Paying tradesmen cash-in-hand is morally wrong?

Posted by thisistibi PM | on Tue, 24/07/2012 - 08:59 3753 71 comments | report

So David Gauke thinks that paying cleaners and tradesmen in cash to get a discount is morally wrong. I'm not sure. It seems like this is a very common form of tax evasion, and people know it's a bit naughty (i.e. because it's illegal for the tradesperson to fail to declare the income); but I don't think people feel that they have crossed any sort of moral line.

Is it really a moral issue?

Comments

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Legally wrong

petersaxton | Tue, 24/07/2012 - 09:09

Maybe

thisistibi | Tue, 24/07/2012 - 09:19

Is it obvious?

ShirleyM | Tue, 24/07/2012 - 09:20

Not Necessarily

Roland195 | Tue, 24/07/2012 - 09:21

@Shirley & Roland

thisistibi | Tue, 24/07/2012 - 09:25

Check out Radio 5 live now.

Canary Boy | Tue, 24/07/2012 - 09:29

It's not obvious at all

BKD | Tue, 24/07/2012 - 09:31

Avoidance & Evasion

davidwinch | Tue, 24/07/2012 - 09:39

@thisistibi

ShirleyM | Tue, 24/07/2012 - 09:40

Politicians

dropoutguy | Tue, 24/07/2012 - 09:47

@thisistibi

Euan MacLennan | Tue, 24/07/2012 - 09:53

@Shirley

thisistibi | Tue, 24/07/2012 - 09:59

Mixed feelings on this matter

Jekyll and Hyde | Tue, 24/07/2012 - 10:05

.

blok | Tue, 24/07/2012 - 10:09

@thisistibi

ShirleyM | Tue, 24/07/2012 - 10:12

VAT Avoidance

Roland195 | Tue, 24/07/2012 - 10:13

Charity

thisistibi | Tue, 24/07/2012 - 10:17

Thanks

thisistibi | Tue, 24/07/2012 - 10:18

Isn't David Gauke's wife,

Time for change | Tue, 24/07/2012 - 10:20

No!

thisistibi | Tue, 24/07/2012 - 10:23

@Time for change

ShirleyM | Tue, 24/07/2012 - 10:27

Expenses claims

dropoutguy | Tue, 24/07/2012 - 10:51

In defence of David Gauke

Euan MacLennan | Tue, 24/07/2012 - 10:52

Not what I meant

petersaxton | Tue, 24/07/2012 - 10:52

"We're all in it together"

John Stokdyk | Tue, 24/07/2012 - 10:53

Morally Wrong

philh74a | Tue, 24/07/2012 - 10:55

Back to the Maths lesson

Democratus | Tue, 24/07/2012 - 11:02

Politicians...

George Attazder | Tue, 24/07/2012 - 11:06

When will the first accountant be expelled ....

ringi | Tue, 24/07/2012 - 11:09

Besco

thisistibi | Tue, 24/07/2012 - 11:10

The onus is on the recipient not the payer

Adrian Pearson | Tue, 24/07/2012 - 11:13

As an HMRC employee once said

Pelican | Tue, 24/07/2012 - 11:25

MP's trying to take the high

justsotax | Tue, 24/07/2012 - 11:25

And Pelican....

justsotax | Tue, 24/07/2012 - 11:28

.

blok | Tue, 24/07/2012 - 11:41

What is more morally wrong...

the_fishmonger | Tue, 24/07/2012 - 11:57

@ the fish monger....

justsotax | Tue, 24/07/2012 - 12:12

Surely ...

Old Greying Accountant | Tue, 24/07/2012 - 12:26

Dear old grandma gets her

mrme89 | Tue, 24/07/2012 - 12:30

cash in hand

ShirleyM | Tue, 24/07/2012 - 12:32

added dimension

Jekyll and Hyde | Tue, 24/07/2012 - 12:36

The biggest problem to me ...

Old Greying Accountant | Tue, 24/07/2012 - 12:56

.

Jekyll and Hyde | Tue, 24/07/2012 - 13:03

Payment cards for benefits

Democratus | Tue, 24/07/2012 - 13:06

Not a problem

petersaxton | Tue, 24/07/2012 - 13:22

Faster payments

petersaxton | Tue, 24/07/2012 - 13:24

so if you were selling a second hand car

Anthony123 | Tue, 24/07/2012 - 13:28

Seems reasonable to me

petersaxton | Tue, 24/07/2012 - 13:29

and another point on VAT and tradesmen

Anthony123 | Tue, 24/07/2012 - 13:32

40% to government

petersaxton | Tue, 24/07/2012 - 13:43