AIBU to refuse to pay cash in hand?

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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?

There's lots of reasons. While I seldom use cash myself, I respect the rights of those who make other choices. In my first job, they had only just moved on from cash in an envelop, with a payslip so no tax avoidance was going on, but many staff preferred it, as they found they budgeted better and couldn't get overdrawn. Payments involved with using cards? Not trusting banks? The fact that when tills went down, only cash was accepted? Customers doing unjustified chargebacks? The principle of cash being legal tender and not having to use anything else? Easy to give to others, including just being able to hand a child a fiver, give it to your grandad who doesn't like apps or online banking? Tips (many servers prefer cash tips)?
Don't know where you are, but round here it can be very hard to get tradesmen/women so not respecting how they wanted to be paid would make it hard to get one.

Cash in a cafe isn't really evading tax? They don't want to pay banking/transaction fees on cards.

I thought literally every tradesperson who wanted to be paid in cash was doing it to avoid paying tax. I’ve paid cash in hand for lots of smallish house repair stuff. None of my business whether they pay tax or not and they usually offer it cheaper for cash in hand so I’m happy!

I think there are a lot of objections to payments being “tracked” too via card and bank transfer. I’m a fairly boring, professional middle aged mum. I’m not a criminal, I’m not being abused in any way, the government already have all my details and I pay tax through paye so I’m not hiding from anyone or doing anything dodgy and have no reason to object to my bank statements showing where I’ve been and what I’m doing so it doesn’t bother my paying by card but lots of civil liberty type groups really hate it, don’t trust the banks and institutions and see it as a form of control. It’s the same with CCTV / ID cards / facial recognition stuff.

Strange, I won’t go into or give shops my custom if the DONT accept cash

Any business can choose to be cash only for whatever reason they want. I think it's a stretch to say every business that prefers cash is for some illegal reason. Im sure it goes on but most people in here are happy to get deliverys from amazon, just eat etc and they arent exactly well known for being totally honest or have the best intentions of the people working for them. A few years ago was it uber who tried to say everyone was self employed so the company didn't have to pay sick pay, pensions etc? So of course anyone working for them would want any tips in cash

What about other goods and services ?
In my town many places are cash only to avoid paying credit card fees.. crushing independent businesses
Nail place / hairdressers / beauty place/ barbers/ cafe / takeaways are all cash.m

Yep, every tradesperson I’ve ever known does cash in hand work. You just ask them for a cash price.

Perk of the trade, as far as I’m concerned. And I’m speaking as someone with no way to structure finances the same way myself: I’m an additional rate PAYE earner, but good luck to anyone who can do it. Usually find they’ll come and do the job quicker, too.

I'd happily pay - we're all working hard out here to survive. Even if it is a bit of tax avoidance, I know people lumbered with a huge tax bill and then they're struggling themselves. I don't begrudge a bit of cash here and there for people to enjoy.

Well said
People being pissy on here about independent cafes being cash only when Starbucks has avoided hundreds of millions in taxes

Some small businesses prefer cash. I know taxi drivers do. It is convenient being able to pay by card but I always have cash on me. My card sometimes gets declined. Most of the time I do have enough cash on me to pay.

My DSis gets paid in cash. Everything is declared and she works for a high street business. She gets paid in cash because she has struggled with gambling addiction online. It’s also easier for her to keep track of her spending which has been a separate issue in the past.

What’s it to you how someone gets paid?

Cars can be used to commit crimes - including driving over the speed limit which every car is capable of, or driving through a red light. Would you like someone to refuse to let you drive your car in case you committed a crime with it? How insulting would that be?

I think you mean tax evasion.

Tax avoidance is legal.

I'm a tradesman, electrician, I can't abide cash or cheques, transfers are easy, make my accounting simple and put the money where it needs to be, in the bank, ready to pay suppliers invoices etc.

That said, there is nothing in itself illegal in asking for cash, so long as it is declared - however I agree that you should be wary of cash payments, especially with no paperwork.

I’m exactly the same
most Starbucks take cash but one I went into only took card
no signs on the door anywhere

so I ordered my drink and sandwich went to pay cash and they were like oh it’s card only

so I said sorry I’ve only got cash and left
so they lost £12 and they had opened the sandwich that I wanted

Im sure they aren’t crying over £12 but they should have had a sign up saying card only if they only accept cards

Cash in hand is a fuck you to the taxpayer. You, me and everyone else.

In my experience almost all trades that request cash in hand are tax dodging. Most of them say they'll knock off the VAT or give you a discount for cash, so they're pretty blatant about it. I don't want to be a part of that either.

I might pay cash in hand for something like ad hoc babysitting, even though I think the chances they're declaring the money for tax is vanishingly small, but not a proper business.

That's different though, she's on a payroll, so she won't be liable to pay tax on the cash she gets given, all that is taken care of via the PAYE.

My hairdresser only takes cash or cheque. She's been cutting my hair for nearly 40 years and is the only person who can cut autistic DS hair. No idea if she puts it all through the books or not but I suspect she does. Her mum was the hairdresser before her and tbh a lot of it is quite old fashioned but a great place. Not everyone is on the fiddle.

I believe its illegal to be part of it, if you suspect tax is being avoided you can be held liable.

Because cash is nice, I like it, use it and would always pay anyone who did a job for me in cash. Not everything has to go through the books, people already pay enough tax. If a bit of cash helps someone I am glad - but it is not my business what they declare or don't anyway.

As for it being inconvenient to go to an atm, presumably you go to work or shopping, you can go to an atm then and put the money somewhere safe indoors. Also if you have a car you can nip out in the evening. It won't kill you to go to an atm on occasion.

I don't mind paying cash to small businesses, but I like to have the choice.
I really don't care if the gardener or cleaner doesn't declare every single job. It's way low down the list of concerns

I paid some builders an obscene amount if money in cash a few years ago. I had to make an actual appointment at the bank to get it and didn’t enjoy travelling home with it.

It didn’t sit right with me at all so not done it since

I find the vast majority tradespeople prefer bank transfers these days. Works for me. I never have any cash anyway.

The consumer can be liable, especially if it’s a particularly obvious 20% discount for cash for a VAT registered business.