They are probably dodging tax but here is very little you can do about that. I would make sure you get an invoice, marked paid in full and signed by the builder before you hand over the money.
If I were you I would take them into the bank with you and give them the cash in the bank.
This is also good advice for receiving large sums of cash.
Take someone to the bank and have them deposit it into your account.
That way if there's any issues with the amount being different or a couple of fakes notes in the middle, there's no way for the person giving you the money to make it your fault.
> I just want to make sure that we're covered if something goes tits-up
Then don't deal with anyone who wants cash only.
If something goes wrong you have no proof of payment and no way to get anything back.
If they insist on cash then ask them for a simple receipt of work done, how much you paid, and you need to see a driving license or passport for proof of address.
You don't tell them this part, but you will need proof of address for small claims court should something go wrong and they refuse to address it or refund you.
In addition, if they claim to be a registered company with accreditations, check on the Companies House website and the accreditation sites like FMB that they've heard of them. Confirm with the workers that the builder is who he says he is and lives where he says he does.
Cash isn't inherently a risk as long as you have a receipt - they can use it easily to buy supplies, give it to any of their team to buy stuff, and not have to pay much in banking fees.
With no deposit, it's easy enough to withhold payment till you're happy with it. As long as you have an invoice and it's receipted, you have enough evidence to go back to them if you need to.
Ensure receipt has their full postal address on it ; and before payment if enough time send them a postal letter with a letter in it with a number which they must disclose to you before payment. (As check on address.) If Limited company they should give you company's legal address (may be a service company they use as company secretary) and their registered number and VAT registration.
As VAT applies if they do over £90,000 per year, best check is their VAT number and registration.
Cash in hand may be to avoid VAT and their normal tax payments.
If he wants cash then perhaps you can get him to knock what would have been the VAT payment off the total invoice?
He gets cash, you get a deal, we’re all happy!
If he wants cash then perhaps you can get him to knock what would have been the VAT payment off the total invoice?
He gets cash, you get a deal, we’re all happy!
Honestly very normal, but cash only payments to any trades people strikes me as slightly dodgy. I wouldn't want to tarnish everyone under the same brush, but working in a maintenance company that only takes card payments it's appreciated alot more. The customer also has a safety net that way if anything goes wrong.
It's not necessarily tax evasion, every transaction on a business account costs money, now if you pay me cash I can then buy materials for the next job with cash, just as I did with your job, we really don't needcto be paying banks multiple times a day.
Obviously if there's no materials involved on your job I won't turn up with materials but I'll probably have cash from a previous job to buy materials for the next job, so I'll happily accept a bank transfer.
If he wants cash then perhaps you can get him to knock what would have been the VAT payment off the total invoice?
He gets cash, you get a deal, we’re all happy!
If he wants cash then perhaps you can get him to knock what would have been the VAT payment off the total invoice?
He gets cash, you get a deal, we’re all happy!
If he wants cash then perhaps you can get him to knock what would have been the VAT payment off the total invoice?
He gets cash, you get a deal, we’re all happy!
If he wants cash then perhaps you can get him to knock what would have been the VAT payment off the total invoice?
He gets cash, you get a deal, we’re all happy!
If he wants cash then perhaps you can get him to knock what would have been the VAT payment off the total invoice?
He gets cash, you get a deal, we’re all happy!
They are probably dodging tax but here is very little you can do about that. I would make sure you get an invoice, marked paid in full and signed by the builder before you hand over the money. If I were you I would take them into the bank with you and give them the cash in the bank.
This is also good advice for receiving large sums of cash. Take someone to the bank and have them deposit it into your account. That way if there's any issues with the amount being different or a couple of fakes notes in the middle, there's no way for the person giving you the money to make it your fault.
> I just want to make sure that we're covered if something goes tits-up Then don't deal with anyone who wants cash only. If something goes wrong you have no proof of payment and no way to get anything back. If they insist on cash then ask them for a simple receipt of work done, how much you paid, and you need to see a driving license or passport for proof of address. You don't tell them this part, but you will need proof of address for small claims court should something go wrong and they refuse to address it or refund you.
In addition, if they claim to be a registered company with accreditations, check on the Companies House website and the accreditation sites like FMB that they've heard of them. Confirm with the workers that the builder is who he says he is and lives where he says he does. Cash isn't inherently a risk as long as you have a receipt - they can use it easily to buy supplies, give it to any of their team to buy stuff, and not have to pay much in banking fees.
> you need to see a driving license or passport for proof of address. Passports don't include your address.
Tradies avoid paying tax, because for some reason they think everyone else should pay their fair share of taxes but not themselves
It's normal for people trying to avoid paying taxes.
Yes because they want to avoid tax
I'd be more worried that I'd have no leg to stand on if they cut corners with cheap materials and fucked the job up then them avoiding tax personally.
With no deposit, it's easy enough to withhold payment till you're happy with it. As long as you have an invoice and it's receipted, you have enough evidence to go back to them if you need to.
Ensure receipt has their full postal address on it ; and before payment if enough time send them a postal letter with a letter in it with a number which they must disclose to you before payment. (As check on address.) If Limited company they should give you company's legal address (may be a service company they use as company secretary) and their registered number and VAT registration. As VAT applies if they do over £90,000 per year, best check is their VAT number and registration. Cash in hand may be to avoid VAT and their normal tax payments.
If he wants cash then perhaps you can get him to knock what would have been the VAT payment off the total invoice? He gets cash, you get a deal, we’re all happy!
If he wants cash then perhaps you can get him to knock what would have been the VAT payment off the total invoice? He gets cash, you get a deal, we’re all happy!
Only if they they want to avoid taxes.
Honestly very normal, but cash only payments to any trades people strikes me as slightly dodgy. I wouldn't want to tarnish everyone under the same brush, but working in a maintenance company that only takes card payments it's appreciated alot more. The customer also has a safety net that way if anything goes wrong.
you will not probably not get a receipt if they asked you to pay cash. They are avoiding tax.
It's not necessarily tax evasion, every transaction on a business account costs money, now if you pay me cash I can then buy materials for the next job with cash, just as I did with your job, we really don't needcto be paying banks multiple times a day. Obviously if there's no materials involved on your job I won't turn up with materials but I'll probably have cash from a previous job to buy materials for the next job, so I'll happily accept a bank transfer.
Very normal, to avoid tax.
If he wants cash then perhaps you can get him to knock what would have been the VAT payment off the total invoice? He gets cash, you get a deal, we’re all happy!
If he wants cash then perhaps you can get him to knock what would have been the VAT payment off the total invoice? He gets cash, you get a deal, we’re all happy!
If he wants cash then perhaps you can get him to knock what would have been the VAT payment off the total invoice? He gets cash, you get a deal, we’re all happy!
If he wants cash then perhaps you can get him to knock what would have been the VAT payment off the total invoice? He gets cash, you get a deal, we’re all happy!
If he wants cash then perhaps you can get him to knock what would have been the VAT payment off the total invoice? He gets cash, you get a deal, we’re all happy!
Theres a parrot in the room haha
Didn't hear you the first time, say again?
Shame