We Have all Done It?

[lastlid]

Paying tradesmen cash in hand morally wrong - minister

"It is "morally wrong" to offer to pay tradesmen in cash in the hope of avoiding tax, Treasury Minister David Gauke has said.

In newspaper interviews Mr Gauke said the practice came at "a big cost" to the Treasury and meant other people had to pay more in tax.

The government has highlighted its desire to clamp down on tax avoidance.

But Treasury sources stressed Mr Gauke was answering a specific question rather than proposing a policy change.

Mr Gauke was asked specifically about the practice of offering to pay tradesmen cash in hand in the hope of avoiding paying VAT on a bill in interviews with journalists for the Daily Telegraph, Guardian and Daily Mail.

The Daily Telegraph quotes Mr Gauke as saying: "Getting a discount with your plumber by paying cash in hand is something that is a big cost to the Revenue and means others have to pay more in tax.

"I think it is morally wrong. It is illegal for the plumber but it is pretty implicit in those circumstances that there is a reason why there is a discount for cash. That is a large part of the hidden economy."

Speaking the the BBC's Newsnight, Mr Gauke said there was nothing wrong with paying in cash, but doing so to actively avoid tax was wrong.

'Impossible to police'
Mr Gauke told the programme: "When a tradesman says 'here's a 10%, a 20% discount on your bill if you pay me cash in hand' that is facilitating the hidden economy, that's as a big a problem in terms of loss to the Exchequer as tax avoidance.

"Revenue is not being paid as it should be paid..."

He added that he had "never said to a tradesman, 'If I pay you cash, can I get a discount?'"

But asked if he thought any colleagues had, he replied: "I don't know, but if people do do that they have to do so with the recognition that means taxes will be higher for the rest.""


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18964640

[Iani]

Oh isn't that just rich (no pun intended), let's complain about the little man - the hard working plumber or handyman getting a little discount on his tax and the householder getting a little discount on the bill - whilst the government and all their rich friends use loopholes and plain dodgy dealing to avoid tax in the tens of thousands.

[lastlid]

Oh isn't that just rich (no pun intended), let's complain about the little man - the hard working plumber or handyman getting a little discount on his tax and the householder getting a little discount on the bill - whilst the government and all their rich friends use loopholes and plain dodgy dealing to avoid tax in the tens of thousands.

That reminds me of this article a few days ago...

£13tn hoard hidden from taxman by global elite

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/jul/21/global-elite-tax-offshore-economy

[CBM]

The law condemns the man or woman
Who steals a goose from off the common,
But leaves the greater villain loose
Who steals the common from the goose.

[Terpe]

The law condemns the man or woman
Who steals a goose from off the common,
But leaves the greater villain loose
Who steals the common from the goose.

:xxgrinning--00xx3:

[lastlid]

The law condemns the man or woman
Who steals a goose from off the common,
But leaves the greater villain loose
Who steals the common from the goose.

Bravo!

[Dedworth]

The law condemns the man or woman
Who steals a goose from off the common,
But leaves the greater villain loose
Who steals the common from the goose.

Very good, I've not heard this one before

[Arthur Little]

Why is Mr Gauk ... pronounced, Gawk :grosyeux: ... being so "high and mighty"? :icon_sorry:

Surely he's not so naive as to be oblivious to the fact that charitable institutions such as the Church regularly engage in tax avoidance LEGITIMATELY ... through Weekly Freewill Offering schemes operated by Direct Debit. :REGamblMoney01HL1: ... rather than being forced to rely on "pennies from Heaven".

:anerikke: ... who's to say that struggling, cash-strapped small business enterprises are any more morally culpable in effecting savings of a few quid by offering discounts for cash payments in order to meet expensive overheads - thereby, in turn, passing on a proportionate amount to their customers - thus keeping everyone involved in such transactions happy :Jump: :Jump: ... except, of course, the taxman.?!

Now ... large scale organisations, e.g., supermarkets :rolleyes: - they're in an entirely different league!

Unfortunately, though ... we don't live in a Utopian Society! :bigcry:

[grahamw48]

Damm....I was thinking this was going to be about sex. :Erm:

[Arthur Little]

Damm....I was thinking this was going to be about sex. :Erm:

Ah, yes ;) ... the title :do_it: was somewhat misleading! :23_111_9[1]:

[deeen]

Wonder what his expenses claims look like? :doh:doh:doh:doh:doh

[CBM]

See here...

http://order-order.com/2012/07/24/david-gauke-worked-for-tax-avoidance-firm/

[imagine]

over the years, i found that many loopholes for tax free money has been closed,

its a fact that its much more difficult to pay cash now to gain discount, it is also more difficult for the tradesman to take cash because it is a nightmare to hide or buy anything with it, due to how the heck can you explain where the money came from to buy those holidays, to buy your wife that car,
besides the tradesman will say hes giving a discount but not, its more likely your paying the same.

plastic money, direct debit all are a part of the problem of using undeclared cash,

in anycase even undeclared cash still does its part in boosting the economy, if it gets used,then its working,

biggest tax dodgers are those that have.



Originally Posted by CBM
The law condemns the man or woman
Who steals a goose from off the common,
But leaves the greater villain loose
Who steals the common from the goose.

your so right :xxgrinning--00xx3:

[grahamw48]

Many years ago my accountant put my ski-ing holiday down to business expenses. :icon_lol:

He who is without sin etc...;)

[lastlid]

Ah, yes ;) ... the title :do_it: was somewhat misleading! :23_111_9[1]:

Its your mind, Arthur. :icon_lol: Perfectly innocent title.

[Ako Si Jamie]

Oh isn't that just rich (no pun intended), let's complain about the little man - the hard working plumber or handyman getting a little discount on his tax and the householder getting a little discount on the bill - whilst the government and all their rich friends use loopholes and plain dodgy dealing to avoid tax in the tens of thousands.Well said :xxgrinning--00xx3:


The law condemns the man or woman
Who steals a goose from off the common,
But leaves the greater villain loose
Who steals the common from the goose.I'm sure I've heard this before but as lyrics in a song.

[lastlid]

Ye ancient bit of poetry, evidently......

http://www.marxist.com/ArtAndLiterature-old/british_poets1.html

"The anonymous poem above was written in protest at the enclosure of common land in England – the process of converting the commons to private property and handing it over to a single proprietor. In two rhyming couplets, the poet managed to sum up the massive resentment felt by the commoners, resentment that has found eloquent expression over the last 500 years at the hands of writers as diverse as St Thomas More and Karl Polanyi."

http://www.thepublicdomain.org/2010/08/31/who-steals-the-gene-from-off-the-common/

[andy222]

Jokers. I couldnt believe this when I heard it on the news this morning. Now they want tell us how to spend our money. I predict a riot.:icon_lol:
Watch out Graham they are after you.:laugher:

[grahamw48]

As the MPs said...it was within the rules. :ReadIt::D