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Cash in hand work 'morally wrong'
Householders who pay tradesmen in cash are "morally wrong", a Treasury minister said.
Exchequer Secretary David Gauke said he had never paid workers in cash
Householders who pay tradesmen in cash are "morally wrong", a Treasury minister said.
Exchequer Secretary David Gauke accused homeowners who give workers cash of helping them avoid tax.
He said: "Getting a discount with your plumber by paying cash in hand is something that is a big cost to the Revenue and means others have to pay more in tax.
"I think it is morally wrong. It is illegal for the plumber but it is pretty implicit in those circumstances that there is a reason why there is a discount for cash. That is a large part of the hidden economy."
The Government loses about £2 billion each year to the black economy as tradesmen fail to pay VAT or income tax by not declaring payments and keeping them "off the books".
Mr Gauke's comments, in an interview with The Daily Telegraph, come as HM Revenue and Customs plans an amnesty to encourage workmen to pay their fair share of taxes.
Earlier, Mr Gauke announced tax advisers who use avoidance schemes that push the law to its limits will be named and shamed in a crackdown to help recoup £5 billion for the public purse.
When tough decisions needed to be made to cut the budget deficit, it was galling for the hard-working majority to see others shirk their civic duty by using aggressive avoidance schemes, the minister told the think-tank Policy Exchange.
His comments came as the Government launched a consultation paper on its planned reforms. It follows a wave of disclosures about the financial loopholes used by the rich and famous to legally side-step hefty tax bills.
Mr Gauke later told BBC2's Newsnight some Tory ministers may have previously paid workers in cash, but denied doing so himself. "I've never said to a tradesman, 'If I pay you cash, can I get a discount?'," he said. But asked if colleagues had, he replied: "I don't know, but if people do do that they have to do so with the recognition that means taxes will be higher for the rest."
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1002Comments
23/07/2012 10:17
If everyone paid their fair share of taxes due then this country would not have the debt crisis it has.
Celebrities, powerful people i.e. CEO's in some of our biggest organisations, as well as Sports personalities including Soccer players, managers and coaches go out of their way to avoid paying 40%.
Time these parasites were named and shamed and brought to book.
24/07/2012 08:19
24/07/2012 02:41
24/07/2012 09:28
What a joke. Huge businesses are avoiding paying tax to the tune of billions of pounds a year. And he is talking about paying a tradesman in cash ! MPs wages range fron £65,000 to £140,000 per year, plus whatever fiddle they can get away with.
But to have the cheek to use the words " morally wrong " !
The only people who have ever paid tax in full are the working class because it is taken before you can do anything about it.
This government is " morally wrong " in just about everything it does. From villifying benefit claimers, and forcing sick and disabled off the system to live in poverty. To continuing Tony Blairs illegal war in Irac which has so far killed one million people, 300,000 of which are children.
Dont lecture us about " morally wrong " you stupid man !
24/07/2012 08:58
24/07/2012 08:24
Stupidest country on the planet! It is NOT morally wrong to try to save 20% of your hard earned money from the rapacious taxman in this country. For over 1000 years the British government has been known for one thing: extorting what mney the common people might have in taxation, fees and duties. Wretched taxes, wretched system, wretched country.
24/07/2012 08:32
You ****!
You call traders morally illegal yet your government cannot get their own books in order. Who are you to say that all traders work illegally. Trust me in this you are wrong wrong wrong!
My husband works for himself and has to by law make sure he puts every little detail down on his books whether he is paid cash or not. Because sure as eggs is eggs as soon as he does not you can bet your life some supersillious **** like yourself would come along and tap him on the shoulder for more if he did not declare it all. We live hand to mouth and have to show every little penny we earn just to keep our heads above water, to say all tradesmen are theiving bastards is not true and never has been they have the good ones and the bad ones, like most and the good ones are being lumped in with the bad. Get your facts right.
P>S. We are not all lying twisted cheating bastards who cannot do a decent days work some of us work bloody hard for the few crumbs we get.
24/07/2012 08:19
Morally wrong well I suppose succesive governments would know about that. So paying tax all your life and then the money that you have managed to save that has had tax paid gets taxed again when you die, yes that seems "Morally fair" Oh just in case any politicians are reading this that was sarcasm.
24/07/2012 08:33
We all pay way too much tax. The vast majority of our taxation goes on corruption, wasteful practices and servicing debts to the fraudulent banking system, that can never be paid off.
If you think of just what we pay in income tax, national insurance and VAT, then add council tax, road tax, fuel duty, duty on alcohol and tobacco, plus the too numerous to mention stealth taxes, then you can start to see something is wrong with this picture.
There is no way a government needs or is entitled to this much of our wages.
Governments are like spoilt children running around with dady's credit card. They will always spend past the limit and demand more. So de we keep coughing up, or do we say "NO MORE".
Time for a lawful rebellion.
24/07/2012 09:09
24/07/2012 08:54
Am i actually reading this !
Lessons from a politician on what is morally right, would these be the same politicians who ripped us off of hundreds of thousands over years with EXPENSES ?
I love how the government really believes we are these stupid clueless people, they are desperate for money and suddenly everything on earth is morally wrong.
Businesses and the wealthy using tax avoidance schemes are morally disgusting, ok i can see that they are hiding millions of pounds.
But now they are picking on the ordinary people with a skill just trying to make a few quid extra, fair enough if there are businesses taking cash in hand that is wrong.
But if it is someone on their weekend off doing some painting or a bit of joinery for someone they know that should be their right.
People have been doing odd jobs and homers for decades and it has not brought the country to the edge of bankruptcy, i think you will find that was the BANKS and the POLITICIANS.
This country has one of the highest costs of living in the world, it is not just somethings that are expensive here, it is EVERYTHING !
And now these scum are trying to stop every little way people have of making a few extra quid.
If you are sick of the government trying to stigmatize people as morally wrong for whatever there latest agenda is like this comment !
24/07/2012 08:44
this guy needs a slap to wake him up the reason we dont mind paying cash in hand to people we know who have the needed trade is it keeps the money in your local community not to mention the other reason which is him and the thiefs he works with are muggin the tax payers at every oppertunity they are sooooo out of touch with the workers of this country its amazing.
24/07/2012 08:32
Spending our hard earned cash against our wishes is also morally wrong. Overseas aid, giving it to Europe, elf'n safety jobsworths, overpaid council jobsworths, MP's gold plated pensions...........I could go on but it makes my blood boil. This country is rapidly becoming a third world country and living here is becoming a game of survival.
24/07/2012 08:33
The govenment takes nearly half of everything I earn in tax and ontop of that I have to pay VAT on everything I buy. If I can save a few quid and help a tradesman out by paying cash in hand then I will. I'd rather the money do to them than to the goverment who will only squander it on bailing the banks out, hosting the olympics etc
24/07/2012 08:33
People who do work for cash are taking money for a skill, do a cheaper work for those who need work done but not have the finance to get it done. However, those who take money in bonuses that are often not taxed or those who employ solicitors to avoid paying tax have enough money and are fining ways to avoid paying tax. So where does morals come into all this. Those doing little jobs to help their fellow man survive, I feel do not have a problem of, morality, theses who are asking this question do not have morals. Who are they to question others on morality.
24/07/2012 08:54
23/07/2012 16:16
24/07/2012 09:23
24/07/2012 09:59
Gauke you moron, I hope you carry a toilet roll in your pocket to wipe your mouth because you talk absolute s**t!!!
You dare to lecture the British people about avoiding tax when you protect yourselves and your thieving banker scum mates in the city who are robbing this nation blind and have caused the crisis we now face.
If I had anything to do with it I'd line the bloody lot of you up and have you all shot on the spot.
SHUT YOUR MOUTH AND GIVE YOUR BACKSIDE A CHANCE.
24/07/2012 08:23
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