uk/report-tax-fraud

I don't understand this, are they not running a proper payroll?

I am so sorry. Where is the Board in this? Are the non-exec directors aware? Do you have whistleblowing channels even though you are a start-up?

Not sure what size you are but hopefully there are some governance mechanisms in place

No they stopped running payroll in April at the end of the tax year so no one has received a payslip since p60s

Report asap

The board are aware. They say they are leaving it up to the payroll team. There isn't one as far as we can tell.

Sounds like are in financial difficulty. You are right to get out of there.

This sounds dodgy as fuck.

I'd report to HMRC.

Report to the police. This isn’t just an HMRC issue - they are stealing money from their staff (NI contributions, loan repayments etc, possibly even Child Support deductions).

Well done for clocking what was happening and getting your arse out of there.

typo

Absolutely one of the worst experiences I’ve ever had of my life was working for a start-up company
They wanted to pay less because it’s all about the opportunity to get in on the ground floor, whereas actually like most of them failed, It now looks crap on my CV because they’ve cleared out all evidence they ever existed due to HMRC chasing their arses
I would’ve been better off being unemployed for two years

You need to report them to HMRC.

HMRC don’t care. I have one client that owes me 25 grand but they owe HMRC £915,000 since 2020.
How is anybody able to accrue that level of Debt?

(This is from AI )
An employer is legally required to provide you with a payslip on or before each payday if you are an employee or a "worker," such as someone on a zero-hours contract or an agency worker.
Your payslip must be provided as a paper form or an electronic document and must show details of your pay and any deductions, including hours worked if your pay varies by time.

Unfortunately in my experience of working with startups this isn't that unusual. You're right to get out of there, fast. You can report to HMRC but they'll be very very slow to do anything. Is there any way you can contact the investor without it being too much hassle for you? If not, don't bother. Just get out of there and warn anyone that you can to stay well away.

OP, you won’t have received 6 months of NI contributions, which means that the 2025-2026 tax year will not count as a year toward your state pension. You cannot get a partial year—it is either 100% and counts as a year, or if it is below, it doesn’t count at all.

And I'm assuming there's nothing I can do?

If you were in a Trade Union you could seek support in taking them to an Employment Tribunal; otherwise get legal advice. Maybe your house insurance will cover you.

Ring HMRC, you need to figure out your own position. They are really helpful and not scary. While your employer has a responsibility to pay tax on your behalf, it’s your accountability to make sure it’s done, and done correctly. You’ve a problem with your employer, but HMRC will come to you to get the tax paid ultimately

^^ This 100% - HMRC will be after the employee to pay. (Rightly or wrongly)

if the company is unable to pay all the tax/NI due and twqist it to say that the net amount they paid everyone is acutally gross amount and you are all self employed it may be that HMRC will ask you all to pay tax/NI on the amounts you recieved. I would get this sorted sooner rather than later.

HMRC will not come after the employee. It is 100% the employer's responsibility to pay NI contributions etc.

Contact them ASAP. Under RTI we have to report payroll to HMRC on or before the date of payment. You can also report the lack of payslips etc. I'd suggest you contact ACAS for advice.

I have phoned HMRC and they say it's my responsibility

Phone the police. It’s fraud AND theft.