To not want to pay cleaner in cash?

[brokenteddychair]

We have had a cleaner for about the last six months. She generally does a solid job and is reliable. I like her very much, she works hard and is trustworthy. She is currently the sole earner in her household as her husband doesn’t work (manual job). This is allegedly due to an injury but he is currently in his home country helping a family member with a renovation project so I’m a bit skeptical.

She has asked if we can start paying in cash “because the costs are burdening me and I need to ask clients to start paying in cash.”. This indicates to me that she is planning to under declare her income and therefore either not pay tax, claim benefits she isn’t actually entitled to, or both.

This is really conflicting me. I feel strongly that everyone should be paying their fair share of tax. I also don’t want the inconvenience of having to remember to get cash out every week. I have enough to do, that’s why I need to outsource help!

Would you suck it up or let her go?
YABU = cleaners are worth their weight in gold, just pay tax
YANBU = don’t be complicit in her fraud, find someone who will take bank transfer

Sick pay etc is just the price you pay for the huge advantages of being your own boss. It’s about the trade off and whether the risks are worth it for an individual or whether they’d rather have the benefits of a regular salary vs being beholden to an employer, only taking holiday when it’s approved and only a limited amount etc etc.

No, I think OP said the cleaner was using a personal account and PP were saying that OP doesn’t then know if it’s being used for personal or business purposes.

Obviously you can tell when you make a payment if it’s a business or personal account but that’s not the case here.

My last two cleaners I've insisted on paying by bank transfer only because I can't be bothered to go to the cashpoint every week and also if paying cash you inevitably always have to round up because you can't get £1 or £5 from the cashpoint!

So you believe he’s money laundering and find that incompatible with your morals so refuse to pay him cash… but still go to him regularly as you call him ‘my nail guy’ and mention ‘every time’? Why not find someone who you don’t believe is a criminal if you really believe he is one?

Just pay her if you like her. What she’s doing is nothing to do with you. All she has to do is clean well for you. 🙄

And so would I, how incredibly patronising.
OP, just pay her in cash and stop speculating about her family circumstances. You sound judgemental and you don't actually know what is happening.

My best friend’s Pilates teacher only takes cash for a 121 session.

Pay cleaner in cash.

Ur not paying her tax she is. It’s her responsibility to declare whatever payment u give her. Not yours. Give her the cash. If she gets caught not declaring her problem.

Why don't you get over yourself and your judgemental assumptions, pay your cleaner what you owe her, and let her take responsibility for her own tax.

You can’t be serious surely?

“What she’s doing is nothing to do with you.”

Why do so many people fail to see that tax dodging impacts everyone?

I couldn't give a single fuck if a cleaner wants paid under the table. Someone literally at the bottom of the income chain who probably doesn't make very much to be taxed on in the first place. No fucks at all.

Yes they do! You will be forced to have a business account if you have continuous transactions and thus will be required to pay for every single one or a percentage of your monthly takings.
Nothing is for free nowadays and everyone wants their cut!

What are you on about? There are personal accounts you can legally use for operating a small business. There's loads of business accounts which don't charge fees. A very quick Google would confirm.

From the OP: This is really conflicting me

Is. It. Fuck. Conflicting you.

I see the black economy is alive and kicking.

Yes you can legally use a personal account but the banks will repeatedly try and get you to change over which is Very stressful and why should someone have to swap everything around when a simple payment of cash is more than sufficient?
If you don't like it then dont use them, simple!

I'd be mor concerned about the rich billionaires not paying their taxes than one cleaner. Its her that has to answer for it not you. I'd just pay her in cash the rest is up to her.

When I had to start a biz account, I did actually have a business name by then, but if it had been a year previous I’d have just used my own name because I traded under my own name before then so I don’t think a client could tell it was a business account if that was the case

My cleaner asked this and I said I didn’t have time to go to the cash machine every week 🤷‍♀️ It’s actually true, our nearest one is a 15 minute drive away. She didn’t ask again.

That holiday that employed people take, yes they have to ask for approval from the employer but at least they get paid for the time off

That would be my reason for not wanting to pay cash. I never use cash and it’d be easier to put the hoover over myself than drive into town and pay to park, just to get cash out.

Like I say, it’s a choice for every individual to make. Advantages and disadvantages to both.

I am not in a position to get cash being a disabled non driver so I pay my cleaner, gardner and handyman with bank transfer. However on principle I have no objection to paying people in cash. Telling the tax man is their responsibility and not mine. Taxes are far too high and there is too much money going to undeserving aliens and flowing out of this country abroad. The fact that some people have a cash in hand side hustle or an offshore account is absolutely understandable.

So you've gone from "You will be forced to have a business account" to the bank will ask if you want to switch? If you find it "very stressful" to have a bank asking if you want to open a business account I think you have bigger problems.

And presumably you now realise you were also incorrect to say that having a business account means you "will be required to pay for every single one or a percentage of your monthly takings". Loads of free ones exist. I don't know why you are so worked up about issues which don't exist?