AIBU to refuse to pay cash in hand?

[Dontasksillyquestions]

This recently came up in conversation with a friend and she disagreed with me.

I generally avoid hiring anyone who asks to be paid cash in hand. I don’t see how cash is more convenient these days unless it’s to avoid tax, benefits rules, etc., and I don’t want to be involved. I also rarely carry cash and getting to a cash machine is inconvenient.

Last year I stopped using a regular gardener when he suddenly asked for cash only, despite there being no payment issues (I always transferred the money on the day he’d done the work). My friend thinks I’m being ridiculous and that it’s none of my concern how people run their business. AIBU?

This is why a majority of businesses hovering around the registration threshold when asked by researchers wanted the threshold to be cut dramatically. The VAT admin wasn’t an issue compared to other businesses being able to charge 1/6th less than them. The sentiment was that if the threshold dropped far enough and ALL businesses are on a level playing field.

We have a business bank account and we have to pay £1.50 per £100 for paying cash in so in our experience credit card transactions are much cheaper than this. As a business we refuse to take cash as it's a pain in the arse. Honestly, I know people are saying it doesn't mean they're dodging a bit of tax but I genuinely can't see any other logical reason. There's no charge for people paying us by bank transfer so why would a business owner choose cash over a bank transfer (I'm thinking of large amounts and trades people not shops of course). I don't use tradespeople who want cash, I certainly don't judge them for doing a few jobs off the books, however personally I haven't time to be going and drawing cash out and I'm using a tradesperson for convenience. Dealing with cash just isn't convenient for me.

It's literally her business, she's the one paying them.

I don't pay in cash.

If you want to earn money, it should go through the system and you need to pay tax.

It's a load of rubbish that it's to avoid transaction fees, handling cash is just as expensive if not much more expensive.

Do you actually believe that the government would reduce the tax rates if nobody fiddled it? Highly unlikely lol

Tradesmen also charge “crazy rates” if that’s what you want to call them, because they are highly skilled at their trade, with years of experience and expensive tools, insurance costs, etc. oh and not to mention , the good ones work their absolute asses off!!

If you mean that checks are rarely used - yes, in America, as well.

If you mean that checks are not longer an option provided by banks - then I'm surprised.

Cash is great, although naturally corporations and governments don't want you to use it, because they can't track it. But it's fast, convenient, and keeps you from over-spending.

You know what, the mega rich and global companies do whatever they can to tax dodge "legally" and through loopholes that their expensive lawyers provide them with.

My self employed immigrant cleaner supporting a young son with no dad in the picture, not earning the best wage- yeah, I'm paying her in cash and I'm glad to do so.

Last year a roofing firm
offerd to disxount the VAT if I paid them
in cash

£8 fucking grand .

That would have been a huge saving for me but how do i get £6k + in cash?

unscrupulous bastards

Fine as long as they pay their share of tax. Lots of people are highly skilled and work hard, so that’s irrelevant to the taxation issue.

I do have a problem with those who charge £500 per day and expect to be paid cash so they can evade tax.

Yes. They would either reduce tax rates or increase spending on services that people want. They are just trying to balance the books (or at least not borrow excessively). They are not a business trying to make a profit!

Almost everything is paid for online or with a tap / pin these days so non-cash payments genuinely make more sense. I really think many people who insist on cash are doing it to leave no trace of the income so they don’t have to pay tax on it. Yes, there’s a fee for handling card payments but there’s not one for bank transfers - so why not accept cash or bank transfer?

I don’t care why they’re doing it. I will usually pay bank transfer because it’s easier than me having to go to a cash point.

I'd say we're not paying enough overall for the services we want. But some people should be paying more, some people are paying too much and some people are cheating the system.

Most tradesmen I know now charge on average £600-750 a day rate

They are potentially not paying taxes or lying to get out of child maintenance so I agree with not facilitating this. It's false equivalence to say oh well millionaires don't pay tax so why not help 'the little man'. They should also pay their taxes!!

Well if you’d rather pay 750 that’s fine, tradesmen are not stupid, they’re aware that customers will require invoices for VAT return, or will check with revenue to report the builder, they’re not going to risk their business doing cash in hand jobs unless you are a friend of a friend, then it’s mates rates. 😆

Phone up HMRC and name and shame. Every single time.

Except the NHS , schools, social care etc that rely on taxes to fund them . Think about that next time you moan about waiting lists .

Yes I do mean cheques are no longer an option provided by banks, and haven't been for around five years. Somehow people seem to manage. I hardly ever have any cash on me - and my over-spending is no worse than it ever was!

This thread provides plenty of evidence that greed often trumps common sense.

It also begs the question of what skills or expertise possibly justify £750 a day (which is way more than a neurosurgeon earns for example) but that’s a whole other thread.

My husband gets both, cash and transfers. He declares everything and pays his tax. Not everyone is on the fiddle. I think maybe it's your judgemental stance that may be the problem.

This.

@OnlyMabelInTheBuilding Great deal for both sides? You are one of the people who has to pay more tax in order to make up for all those people not declaring their earnings. Not such a great deal for you after all. Are you equally happy about shoplifters getting away with it while you have to pay more for your shopping to make up for losses?

Have a heart attack and the ambulance doesn’t come for 5 hours? That’s the consequences of your actions.

He accepts cash and other payment methods that’s fine. When they ASK for cash that’s when alarm bells start to ring.