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?

I only use cash so would be fine with it.

The only way you’re being penalised - is by being taxed more to cover the deficit caused by those who don’t pay tax from cash jobs which costs the country between £2.6bn and £10bn

I run a cash economy and get very annoyed by people who don't want to be paid in cash. And if you want some kind of phone transfer, forget it.

You weren’t happy with your gardener - if you were happy with their work and they did a good job you wouldn’t mind how they wanted to be paid, you’d just be glad that you found someone that does a good job doing the work that you don’t want to do. I hope there are lots of gardeners looking for work where you live otherwise you’ve cut your nose off to spite your face. Gardeners are like gold dust where I live, MIL can’t get anyone to do her garden.

I pay my hairdresser in cash, she does a great job and I am always left happy with my hair. What she does with the money is nothing to do with me.

I like the choice of cash if I want it, so I am being penalised. Once we go fully cashless then there is ultimate control over us as a society.

And we’re taxed regardless as they will always find something to tax us for. The government does love a good cash cow.

It’s not difficult for the average person to understand if they want to.

Even MSE has an explainer for it.

What “control” are you talking about?

I voted You are being unreasonable, because quite honestly, I don't care that Fred the painter might pocket 50 quid extra without declaring it. Up to him if he wants to take the risk.
What I do care about is the tax avoidance of big business and government officials.
Will you be avoiding starbucks, apple, google ,Barclays, BT, Amazon and many more, to prove your point?

I changed window cleaner for this reason, amongst others. It’s inconvenient for me to go to a cashpoint every time they come around. I pay more to my new window cleaner but he’s offering a more professional service.

Yanbu. Tax avoidance is not ok.

Exactly this. I only go shoplifting at the weekends because when I do my main shops during the week I always pay at the till, so that’s fine.

I wrote a whole response to you and now the app has decided to lose that when I went to edit a typo.

But basically what I was saying is that already banks are controlling what we spend our money on, a poster mentioned ther locked account further up. My account was locked due to ordering a take away through a well known app and the system didn’t like it.

I get up early and go to work every day for my money so ill spend it on what i like, not on what the banks think is acrceptable.

And as recently as the late 90s/early 00s we had a lot of autonomy but those days are gone and for those who can’t see the government controlling our finances eventually are very naive indeed. It’s not the world I want my kids to live in but unfortunate they will with the way things are going.

Got to hand it to the government though as they’ve really brainwashed a lot of people into thinking it’s cash that the enemy.

I have an intense distrust of carpet fitters for this very reason. Even when I have been assured by the shop that the fitters will take bank transfer, the fitters will not leave unless they have cash. I am sure there are nice carpet fitters out there who don't know their bank details or bully a lone woman with children to go to the cash point in the pouring rain, I've just not met them. I assume that not all of their jobs go through the books.

From a moral point of view. My 17 year old nail tech who is also an apprentice and charges £20 cash, gets cash. She's just starting out in the world and the world is horrible.

@purpleflowersfordays yeah I think we probably have different priorities. I’m more worried about tax evasion, county lines gangs stealing our children’s childhood, human trafficking, child sexual exploitation and good old fashioned back handed corruption than being locked out of my account for a few days. I mean heaven forbid I have a back up account with £100 in for emergencies. The government do not want to control where you spend your money unless you are doing something illegal

It's legal tender so perfectly fine to use.

You can still fiddle books even with card payments. Card machines charge crazy rates. Lots of small businesses prefer cash

I think people agree to pay cash on the premise that they get almost 20% discount.

There is no charge for businesses to receive payment via BACS. Collecting money via DD is a different matter. Also sole traders frequently use digital payment machines — it’s a very small percentage in fees & they are passed on to the customer.

VAT is the biggest cost for a consumer — I tend to privilege non VAT registered sole traders for maintenance jobs as their prices are more competitive for that reason.

I’ve also found those wanting cash in hand are not necessarily cheaper and it definitely feels less professional—my experience is those that suggest it are not necessarily on the poverty line eg when they’ve shown up in a spanking bmw to quote for a job.

Our window cleaners ask to be paid via BACS—I haven’t paid in cash for 20 years.

I also believe we have people who work but are not earning enough to cover essential outgoings and beat inflation—and I wouldn’t begrudge them being paid cash in hand. If I genuinely thought someone was in that position I would pay them cash if they asked.

Well you’re just being facetious now aren’t you. We don’t have different priorities at all because I also want those things tackled but not at the expense of civil liberties. You’re clearly the government target ‘customer’.

There’s more than one way to skin a cat and making cash seem illegal isn’t it in my book. Proper policing is, but oh wait the government won’t soend the money on that, it would rather convince its citizens that paper money is evil and that all crimes will be solved by everyone using digital currency.

I’ll see you on the other side and ask you how far your £100 in your spare account got you.

I just paid a youngster cash in hand for a garden clearance job. Very unlikely to be going through the books but I think youngsters need all the help they can get these days. Not my business what happens to the money after I pay it. It covered this persons fuel, insurance, waste disposal charges along with paying a wage. There would have been processing time/costs once it left me.Some people prefer cash still for innocent reasons and that is a legitimate request.

@purpleflowersfordays
I wasn’t trying to be facetious, I was balancing one big problem (the cash economy costing us billions), with one small one (banks freezing an account they believe to have been de-frauded or compromised leading to short term cash flow issues).
Ironically, the cash in hand economy savings would pay for those extra policing costs you seem to want.
You’re right about me being a good government target though. I happily and willingly pay hefty taxes and won’t pay anyone in cash.

My local chip shop prefers cash because they have to pay for the card machine with a percentage of each transaction. So many people here seem to be missing the point.

Cash can be used without any illegal or tax dodging behaviour.

Everybody’s car could be used to commit various crimes, but nobody wants someone taking their keys away. How odd…

Yes, so his business is large enough to be registered for TAX. IE VAT. of course he should register. Hope to fuck you didn't pay him cash.

Cheques have been phased out here.

I rarely ever use cash, only if it is absolutely necessary.

I think it depends: my Mils cleaning lady only works for cash but she's sending money home to her family in a developing country so I find it hard to judge her. Also a baby-sitter who does occasional baby-sitting is usually paid in cash.
What I'm angry about is one of our local bakeries that doesn't accept cards. Their bread and cakes are delicious but when you pay 50 £ for a cake It's annoying to have to get cash first. I could understand having a 5£ limit on cards but to completely refuse it- to le It's clear they are cheating the system.