Dog walker wants cash in hand

[funtimetoni]

Started using a new dog walker in January, as old one moved away. Today he messaged and asked if I can start paying cash. Ive been paying by bank transfer and always on time. AIBU to think no, you can be paid through the correct channels like everyone else. For the record he charges towards the higher rate for the area, so it's not like I'm getting a bargain.

This kind of assumption that cash payments are obviously not legit, despite our economy functioning this way for centuries, is exactly the crap that drives a 1984 culture. He's a dog walker, this is not an international smuggling ring. Relax and pay him cash. What a drama llama over nothing

There’s no assumption - people have stated that IF he provides receipts/invoices, then it is entirely up to OP whether she pays in cash. But OP has not come back and stated, ‘oh yes he said he’ll give a receipt’ [yet], has she? And the fact that she has started a thread to discuss this means that her spidey senses are tingling…

I would reply "Certainly, so long as you give me a receipt."

Cheating on taxes and benefits is not acceptable.

My friend hired a dog sitter from the website Rover and the sitter let her dog in her front garden without a fence and the dog got hit by a car. The vets bills were astronomical. Thankfully the pup was ok once her leg healed

Surely you realise how important and costly pet insurance is and public liability (which would require a paper trail).

Would you really give your pet to any random person to look after with no paper proof of it? Geez

You obviously don't know the difference between tax avoidance and tax evasion.

I'm happy to avoid tax and it is legal. If we want big businesses to stop avoiding tax then the law needs to change.

Tax evasion is illegal and I am not willing to support it.

I don’t go to the supermarket I use Ocado, there isn’t a cash machine in my village and the nearest supermarket and petrol station is a 20 minute drive away. I mainly wfh and when I go to the office I go by train which involves driving to the station in the middle of nowhere in the opposite direction to said supermarket. I don’t pass a cash machine. I’m time poor, I’m not running around looking for cash for someone I’m employing to make my life easier when it takes literally one minute to transfer funds.

So she knows he’ll be paying tax as he’s issued an invoice.

Cash is a legal tender. It’s a valid and legal method of payment. You’re implying they are doing some dodgy which you have no proof of.

Accepting cash is one thing. My business accepts cash readily because we like to give the customer a range of options and we don't want to lose business by being inflexible. Insisting on cash is another thing entirely.

Nope.
Sounds like he's dodgy. If he's doing this is he actually insured and DBS checked for his role? Most walkers are as they are trusted to go into people's homes etc.

Sounds like he's up to no good. Find a new one.

Why would anyone pay cash?!?! I have 2 dog walkers. One is just 21 and invoices me via email after every walk, has a business account and is super professional.
2nd doesn't invoice me but can transfer directly in account. Both in very rural place so not as if it's a city thing.

Paying cash is a massive hassle, I never have any cash and it would massively inconvenience me to go and find a cash machine near me for this.

A normal business would accept both without any issues. Dog walking is a business like all others.

there are plenty of reasons why folk want cash keeping an eye on payments is a hassle. Why are you thinking it’s dodgy? they may not want their money to swallowed up by OD charges and interest payments. Folk are struggling its hand to mouth for some people these days - give them a break payment is payment. That’s the job they have done and that’s what they have asked for.

Out of touch much? My nearest supermarket is 20 min drive, otherwise theres the farm shop that opens when I am at work several miles away. so no, actually it isn't easy to get cash for many people who are not right in the city or town. Plus it's a massive hassle.

OP should just find a normal dog walker.

Obviously paying in cash, means he can hide that payment and won't have to pay tax on it. I'd ask for a discount if paying in cash, but at the end of the day if he's a good dog walker just pay his preferred payment method.

Because she's the one paying?

I would lighten up a bit...its not as though dog walker is earning an awful lot, so what if he's dodging a bit of tax..

Yeah right tax dodging criminal 😆😂🤣

If you would prefer to pay via transfer rather than cash if you suspect he’s being a bit dodgy just say sorry you can’t “you work for HMRC” or something along those lines 😂 guarantee he’ll never ask to do cash in hand again

Because we all suffer (NHS waiting times at A&E as an example that affects most people at some point) when people dodge tax. One person might not make much difference but multiply that one person by tens or hundreds of thousands across the country… it’s significant.

Extremely stuck up statement!!! The snobbery is oozing out of you. Why are you so enthusiastic about paying taxes anyway? You think it’s right that the governments are fiddling people putting taxes on taxes, people love being controlled, it’s embarrassing. Imagine there was a machine that prints money and nobody in the world needed to struggle……oh wait…!!! 🙄

There are people in all walks of life paying their share of taxes. Why should a care worker or a hospital cleaner have to pay tax because they are PAYE, while a dog walker or other self employed person get to evade tax?

There's no snobbery in wanting everyone to contribute their legally required taxes, to provide public services for all.

Please tell me you don't think the answer to world poverty is printing more money

That's before we get to the idea that some people think it's fine to opt out of contributing to the services we all use

No he’ll ditch you as a client.

you’re outright accusing him of tax evasion.

” I work for hmrc and I know you’re working for cash to avoid tax”.

yeah, that’ll go down well.

So what would she do if she turned up one day and they had forgotten to leave the cash for her, or forgotten to drive out and get it while she was there and she didn't have time to hang around while they then did that? She'd still have to chase them. You could argue that a bank transfer is more bulletproof. Regardless of what else is going on, lack of access to a cash machine, cash machine out of service etc, a bank transfer can be done any time, anywhere and is instant.

How puerile.

Getting paid in cash doesn’t mean it’s tax-free. It’s interesting how people hate tax until they need a hospital, a road, or anything publicly funded. If they’re earning, they should be paying like everyone else, because those things don’t appear out of thin air.