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Should I refuse to pay service charge and leave cash tips?
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It all depends on whether it is stated as an "optional" charge - usually says either way on the menu (most often) or in the shop window etc.
Either way they will add it automatically but then you can remove it if its optional.
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The UK is getting more like America when it comes to tips and service charges. I feel mean if a service charge has been automatically added and I don't leave a tip.
I organised a Christmas Dinner for 20 people, which meant an immediate 15% service charge for the group. All courses were pre-ordered, but the service was still awful.
I paid the food and drink bill in cash, but refused to pay the service charge.
The manager said they were short-staffed so after a lot of argument he eventually agreed to waive the charge. I paid a cash tip directly to the over-worked staff who tried their best.
You cannot lawfully be taxed on income that you are not receiving. Were you asked to complete a PAYE Tax Return? If not, then I'm afraid you have been conned by the HMRC representative to whom you spoke. You should ask to make a Tax Return for 2013-14, complete it, and then claim your entitlement to reclaim all overpaid Income Tax that you have paid for the previous six complete tax years before the present one, i.e. 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11, 2011-12, 2012-13, and 2013-14. You might have to complete a return for each year, so look out your P60 end-of-year pay and tax summaries.
You are legally entitled to do this, and if it is discovered that you have in fact underpaid tax during any of the five tax years up to and including 2012-13, then - unless it occurred because you knowingly supplied false information to HMRC - it is too late for HMRC to demand payment. HMRC can only lawfully demand underpayment for the last complete tax year, you can claim overpaid tax for six. As you are all paid by the same employer, it is almost certain that you all have the same PAYE Tax Reference (NB - not to be confused with the PAYE Tax Code, which is personal to each of you) and administered by the same HMRC Tax Office. You could try a collective letter, signed by all of you and giving all of your names, addresses, and National Insurance numbers, stating that you are going to do this... there is a possibility that - faced with the prospect of dealing with six sets of tax recalculations for a number of people over the same unlawful over-taxing, they will back down and pay your claims.
If you are going to do this, use the figure assumed by HMRC for these non-existent tips to calculate how much each of you has been overtaxed each year (don't forget to ensure that no-one tries to claim over-payments for years during which they didn't work at your establishment!) and include these amounts in the letter. That means they can make payment and close all of the claims in one go.
I had put my coat on ready to leave but the waitress made up for it.
I paid the bill, then sent an email stating how nice the waitress was but how not so pleasant the other woman was.
I'm waiting for their response and expect to get a partial refund. This way, the waitress gets a tip, and its the restaurant that have to make amends.
The service was absolutely terrible all evening, food was bad and the manage disappeared when we tried to complain initially and then started arguing about the (burnt) food afterwards.
They then had the cheek to present the bill with over £100 of service charge added! I had that removed ASAP.
If you think the service is exceptional then tip in cash if you wish. Never by card.