benefit and tax dodgers

ceridwen

It would depend on the circumstances. If it was tax that they were underpaying - then yes I would say something anonymously (provided it wasnt traceable back to me).

If it was benefit - then I'd very much weigh up the circumstances. It would basically boil down to:
- if it was just a bit of a sideline thing to top up benefit money to enough to live on - then, no, I wouldnt (unless they deserved a "bad turn" for some reason - as they had been a bad neighbour). So - good neighbour - I wouldnt tell on. Bad neighbour - I would.

- if it was doing a whole full-time job AND getting benefit - I would tell the authorities.

So - to sum up. Tax - no question. Benefit - I have a "sliding scale" I use as to whether I would or no.

As regards the question of culpability if one knows - but doesnt say. I've not heard of that. Dont know if that would be the case or no. Anyway - the point is academic - because who is going to know that YOU know?

I have followed my own rules - I have never knowingly come across anyone underpaying tax. I have come across only a couple of people earning a bit on the side on top of benefit - I analysed roughly how much they were likely to be earning and it wasnt much and would only have topped up the benefit to enough to live on at a modest standard - so I said nothing (as they didnt deserve me doing a "bad turn" on them). I have come across someone who used a legal excuse to hold onto property of theirs when they went bankrupt - but it looked like they might now be "open to having to pay back" - and told the authorities about them and hoped their creditors managed eventually to get a bit back from them.