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

Read the op and what the cleaner said!! She’s quite clearly trying to avoid declaring something!

I would pay her in cash regardless.
If I was so bothered about people fiddling tax, as I've said before on this thread, I'd be going after multimillionaires or huge corporations who famously dodge tax, not a woman trying her best, working hard and earning what is essentially a pittance, trying to keep her family afloat.

I did read the OP thanks. Still no proof she's evading taxes.

Have you heard of Occam’s razor? What is the most likely explanation for cash helping with her ‘costs’?

Um... how is the lady going to pay for bills with Tesco vouchers. Good grief.
I paid my osteopath with cash. Bit of extra work for me but it's none of my business if he pays tax or not. I paid him for his service.

My family's regular hairdresser (who comes to my house) also asks to be paid in cash. Yes it's a faff going to the cash point, but I would rather do that than, worst case scenario, have to look for a new hairdresser. I am happy with the job she does, she is always punctual, and generally a nice lady. I don't care or ask if she pays tax or not - that's not my problem or my business. I though, am doing nothing wrong by paying her in cash. Be aware though that if you were to use a big cleaning company (same as if I were to use a high street hairdresser) you would probably find that you end up paying a considerable amount more anyway.

Why don’t you care if she pays tax? People avoiding tax means higher payments and worse public services for everyone, including you.

Because she has a full time job (where she will be paying tax) she has a mortgage, and if she wants to do a few extra hours in an evening to put food on the table, then so be it. She's hardly a massive tax dodger. She could be sat on her arse claiming every benefit available including but not limited to council tax and rent. Which is worse for 'public services?.

And the people in question should be those at the helm of large corporations and billionaires who do not pay their fair share.

The economic system is rigged in favour of these people and they are by far, the biggest contributor to underpaid taxes.

I’ve asked this question before and got no responses- do the virtuous members of this thread believe that those who receive cash tips, such as waiting on staff, cab drivers, hairdressers etc should declare and pay tax on these tips?

🙄 people always come up with this “argument”. Yes the billionaires and the massive corporations legally not paying tax is morally wrong and personally I’m infuriated by it.

It doesn’t mean that the little guy dodging tax, multiplied by the many tens of thousands who do it, aren’t also costing millions in lost revenue.

Both are wrong.

Wasn’t it estimated that 60% of unpaid tax is actually SMEs and not the huge corporations?

In terms of comparison- how many large corporations compared to SME’s? How many of these SME’s are still very large businesses with 200 employees as an example? They’re so far removed from the average Joe, looking to keep a few pounds of his hard earned money in his pocket.

I’d also be very interested to see who funded/undertook this study and how reliable it was.

My cleaner works full time in another job, paying her tax. She’s young, lodging with a family, and desperately trying to save for a car. You can bet your bottom dollar that i’m more than happy to pay her cash in hand, and that I sincerely hope that she’s keeping that hard earned money for herself, not to give to the tax man. I think your moral compass is pointing in the wrong direction if you think otherwise, and i’m sure plenty of people on this thread will think likewise about me.

I'd possibly consider offering to pay her in say tesco vouchers and keep them somewhere safe in the house so they are there for when you need to pay her

One of the funniest things I’ve read on here.

You twonk.

I'm wondering how many of those people on their moral high horse would happily slip their plumber / electrician / hairdresser / etc friend £50 to do them a quick job which might have cost them £100?

Comedy gold that innit 🤣🤣🤣🤣

Just tell her you don't keep cash in the house & you'll stick to bank transfer. It's then up to her if she wants to end working for you or carry on & be paid how it suits you.

I don't use cash, so I wouldn't pay cash anyway and it would be an inconvenience, but my moral code also says I don't want to be complicit in fraud. I would find another cleaner.