Is paying cash in hand right?

[youngmafbog]

Personally I think this minister has a bit of a cheek. Just who are politicians to preach to us all o te morality of things?

Perhaps if they gave up their 'perks' and freebies they may have a point, but as things stand this just looks like the pot calling the kettle black

[ummmm]

It's fine. It's down to the individual to declare their earnings.

[mccfluff]

lol ummm how many times will you type that today

[Baldric]

http://www.theanswerb.../Question1154993.html



http://www.theanswerb.../Question1154990.html

[ummmm]

Lol

[youngmafbog]

Apologies, I never venture into chatterbank so missed it.

[Davethedog]

I am all for people paying their taxes, I and millions of others have no "out"

However when x celebritys and untold corporations exploit loopjoles to avoid payind many billions possibly trillions of pounds of tax. I find it hypocritical of a minister to moan about cash in hand payments and the "black Market" which although an awful lot of money is infinitesimal, in comparison.

He should also consider that a number of these people would be on the dole if they couldn't make a living.

[mccfluff]

:-) - a wise move (not venturing into cb)

I used to work in a bar and was paid cash in hand i never declared it. it was my second job and i wasn;t doing it for the fun of it, i needed every penny to make ends meet. As far as i was concerned i paid enough tax on my first income + all the other taxes you have to pay. if i paid in on my second as well, i wouldn't even be earning minumum wage

[Ric.ror]

Instead of working up lets start at the top and work down

[Ann]

What about elderly people (my Mum included) who do not have a credit/debit card or a cheque book, she pays everything in cash as she only has a building society account (if she has to pay a very large bill she gets a cheque from the BS then) but workmen/gardener/hairdresser she has to pay in cash.

[jake-the-peg]

That's not at issue ann

The issue is basically in asking for a cheap rate for cash, the implication being the job will be done without declaring it for tax purposes

You can make a strong case that it's conspiracy to defraud

[friedgreentomato]

Oh my goodness what a overreaction it is not paying in cash that is the problem it is paying in cash and not paying VAT!!

Traditionally when paying in cash you are 'discounted' the VAT that equates to over £2billion a year.

That is illegal as you are not paying VAT on goods/services purchased.

I bet lots of you would jump on this if it was immigrants getting paid cash in hand.

[friedgreentomato]

Sorry Jake did not see your answer there - but you are correct it would be so easy to prove conspiracy to defraud

[Davethedog]

Jake - Hows it conspiracy, You ask someone to do a job get a quote, get the job done and pay them, Their tax affairs have nothing to do with you, You have no liability what so ever.

[youngmafbog]

You are making a big assumption that all tradesmen are VAT registered. You need a turnover in excess of 77K to be VAT registered, so many fall well below that. (Its not difficult so long as you get your punters to buy the large materials themselves eg the bathroom suite). I think you will find many VAT companies would not be interested in cash (apart from when people need to pay that way for personal reasons - and three are quite a few still about)

As for immigrants, in actually it is well documented that many immigrants work cash in hand, epsecially the illegal ones !!!! So please, stop trying to drag the debate down with racism.

[Sqad]

I agree with Dave........one would have to prove that there were TWO prices for the job.......one for cash and one not and if that was documented, then a case for conspiracy might be worth pursuing.

[jake-the-peg]

I agree it would be pretty difficult to prove in a court and I suspect that's why this story has been couched in moral terms

I find that people are highly outraged bastions of morality when it comes to politicians fiddling expenses and claiming that what they were doing was strictly legal but suggest that they might be encouraging others to break the law and all of a sudden they start to take cover behind the letter of the law themselves.

[Sqad]

Also "paying in cash" often goes hand in hand with paying a part "up front" and avoids sent bills with the oft quoted " cheque in the post" replies associated with repeated pleas for settlement.

"cash in hand" would seem a good deal for both parties.

[sherrardk]

I wish everyone would pay himself in cash and then I wouldn't have to chase up customers who haven't paid (makes my blood boil when they say things like 'it's on my to-do list', 'I will have to check with my husband' or 'I am going to do it next week').

[ummmm]

Cheques bounce.

We only ever invoiced other firms. Individuals paid in cash. Was all the cash declared? God knows....but a large chunk was.

[Davethedog]

Where does it stop? My milkman is now a franchisee, I pay him cash. Bloke last year delivered my shed and different bloke who did my fence, paid cash because it suited me, didn't have cheque book got a reciept.

My big problem is the hypocrisy and as much as I see the tax fraud thing I think theres huge difference between that and using your expenses to pay for things that you shouldn't.