General Chat

It puzzles me how there is so much tax evasion in the black economy going undetected by the Inland Revenue. The black economy takes away work from honest trades people because they cannot compete on price. No doubt some trades people go out of business because of this.
There was a time when Mafia were getting away with murder because of bribery and corruption and intimidation. People in crime did not fear the Police and bought witnesses in jurys to avoid prosecution.
However one Alphonse Capone was brought to trial on tax evasion and died in Alcatraz.
Is our present day black economy too puny to warrant sufficient investigation by those who Police the Inland Revenue ?

They go for the easy target David, the law-abiding but might have made a small error.

We are all (most of us) knowingly or unwittingly guilty of allowing this problem to persist. We hire these people who may or may not be insured. We don't get a timetable they stick to. We pay cash, we don't get receipts.
HOW DO YOU TRACE CASH. ? all to save a few quid that would be better spent getting the job done properly and promptly.
Get more the one estimate
Get a time table
Pay by cheque.
Get a receipt

Seeing as we are on the subject of money laundering, (well, sort of) did you know that banks will not allow payments to third parties in cash. Last week my wife tried to pay £100 in to the grandson's building society account, and they refused it. She had to pay the cash in to her account at the bank, and transfer it. What a palaver. What with that and my doctor no longer issuing repeat prescriptions except through the local pharmacy I think we are becoming a non-user-friendly society. In London you can't even get on a bus and pay cash, it is Oyster card or contactless debit card. Heaven knows what tourists do. Sorry, I've gone off track a bit there.

You're not far off track at all Bob. Often, whenever CASH changes hands there is a fiddle, sometimes a string quartet.
My wife and I in recent years have been "relieved" of ten of thousands of pounds without a receipt.

Jean-Baptiste Colbert, the minister of finances for King Louis XIV of France said:

"The art of taxation consists in so plucking the goose at Christmas as to obtain the largest amount of feathers with the least possible amount of hissing". ;-)

Few Governments have ever made taxation popular. Ordinary people are paying heavily for having too much trust in those in control of the political & financial institutions.

In a pub in London last week, I bought a couple of drinks, total about a fiver, and the barman offered me a card reader. Someone sniggered when I aske if they took cash. I feel naked unless I have a few quid in my pocket.

Bob - we've had a similar but verbal reaction. We were trying to sort out cash for a car park ticket machine.

David, with respect, I can't quite see how you can lose thousand of pounds over a period of time? We have been conned once, not for a large sum, but enough. After that, we never EVER allowed it to happen again! Once bitten etc!! Surely you took precautions to protect yourselves after the first event?!!

I think David may have meant that he has paid cash for things without a receipt, not that he was conned. It was the tax man/woman/LGBT/non gender-specific person who was being conned. Of course, I may be wrong. Again!

Oh maybe you're right Bob perhaps I misunderstood. On the other hand we've all paid for things in cash with no receipt. It's up to the recipient whether they declare it or not and we have to assume that they do, but as we don't know, it's not our responsibility or worry, so tbh I can't really see the point of mentioning it!

Tax Evasion?
If your face fits, apparently, it's okay!

https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/hmrc-tax-crimes-prosecution_uk_5b9634c7e4b0162f472ee224

Avoidance, as I understand it is legal

Evasion is not!

You're quite right Bob! That is the case and something the authorities are concerned about, and if you pay for anything in cash without a receipt something you risk being complicit in, but on the other hand you might not be as the recipient may well be honest and declare the transaction!! Not really anything to have a sleepless night over!!

I recall David mentioning this a couple of times previously and if my memory serves me right it was something to do with his wife's inheritance and nothing left to her rellies who proceeded to do odd jobs for her and charged her, over the odds in his opinion. David was really unhappy about it but Ellen refused to do anything about the situation.

David, have I got that correct? Put me right if I'm wrong, but that's the gist of it, as I recall - you may have sorted it all out, of course.

Yes J.L , I'm sure that I remember the same. Sounded a very odd situation, but hopefully sorted out now!

NO, it's not alright. My wife has went from being a woman of of substance to broke, skint, hard up.
Her sister and brother in law had a $270,000.00 bungalow built 3 years ago just outside of Perth WA. The cowboy who was hired or ingratiated himself during the lengthy period I was injured and ill on a drip took over two years to install a bog standard flat pack kitchen, paid in CASH up front. At the same time he had a lot of work done to his own bungalow nearby while we waited and waited. He is well in with my inlaws. On her 70th birthday they came to visit Ellen. The cowboy and his wife took a week off to coincide.He is in here every evening with his who ? what ? when ? where ? why ? routine. It's E's money, it's got F all to do with me is their opinion.
Not a pleasant scenario. He is not a man of integrity. I recently became 73 years of age, still crippled. I won't get any younger, I might not get much older. My wife is vulnerable. I can't express it as a joke because it is far from funny.

You're a bit all over the place there, David, but I don't know why you're letting the cowboy and his wife in every evening - unless Ellen enjoys their company and she lets them in. Does she think she is vulnerable or does she think you both have a difference of opinion?

However, if Ellen feels the same way as you, get someone to change all of your locks and don't let them in - job done!

Only you and Ellen can decide what to do but it has to be a meeting of minds between the two of you and no one else.

David, I can't quite see what your SIL's bungalow in Australia has to do with the situation you now appear to be in?!
As J.L has said, I can't quite see why you allow these people into your home every night (?!!) when they are clearly not welcome by you! or does your wife insist on their company?! It sounds a very strange situation to be in,but sadly only one you and your wife can resolve. If she feels the same as you,then as J.L says, change the locks and don't let these people in; if they persist, send for the Police to get them to move these people on with an appropriate warning to stop harassing you!This should do the trick and prevent any further incidents.

The implication is that the Cowboy is in cahoots with David's inlaws & is syphoning off his OH's inheritance. They'd challenged his Mother-in-law's Will in court. His wife was the sole legatee as she'd cared for her mother in her final days. The Cowboy has gained his wife's trust.
David also has the feeling that the work done on his property is over priced & shoddy.

Because of the lack of a paper-trail, David can't prove anything, hence the tax evasion thread.