MONEY MORAL DILEMMA:Should Chanelle avoid using Ziggy?

dc1350

No she shouldn't. I earn £5.38 an hour and have to pay PAYE. People like Ziggy are worse than benefeit fraudsters and are pushing up the standard rate of tax.

Middlestitch

Use him and report him!

Mics_chick

I would use him

camason

If Ziggy has just told me that he is a tax evader to 'pass the savings on', I would have to break out my book'o'economics.

If a builder doesn't understand how illegal his actions are and cannot maintain proper book-keeping, I don't think I could trust him with a shovel either.

I can't imagine it would be helpful with the insurance, if there were any problems with the work.

Most on-the-cheap labour usually only provides short-term savings. It's not worth the risk for me.

Woodyrocks

Unless I shop online I always pay cash. Whether it be for a new bed from M&S or getting my floor laid, whilst M&S charge me VAT and pay their taxes what about the man I have found from the yellow pages laying my floor with the handwritten receipt system whom I am also paying in cash? The way I see it my job is not to police the business records of those I pay for their service/goods. For example I paid my cleaner by cash today - is she paying tax, I doubt it. Does it hurt me? no. Will it hurt her in the long run - it just might.

My motivation for paying my tax is not because of teachers or nurses or policemen but because i see it as a social responsibilty, because it is important that my papertrail computes and because I understand that I am part of the economic food chain, if the builder is willing to take the risk that is his problem, I would hire him nonetheless as long as I was assured he would do a good job.

Magic_Mel

No, get him to do the work, then stitch him afterwards

sloucho

I can’t believe so many people wouldn’t care or would turn a blind eye, especially if you could “save” a few quid by defrauding the rest of us.
I assume you wouldn’t bother helping a old woman who was being mugged unless there was something in it for you.
Theft is Theft – end off.
I suppose the only time you would pay attention is when he runs over and kills you kids in his un-insured, un-taxed and un-roadworthy van.

teekay_2

Why would anyone use a trader that announces his dishonesty as part of the quote. Such a workman would not belong to any professional body and vanish as soon as he's paid. By not paying his tax you end up paying for him.

Canucklehead

Good morning: I wouldn't use the services of a tradesperson who blatantly evades paying tax on profits...and I would suspect that the individual doesn't hold liability insurance in the event of a 'mishap' in your home:eek: ..lack of a paper trail to follow in the event that you need to seek redress for substandard/dangerous work would make your life even more difficult....get a written quotation (at least 3) and an invoice from the tradesperson upon completion. BTW, there is nothing wrong with paying cash for a job (our preference as this type of payment won't bounce..trades need to avoid rogue customers as well ) and banks will happily accept cash deposits.

HTH

Canucklehead

Dangermouse23

Should you use Ziggy? Well that depends more on recommendation than cost. While the cheapest option may seem attractive, invariably decorators that cost a little more tend to do a much better job. The fact that he doesn't maintain the books means he lacks professionalism, which is most likely to filter down to the standard of service he provides. Alarms bells should be ringing when he owns up to his tax evasion so you should avoid using him. The best thing to do is pick the decorator that has the proven track record eg. ones recommended, because quality of workmanship is more important here than price.
With regard to the tax evasion? Well, he's hardly going to be buying any Villas in St Lucia on the meager income made by dodging tax on a decorating job. While many people are quick to lambaste this person for dodging tax he is in a low paid job by modern standards and there are worse people out there. While his tax evasion is not acceptable it should be left to the proper authorities to deal with him; he should be given a fighting chance to change his ways before it comes to haunt him. Why you say? Well the big money companies evade on a lot more tax than individuals like these do. They are just more clever about it, many of the millionaire businessmen in the UK avoid paying tax by usnig solicitors who find legal loopholes and accountants that are very creative in their book keeping that can disguise taxable profits again using tax loopholes. Some of the more blatant millionaire tax evaders embezzle money into charities of which they are indirectly the benefactors while others live in total exile altogether. Surely, these people are more at fault as they are leaching far more from the economy than the low paid workers that are easy to target. There are bigger fish to fry out there and the Inland Revenue are less likely to target these if the minoes are handed to them on a plate by the bucket load.