AIBU to be so sick of tradespeople/ cleaners asking for cash in hand?

[Endlesspasswords]

So my cleaner charges £21/hour cash, but just said she wants more if I pay by bank transfer, because bank transfer means she can’t dodge declaring it. As if paying by transfer (i.e. traceably) is some kind of favour/ privilege I should pay extra for.

Same with some work I got a quote for- it’s the attitude that if I don’t want to pay in cash, I’m the one ‘hurting’ their bank balance or being awkward.

I’m freelance B2B myself. No sick pay, no employer pension contributions, no paid holiday, I know exactly what it’s like to carry your own tax and NI. But I still pay tax on every invoice, because that’s the deal.

I’m so sick with the fact that self-employed people in one sector get to treat tax as optional while others pay for their healthcare, schools etc.

and yes, I’m getting a new cleaner.

£21 per hour is about £40k per year. Even considering travel time and expenses, she’ll be way above £22k on full time hours.

Small businesses account for most tax avoidance. Why should paye people subsidize them

I do understand it but didn’t want to do a detailed breakdown of her business accounts in a mumsnet post. Even taking all of that into account, she’ll be above minimum wage, which is £24,800 per year. And those people still pay tax, so why shouldn’t the cleaner?

I pay cash alot but its when i get a discount from paying in cash

I think it’s clear you have no idea what you’re talking about given you’re suggesting cleaners make over £40k a year. It’s embarrassing.

Tax avoidance is completely legal.
Tax evasion isn't.

Large businesses use legal loopholes such as headquarters in low tax countries to avoid paying their share.

Small businesses and individuals cannot do that.

I know where my sympathies lie and it isn't with Amazon or their ilk. Closing the loopholes they use would do far more for tax revenue than hammering cleaners for doing cash in hand work.

Do supermarket workers or bin collectors lead a glamorous lifestyle? What about nurses and care workers? Why should their tax subsidise those self employed who think that paying tax is not for them?

Reading comprehension is clearly not your strong suit. Are you the cleaner in the OP?

Seriously? 🤐

I work in a supermarket and have no problem with the cleaner being paid in cash. I don’t understand why everyone is saying to report them when so many huge corporations and famous people are blatantly dodging tax and not even hiding it but people still use these companies knowing exactly what they are doing.

Yet again, just assuming that asking for cash is for a tax dodge. If you’d reviewed the thread you’d have seen lots of legitimate reasons why people do this.

How simple do you think that would be to do? If it’s easy, why haven’t previous PMs already done it? It’s impossible for a country to act alone and get anywhere on this. The OECD is moving forward with global reform here but there is absolutely nothing the UK government can do that it isn’t already.

My friends DH is a plumber and they are so cash rich. I do feel envy at times but it seems to be the norm, we recently paid a painter 6,000 in cash for doing our house.

90% of the time it is a tax dodge. Small businesses are 62% of the tax evasion in the UK. It’s utterly vast.

Which is a completely lawful and legitimate way to pay for goods and services.

I barely use cash for anything and would definitely not agree to a weekly cash payment for anybody. What a hassle, especially as so many ATMs have disappeared recently.

Is your solution to ban cash payments?

But not to ask for cash exclusively, especially when no invoice or receipt is provided. And also not the situation described in the OP.

You’ll end up in a society with no cash.

Yes. That is my solution. For the extra £26bn it would raise would you not think it worth while?

Do you really want to live in a society without cash? What becomes of the millions of people who do not have (and cannot open) bank accounts? Or those who do, but are debanked (not as rare as you’d think). How would the homeless manage? What about those who cannot afford smart phones or internet access, or the elderly who cannot work the tech. Do you want a society where you are forced to entrust all of your money to third parties (are banks always safe? - imagine not having a bit of cash for emergencies). What if you were in a financially controlling relationship and cash was the only way to protect your money? What happens when the banking tech goes down - it happens and people don’t fully realise how vulnerable that system is. Many rural areas do not have access to the necessary tech infrastructure to enable bank payments. This is before we even get on to the question of freedoms and the state’s right to track absolutely everything you do. Honestly, there are so many reasons that cash is important and it’s crazy that some people would so willingly give it up.

I know. Hopefully we’ll keep some freedoms and cash.

None of the above ‘reasons’ are valid though. Those reasons are just a mixture of ludditism and conspiracy theory madness. Are you saying none of these can be overcome? My parents are in their 80s and both taught computing. They know most about computers than I do. It’s really patronising to say old people don’t understand tech or aren’t capable of learning something new if they have to.

with respect, you have a very privileged viewpoint. It’s great that your parents can manage, but many can’t. Nothing in my post was related in any way to conspiracy theories.

Why not? Other low paid women are paying taxes to subsidising that cleaner. Do you think that is fair?