"Nemo" wrote in message
...
Quote
Paying a plumber cash in hand is "morally wrong" because it denies the
revenue vital funds, a Treasury minister said as the government outlined
new ways of cutting down on £5bn in tax avoidance.

David Gauke, the exchequer secretary to the Treasury, risked shining a
spotlight on whether any of his government colleagues have ever made cash
in hand payments to plumbers when he described the practice as a large
part of Britain's "hidden economy".
Unquote

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2...dspending-hmrc

Trades poeple operate to current moral norms, as displayed by bankers,
politicians, journalists, entertainers, pro footballers etc. Is that news?

Paying cash is not necessarily 'bent' - AFAIK unlike consumer bank accounts,
business bank accounts charge per transaction so there is a cost in putting
a cheque through the bank.
As long as you get a valid receipt (VAT receipt where applicable) then
paying some of the bills with cash which is then recycled by the
tradesperson on every day expenditure is in no way wrong.

Obviously the suggestion by the consumer to the tradesperson that they "Pay
cash, nudge, nudge, wink, wink, no names no pack drill no VAT and no income
tax" is encouraging the tradesperson to contrave the taxation laws.
At least we are not as paranoid as some Nordic countries where tax is/was so
high that people went to a cashless economy and traded skills; "You mend my
car and I'll paint your house" and similar. Whereupon they changed the law
so that you had to declare all services done for other people regardless of
if you were paid or not.
Makes casual sex a finacially risky proposition.
A charity f*ck should now appear on your income tax form.
Please, not in this country!

Cheers

Dave R
--
No plan survives contact with the enemy.
[Not even bunny]

Helmuth von Moltke the Elder

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