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

Has someone seriously suggested paying in Tesco vouchers?

Cash is King, use it or lose it!

As a cleaner myself ( not working in a house but an office) and with a partner who does both freelance and agency private cleaning ( we are both seniors) I would say...its not that hard to get some cash out, if you can afford a cleaner you likely don't appreciate how tight their finances probably are.
If you want to keep them, help them out a little, keeping a good cleaners loyalty is priceless.

The power and control all over a good cleaner.
You need to get a life.
She’ll get the measure of you soon enough and will be off.

But it's our moral duty to pay tax and not to facilitate tax dodgers. NHS and education rely on tax payers

Easy enough to draw out a month's fees at a time and keep the money in a drawer.
If you are worried about possibly supporting tax evasion, you'll have to say no to cash.

It is people’s problem. If self employed businesses had to declare all money earned and could t hide cash then paye for employees might not be as high

There is some legal and practical risk to you if you knowingly pay in cash to help someone avoid tax. Paying in cash itself is fine - it’s the intent to evade tax that creates problems.

The key issue is “knowingly facilitating tax evasion”.

Under the Criminal Finances Act 2017, it’s an offence to knowingly help or enable someone to evade tax.

• If you simply pay cash as a normal method → not illegal
• If you know the purpose is to conceal income from HMRC → you could be seen as facilitating evasion

In practice, prosecutions of householders are uncommon, but the risk isn’t zero.

If a tradesman says he will "knock the VAT off if you pay cash", you are effectively committing an offence.

Quite prepared to be slaughtered for this. Why not go to your local Police station and ask what is best to do. No doubt they will say pay via DD but you never know what they may have on their radar. She may be controlled and six months is enough to make you feel comfortable hence the request. If the Police cannot offer anything then it's up to you whether you want to give cash or not. I would not, in any circumstances give a key to the house nor the alarm code in any event.

Underpaying/not paying tax is her concern. I’d be worried if she started to request payment upfront - or for weeks in advance. All the rest is curtain twitching

You could say I can bank transfer to her, its up to her when to pay tax.

I’m not sure why this narrative of the ‘poor cleaner’ is being peddled. In my area it’s common for cleaners to charge £25/h. If they work 6 hours Monday-Friday they can easily earn £3k after expenses. And this is for independent cleaners, not agencies. I wouldn’t be very impressed if they demanded cash without an invoice or receipt.

... and income tax/NI for SE people who do stuff by the book! We're not all being naughty

The RF don't pay income tax so get off your high horse and don't judge. It's not your business whether or not she pays tax - give her a break.

She said she will be better off with cash, this implies she will pretend she is earning less than she is to then claim benefits. So I would carry on paying by bank transfer as she is someone who you are paying on a regular long term basis.

That's ridiculous. She is doing a job and should be paid in money to spend how she wants.would you he willing to be paid in vouchers?

You're kidding me right.

I would just get another cleaner who you can pay in cash and you don't have doubts about and avoid all this hassle.

Too much trouble. Not worth it.

I know it's can be a nuisance to get cash, but l would pay her ,in cash but ask her to sign a receipt. Receipt books can be bought from amazon, B & M's, anywhere really, they are easy to get hold of. If there is any problems that you could find yourself embroiled in, you have proof.

I've been employing personal assistants and cleaners for a few years now and when advertising, I've made it clear that I want references, a P45 or P46 and bank details, as all financial dealings go through HMRC.
Many people have applied and said they wanted to be paid 'cash in hand', but I've told them that I won't employ anyone on that basis, and found someone else that hasn't had a problem with their earnings being declared to HMRC.

I know people have said on this thread that it's not your concern whether your employee is paying their tax properly, but if they were ever investigated and it was discovered that you were paying them 'under the table', then you could get into a lot of trouble too, so it's just not worth paying 'cash in hand', do things properly to protect yourself.

What the actual fuck?

What would you say if your employer decided they weren't sure how you'd use your salary and maybe they'll just give you tesco vouchers instead.

On what actual planet. How is this woman meant to pay her rent with tesco vouchers?

Op it is precisely ZERO of your business how this woman chooses to spend the money she's earned. What she does in her own time outside of your employment is precisely ZERO of your business.

If she's now saying she takes cash only (as MANY self employed business owners do) then you either pay her in cash or you find a new cleaner who may not be as good.

The only thing you need to concern yourself with is whether she does her job or not. That is it.

Guess you have to decide what is more stressful - to go and get out cash weekly v a wad of cash once a month v finding a new cleaner who actually cleans well

It’s also not that hard to pay tax and be honest!!!

YANBU to not want to bother with drawing cash out, but YABU to think you have any responsibility over her tax affairs. But, for thr faff of drawing out money alone I'd be thinking of switching.

"if they were ever investigated and it was discovered that you were paying them 'under the table', then you could get into a lot of trouble too"

Only if there was clear evidence that op knew she was going to avoid paying her taxes. Which op does not know. So many businesses work in cash. Do you think everyone who goes to the local Chinese or cash only nail salon is held liable for whether or not the owner does their taxes correctly? That's a nonsense.

What op would need to do is get a written receipt for all payments made so there can be no come back later.

It is the responsibility of the cleaner to pay her tax correctly.