'I hate it when taxi drivers give me blank receipts' blog discussion

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Former_MSE_Penelope
Former_MSE_Penelope Posts: 536 Forumite
in Martin's blogs & appearances & MSE in the news
This is the discussion to link on the back of Martin's blog. Please read the blog first, as this discussion follows it.
Read Martin's "I hate it when taxi drivers give me blank receipts" Blog.
Please click reply to discuss below.
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  • butler_helen
    butler_helen Posts: 1,866 Forumite
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    This drives me mad aswell! I'm usually in a rush, although not such a rush that they couldn't write a number and a signature.

    I just fill in the cost and hope for the best. If you've done nothing wrong you've got nothing to hide type thoughts are in my mind when I fill in the numbers (but not the signature).

    It's worse when they give you a receipt for a different cab firm -I've had that a few times too!
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  • JimmyTheWig
    JimmyTheWig Posts: 12,199 Forumite
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    Surely you've just got to be honest about it.

    If you need a filled-in receipt then that's what you need to ask for.

    But if it is ok to get a blank one and fill it in correctly then do just that. Fill in the correct amount and sign it as yourself to say this is what you paid, with a comment to say that the driver left it blank.
  • withabix
    withabix Posts: 9,508 Forumite
    edited 29 January 2010 at 6:21PM
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    The driver left it blank for a reason.

    Cash business = Tax evasion.

    (and not 'sorry guv I haven't got a pen' etc)

    The same reason why not many cabs can take card payments, despite the technology being readily available and in use.
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  • Ladyhawk
    Ladyhawk Posts: 2,064 Forumite
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    I hate this too... I usually try to disguise my handwriting and then feel like I have done something wrong, immoral and illegal!! Even though I am always honest about the amount I am claiming.

    Having said that we are no longer allowed to claim for taxis, so this problem is a thing of the past for me :(
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  • song_of_calliope
    song_of_calliope Posts: 482 Forumite
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    I don't see a problem here either, I'd just fill in the correct amount and not sign it.

    I used to love it when I travelled for work and got blank receipts. It meant I could add the cash I'd spent tipping hotel cleaners and baggage people and the like to the taxi receipt and get my money back. My company would never pay expenses without a receipt and you can't get a receipt for a cash tip. I'd tip a standard amount, not excessively. I considered it not to be dishonest but just "creative accounting" and never felt guilty for it.
  • chasman
    chasman Posts: 1 Newbie
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    The problem I have is that I am often so late at doing my expenses that I can't recall how much cash I gave the driver. If I claim too much I am cheating my employer and if I claim too little I cheat myself.
  • Tojo_Ralph
    Tojo_Ralph Posts: 8,373 Forumite
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    edited 30 January 2010 at 3:13PM
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    .....
    The solution is simple, check your receipt when you receive it (I thought that would be a given?) and if it is not completed in full, man up and request that the driver completes it fully.

    As for being worried about insulting a taxi driver who hands you a fistful of blank receipts, just ask yourself why he is offering you the receipts. :think:

    a) He thinks you regularly lose taxi receipts and thus need a stash of blank ones.
    b) He thinks you look like the kind of person who needs blank receipts to fiddle their expenses.

    If anyone should feel insulted, it's you and if you have any doubts that the answer is b), the next time a Taxi driver offers you a fistful of blank receipts, ask him why he is giving you them. ;)
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  • omen666
    omen666 Posts: 2,206 Forumite
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    withabix wrote: »
    The driver left it blank for a reason.

    Cash business = Tax evasion.

    (and not 'sorry guv I haven't got a pen' etc)

    The same reason why not many cabs can take card payments, despite the technology being readily available and in use.
    Not correct in this now is it? The receipts are not numbered, there is no duplicates? they buy the receipts book for customers but do not produce them to HMRC
  • underlay_guru
    underlay_guru Posts: 1,025 Forumite
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    Hi,

    I can't really see any problem with this practise! So what if they are possibly doing it to evade tax? If they are, they will eventually get caught or go out of business...thats their problem, not ours. By doing it, are they ultimately putting the passenger out of pocket? Er..no.

    How is it inconvenient? All you need to do is fill in the amount yourself, and the expense can be claimed....Mountain out of a molehill IMO (although no disrespect to MSE Martin!)
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  • black_taxi_2
    black_taxi_2 Posts: 1,816 Forumite
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    as a driver i actualy fill out most of receipt before journeys end--you tend to know depending where you going if pax needs receipt.at most it takes 20 secs to fill in receipt from scratch end of journey.

    at end of destination i just hav to fill in amount an sign it 2 secs.i tend to get asked for blank if pax is very rushed-has to catch train or flight.
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