Dog walker wants cash in hand

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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.

If they are invoicing me then I am not complicit in any supposed evasion. And mitigating taxes liabilities via legal loopholes is an issue for Parliament to address - the law should be amended to address this - but it bears no relation to individuals deliberately evading their tax obligations by fiddling their books. Two separate issues often conflated by people who do not understand the system.

Paying someone cash when they are obviously evading taxes/not declaring for benefits purposes makes me culpable.

I prefer for DH to avoid the risk of being complicit and for him keep his job (where he pays hundreds of thousands of pounds in taxes, willingly, to support those services and the benefit payments of those who need it)… I just expect others to pay what they are due too. Not sorry that I hold that view. If you want people to receive decent levels of benefits and the NHS to be funded, every individual should pay their bloody taxes.

I used to take hundreds of pounds of cash every week...and paid tax on it because I didn't want to get done by HMRC

Guess what I'm getting done by HMRC for their error and it's not even respect of anything that generates tax,!!! Thank Christ I didn't rip them off too.

He may want cash because that bank account is overdrawn and he needs to feed his family.
He might have a local takeaway that only takes cash for his Friday night treat
He might not trust banks not to make a mistake...I don't and me and my wife both worked for banks...they may already have made a mistake

Just don't judge everyone by what you do

It's scary how many people think it's weird. A lot of people don't like the government/banks watching everything and taking a cut, especially when there's so many scams. And when they've shut nearly all the actual banks, and so many vulnerable people can't get to one, and get scammed online. Maybe this man's old mum or dad has just been scammed.
Our takeaways only accept cash, maybe this guy spends his money on things like that a lot.

He could get Stripe and just take it via that every week if he's not getting paid . The OP is paying him however, so yes, he's probably not declaring it

No they are not. And it’s in the interests of the customer to have the paper trail not just the service provider.

what about all these service providers insurance and so on?

It’s in your own interest to pay by bank transfer or card.

I think its a reasonable ask. But I think if its an inconvenient method to you theres no reason you cant go back and say sorry I cant because... if you think its some kind of scam, you could take your business elsewhere

I had a cleaner and dog walker. Left cash out for both of them

Cash is hassle and likely avoiding tax

What are these bank charges everyone keeps mentioning?

Banks don’t charge you to receive an online transfer into your account, surely?

Credit card companies charge the payee yes, so I can totally understand a business not accepting credit card payments, but they don’t get charged to receive a payment straight into their account.

Am I missing something?

Yes business bank accounts have charges not relevant to personal bank accounts e.g. you don’t have to pay to bank cash into a personal bank account

The window cleaner used to demand cash and i had to bin it off in the end. All this so a man can knock on my door at 8:03am demanding £7 like a Victorian debt collector.
“Cash only.” Mate, I would happily Monzo you £20 for the sheer convenience of never having to do this again.

Stripe charge you after every transaction.
He would lose money.
I ask for cash. I pay all my taxes.

The dog walker is perfectly within their rights to require cash payment. If this is such a big deal to you, find another dog walker.

No - you absolutely are not culpable by paying someone cash who then goes on not to declare it especially as a normal paying customer. Paying a business in cash does not cover the requirement to be actively facilitating fraud. I do know the system in an accountant.

Yes every individual should pay their taxes - but currently I don’t blame anyone who tries to get a bit of a benefit out of it. Our tax bandings are absolutely shocking, every year that goes by is effectively another pay cut. Wages that were once comfortable are now nothing like. Why should your average person follow the rules when hardly anybody wealthy does? The richer you are the more you get away with - but the judgement falls on the dog walker I mean come on.

If your husband pays hundreds of thousands in taxes then you’re clearly very wealthy and maybe don’t understand what it’s like not to be. Hard work just doesn’t pay off anymore. I don’t blame anyone trying to get a bit of a win.

Business accounts have more charges than personal

You can ask for a receipt

I am self employed as a gardener. (I retired from my previous profession)

it is a hobby really. Mostly older people. I accept cash or cheque.

No receipt required as transaction is there and then , and no credit control activities are required.

It keeps my fee per hour lower than average, as i do not have to add in unit costs on all the additional tasks of excessive paperwork, accountancy fees etc.

i do my own accounts and submit my own tax returns annually.

I used to work for HMRC sometime ago and can advise that it is not a criminal offence to pay in cash or fail to enquire about a trades tax affairs, unless of course one is a chartered accountant, and only then if they are fiddling on behalf of a tax paying client.

I work alongside many trades and we cross refer.

I would not ask them about there business, anymore than i would ask about a customers tax affairs.

And the best thing about being self employed i can pick and choose my customers. There is more business than i can deal with, as is the case with most small businesses

If he’s good and reliable and you want to keep him, it wouldn’t be a bad idea for you to show willing and make the effort.

Presumably you go passed cash points when you’re out and about.

How do you know they pay all tax due?

I am much more understanding of a preference for cash sometimes in some instances for some small jobs or services in relation to tradespeople and small businesses.
It is not tax evasion of this kind that is draining government coffers. More like the very large scale fraud and tax evasion running into billions that is fully supported by those that govern us. As those companies and individuals benefitting are their mates or benefactors.
I don't expect your dog walker is doing any harm or committing any crime OP.
I think continued use of cash is important. We have willingly and easily fallen into a financial system where our every move is tracked . It is very dystopian. Occasionally quite freeing to be given a tenner perhaps and to just spend it free of surveillance.

Why is even your business? Such snowberry towards small traders.

Snobbery

Ok. But a dog walker doesn’t need to have a business account do they, if they want to avoid the extra charges?

Oh my days u are being so over the top. Just withdraw cash from the machine every week or month depending how often u pay him. It’s really not that hard

If you're not happy paying cash then it's perfectly reasonable to go elsewhere.

Similar happened to me. I'd always paid the cattery via card or internet payment. One holiday i arrived home to collect, offered card over and was told 'oh no it's cash only now. Didn't you know?' well no, they had never told me.

So from then I decided I don't want pay cash, I don't like to have a lot of it on me. So now I have a cat sitter, and not only do I not have to faff about getting cash, it's cheaper by nearly half the price and my cats are much happier!