Cash please..

cash payers will be implicit and likely hounded

Obviously if you withdraw £5,000 in cash and then buy a secondhand car it might be traceable but the £50 withdrawn then given to a DGC for birthday or whatever? HMRC is not going to worry about that.

It's those evading tax on a large scale who need to be traced.

I have paid my cleaner and hairdresser in cash this week. If I give gc or dd money it’s always cash too. If I put it into an account they probably wouldn’t even notice.
I usually pay grocery bill etc by card but always have cash in the house. Habit I suppose.

Cash wont be invisible in the near future, there are enormously powerful programmes used by hmrc now, all controlled by very clever AI. They link together cash withdrawals, bills, ebay, vinted, income, spends, lifestyle etc. No-one is going to be below the radar and cash payers will be implicit and likely hounded and also put on the radar if eg they pay cash for a second hand old car or even a bike

Big brother enabled by AI

I'm also against a cashless society

We need to keep using cash before we find it's obsolete!

I don't think I was unreasonable in refusing to go and get cash - or was I?

No.

For a boiler and central heating service, new tap being fitted, the cost would be considerable and I would expect to pay by BACS, complete with certificate and invoice for tap etc as a warranty.

For odd jobs, weeding etc, I might pay cash but even the window cleaner asks to be paid by BACS now.

You were not being unreasonable at all.

I do pay my window cleaner in cash and what he does with it is his business, not mine. I would prefer to pay by bank transfer but he doesn’t work that way.

I make sure I have about £50 in the house and replenish it when it gets down to about £20. I pay for most things by card, but occasionally buy a small item, handing over a £20 note just to get some change. I sometimes need £1 or £2 for a programme or a small donation or to pay my subs for a u3a meeting.

There was a feature on tv yesterday about the 1p and 2p coins not being withdrawn, so I can’t see cash becoming obsolete for many years, if ever. But it is becoming harder to use cash in many circumstances.

Im also against a cashless society because the government want too much control and information. I dont blame people asking for cash and I pay my cleaner and gardner this way. I just have to make sure I have some cash in the house as I have mobility issues and dont drive. I understad people asking for cash and its their problem how they deal with the tax aspects, Im not their employer or their accountant. Taxes are too high and the system is also deeply corrupt.

No, you weren’t being unreasonable at all. We never keep cash in the house above a few pounds for obvious reasons.

Poor business management on his part to not tell you he wasn’t going to show up that morning and leaving you to chase him too.

Your OP seems perfectly clear to me, Ferry.

Elusivebutterfly

It's not just difficulty with mobility, but it is difficult to get cash nowadays.
I used to get cashback in the supermarket but they do not do that anymore. Most of the bank branches have closed along with their ATMs. Some other ATMs have disappeared.

You can get cash in the Post Office but that means waiting in a long queue as Post Offices are so busy.
I rarely have any cash nowadays. This is all pushing us towards a cashless society.

I used to get my cash at the Tesco checkout (ie the manned ones) but they stopped that. However - I gather one can still ask them for cash at the reception desk and I've done so once or twice. It was a while back - but, from memory, think I had to purchase something or other at that desk to get given cash (eg a daily newspaper would do). As I understood it - it's something that they don't publicise but that they still do do that service.

I've not used it for a few months - as luckily the post office is conveniently located that I can get into it whilst in town anyway and I get mine there.

In the area I live now cash is very popular still and I've found I need all the help I can get in getting sorted with tradespeople - so I'm prepared to keep them happy by paying that way and, goodness knows, none of them ever have a card machine on them and so that's how it has to be in the main (given that I don't do online banking). I basically have no option but to pay in cash - given very few still accept cheques.

However, I am concerned at all these moves towards a cashless society - because then it can be seen exactly when and where one spends one's money (wouldn't wish to have been seen spending my money in Cardiff during Lockdown for instance - when I live in "back of beyond" West Wales). My biggest concern re a cashless society is if that happened they'd very easily be able to grab for our money by restricting access to it/rationing how much of our own money we could get at/even stealing it by just altering the figures on the computer screen to say we had less than we actually do have etc and calling it a tax or something (but they'd find an excuse - eg this digital money they want us all on could easily have an 'expiry date' put on it and we could be told our money had "expired" and that is something I do feel wary They might have a go at at some point).

Between the government would like to steal our money by having an "expiry date" on it on the one hand and we all know what could go wrong with paying by phone on bank transfer (and that's those of us who are techno-minded enough to use smartphones) = cash is an obvious answer to protect ourselves.

Retroladytyping

ferry23

I think some of you are missing the point!

I was questioning whether I was right to refuse him cash as it was already late in the day, the nearest cash machine is 3 miles away, I'm struggling with my mobility right now and I didn't know how much the job would be. Particularly as he hadn't bothered to let me know he wouldn't be coming as arranged.

I'm ok - not suffering from any form of dementia and I'm not very stupid - I only say this as some of you do clearly do think I'm stupid!

I do know about invoices and certificates. I do know some of the reasons why a tradesman may ask for cash and I also know that it's ultimately my decision how I pay. That was never in question. I wasn't asking for lessons in how to run my household and financial affairs. I've managed to do all that alone for many years, no problem.

In defence of those who replied, that wasn't really clear from your original post! It seemed as if you were asking for advice and were wondering, given the fact that you spoke about him not turning up without letting you know, that you were doubting his motives in asking for cash.

I don't think I was unreasonable in refusing to go and get cash - or was I?

The question I posed at the end of my post

ferry23

I think some of you are missing the point!

I was questioning whether I was right to refuse him cash as it was already late in the day, the nearest cash machine is 3 miles away, I'm struggling with my mobility right now and I didn't know how much the job would be. Particularly as he hadn't bothered to let me know he wouldn't be coming as arranged.

I'm ok - not suffering from any form of dementia and I'm not very stupid - I only say this as some of you do clearly do think I'm stupid!

I do know about invoices and certificates. I do know some of the reasons why a tradesman may ask for cash and I also know that it's ultimately my decision how I pay. That was never in question. I wasn't asking for lessons in how to run my household and financial affairs. I've managed to do all that alone for many years, no problem.

In defence of those who replied, that wasn't really clear from your original post! It seemed as if you were asking for advice and were wondering, given the fact that you spoke about him not turning up without letting you know, that you were doubting his motives in asking for cash.

I think some of you are missing the point!

I was questioning whether I was right to refuse him cash as it was already late in the day, the nearest cash machine is 3 miles away, I'm struggling with my mobility right now and I didn't know how much the job would be. Particularly as he hadn't bothered to let me know he wouldn't be coming as arranged.

I'm ok - not suffering from any form of dementia and I'm not very stupid - I only say this as some of you do clearly do think I'm stupid!

I do know about invoices and certificates. I do know some of the reasons why a tradesman may ask for cash and I also know that it's ultimately my decision how I pay. That was never in question. I wasn't asking for lessons in how to run my household and financial affairs. I've managed to do all that alone for many years, no problem.

Family company, design & fit kitchens. You would not believe how many folk ask " what's the price for cash ?"
Well, it's the same obviously as it's all declared the same, but if it suits better to walk back from the bank with £35000 bulging out of your pockets then we can accommodate . Funnily enough it never is

mae13

If you do cash for this guy absolutely insist on an itemised bill accompanied by a receipt. And on company letterhead.

Do this

A boiler service should provide a certificate, you will need it in your file. If you have a problem and need to call on house insurance, they will need sight of that certificate. Also if you ever want to sell your house

Call me old fashioned but I’m all for using cash if a trusted tradesman asks. If it keeps them onside it is no skin off my nose. Only of course if it was available to me which it often isn’t.

It is up to the customer and service provider to agree how and when the work will be done and how they will be paid.

As a customer, I am merely interested in paying for work done for me. It is not my job to second guess why the person I am giving cash to prefers to have cash. the reasons can be many and various.

lats week I had the cash on me to pay one taxi driver but not the other.

If you do cash for this guy absolutely insist on an itemised bill accompanied by a receipt. And on company letterhead.

The person who cuts our hedges every year and does occasionally do "heavy" garden work says he now prefers to be paid by bank transfer as cash in his pocket quickly disappears. He says he likes to easily do his tax return mainly from the bank details.

It’s not just about not paying tax. It means that they can claim to have less income if they have to pay child support. It also means you don’t have proof that they carried out the work should any subsequent problems arise.

I went to London last week. I took a taxi from the railway terminus to my destination and back.

Both taxis, and I suspect many London taxis had identical professionally printed notices asking if passengers could possibly pay in cash. This was because of the high charges made by both their banks and the companies running the onboard card machines for cashless paments.

I had enough to pay the outward driverbut on the way back, I suggested I pay half by cash and half on a card, but the drivr said, no, he would put the whole fare on the card.

For a big job I wouldn’t want to pay cash. You have more protection using a bank card, or credit card.
I heard of cowboy builders running off with the cash. Plus, I wouldn’t pay upfront, either by cash or card, as most tradespeople have accounts.

Totally unreasonable to except an older lady (I'm one myself) to produce cash at short notice.

Often if you pay cash they don’t charge you VAT. I don’t think they put it through the books.

crazyH

I pay all tradesmen in cash, only because I know that’s what they want.

I would do too. I don't care what they do with it after I have paid them.