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

Pay her cash and stop judging. Cash is legal tender.

Whether she declares her income or not is nothing to do with OP.

So she can either pay cash or find a new cleaner.

Nowhere does the cleaner say that she's not planning on declaring her income.

Lots of business accounts charge for transactions @Confuserr so it can be cheaper to take cash and just spend it directly.

Tesco vouchers 🤣🤣🤣 fuck me

Chartered Tax Advsior. The ‘tax man’ doesn’t get enough, hence shite public services and having yo look at slashing welfare. And yes big corporations (inc Amazon - I know! Who’d have thought it?) do very much pay their way.

Goodness. Your post reads like you’ve just swallowed a book called ‘tax myths for the gullible’ and are keen to embarrass yourself.

That’s degrading actually.

I pay my butcher in cash. I just have to remember. And the chiropodist I use only takes cash or cheques. Cleaner & window cleaner fine with bank transfers.

If you don’t like it then find someone else.

You've assumed non-declaration, but that's not a clear statement.

I have no idea what other people do with their money, but I do know cash is legal tender and the cleaner is innocent until proven guilty.

😂😂
"Dear HMRC, I am sending Kellogg's Coco Pops, 2lbs of minced beef, Ariel Automatic and some mild cheddar cheese for this month's tax bill.
Kind regards"

But the cleaner muttered something about costs. What cost can you save by using cash other than tax?

Bank charges.

Mmm...sounds like she's guilty of being working class and foreign...

I couldnt be arsed to get cash out for her

Hilarious

I'm self-employed and I use a personal bank account for my business income. Fine to do as long as you keep clear records of what is business expense and what's personal, which I do.

Tesco vouchers?!?!

Seriously?

Wouldn't that be more inconvenient than paying in cash and doesn't answer the OP's question about evading income tax?

Pay her in cash. It's her responsibility to declare it to HMRC, not the OP's.

You couldn't be arsed to go to a cash point every couple of months while your out and about to help someone out.

WTF!

The cleaners tax affairs may not be the op's business, but if the cleaner is caught fiddling her tax the op will be under suspicion of collusion in the tax fraud and may find herself under investigation, which can be very invasive even if you are absolutely innocent. These sort of payments are often considered potential money laundering as well as fraud.

We had a neighbour who ran a shop, he paid everything he could in cash because it came straight out of the till and he wasn't declaring the income, it's all part of the black economy.

You have got to be kidding? This idea is so patronising and controlling. It completely devalues the woman's work. You're basically suggesting she pays her in tins of beans.

No. It is legal to pay for goods and services in cash.
You are not conplicit in tax fraud if you do so.

Well done for working for hmrc for free 😏
I get the same cleaner occasionally amd she always wants cash which i find very annoying
But up to her what method of payment she wants.
I actually didn't manage to go out last time she came so I said I'll pay you next time, and she agreed.

That's just not true.

Most personal accounts have a clause saying you shouldn't use them to run a business. I know of people who have done what you do and they've received letters saying that they'll get their accounts closed if they don't stop.

It's just so ludicrous 😂!