Cash in hand payments could be banned

[Pip in a Poke]

Hmmm....inneresting

Talking about squeezing us until the pips squeak.

[Jog On]

Hmmm....inneresting

Talking about squeezing us until the pips squeak.

Just saw this and I'm thinking 'How'?

And isn't cash in hand already illegal (and therefor banned)?

[Dark Black]

Just saw this and I'm thinking 'How'?

And isn't cash in hand already illegal (and therefor banned)?

How is it illegal?

Nothing illegal about paying a tradesman in cash. Whether or not he puts it through his books and pays tax on it is another matter..

Nothing to see here, move along.

[scooterscot]

The amount tradespeople avoid in tax, is a drop in the ocean, compared to big companies avoiding the tax that they owe. Once again, chase the little man, and let the giant get away wit it.

Can't argue with that.

Individuals are easier targets for government than the organisations that control them.

[d000hg]

How is it illegal?

Nothing illegal about paying a tradesman in cash. Whether or not he puts it through his books and pays tax on it is another matter..

Nothing to see here, move along.

Cash payments are legal, "cash in hand" was defined thusly when I searched and this is the normal definition:

payment for goods and services in cash rather than by cheque or other means, typically as a way of avoiding the payment of tax on the amount earned.

[northernladyuk]

The old man will take it any way the client wants.

[Mordac]

How is it illegal?

Nothing illegal about paying a tradesman in cash. Whether or not he puts it through his books and pays tax on it is another matter..

Nothing to see here, move along.

Quite. My mother (about to be 80 and now with arthritis) employs a gardener once a month, to whom she pays cash. She could write him a cheque, but since they live in the country, and there isn't a bank for a dozen miles, that isn't practical. She could do an online transfer, but she doesn't trust the internet so she would never touch online banking. He could take card payments, but that involves massive bank charges, and quite large 4G charges as well, in order to operate the payment machines, and there isn't a very good 4G signal in deepest Devon anyway. Only a complete moron would try and ban cash payments, because cash is the only payment form which doesn't cost either the payer or the payee any additional money. And best of luck enforcing it. Herding cats would be easier...

[original PM]

It is an interesting thing to discuss.

So lets say as a plumber I work 40 hours a week and all that I do is properly catered for from a tax/ni perspective etc - in essence I am clean.

Then at the weekend I am happy to help friends and friends of friends with some of their own plumbing diy projects and in return they are happy to give me a gift - which may be £100 and a box of chocolates...

If in the second instance there is no contract then.....

Obviously when the pikeys try and do your drive and insist on cash you know that is dodgy.

[Batcher]

I make a point of paying tradesmen in cash because I know they are going to dodge the tax.

If it's someone I know (usually the case) they have given me mates rates anyway so I'm saving too and if it's not then I offer to pay cash if they'll charge me less as I know they'll not put it through the books.

If it's good enough for Starbucks, Costa, Amazon, Philip May, etc...

[d000hg]

And then you complain they put tax rates up for contractors to compensate...

Banks can already track everything you do so you'd think these days, they could easily spot suspicious patterns like Mr. Plumber makes numerous cash deposits to his personal account. In fact you already sometimes get asked "where did this cash come from" in certain circumstances.

They could enact a law specifying a maximum cash payment, or have the law only apply to trading entities, I suppose. This would mean you gran paying her gardener isn't affected - he is unlikely to be earning enough to have much tax to evade anyway.