Solitary chicken - need advice

[Cinnamon]

There was an article in the paper yesterday about the "great middle-class crime wave".

I am not going into the class issue here, but how many of these have you ever done these things, or do them regularly?

 

1 - Pay cash in hand to avoid Taxation

 

2 - Keep money when given too much change

 

3 - Steal from work

 

4 - Avoid paying TV licence

 

5 - Wrongly use identity cards for gain

 

6 - Do not disclose faulty good when selling second hand

 

7 - Inflate insurance claims

 

8 - Ask a friend to bend the official rules

 

9 - Claim for refunds to which you are not entitled

 

My score is 6 (although 2 I have only ever done once)

[Guest]

My score is 1.

 

I sometimes don't give money back if the cashier gives me too much. I only do this if the cashier is one of those incompetent and rude people who continue a conversation with their neighbour and are clearly not concentrating on the job they are paid to do. That makes me cross and I hope that their till is so frequently under that they are sacked!

 

Otherwise, I would always give extra money back.

[UkButton]

7 I think... Always pay the TV licence though... Hard to pass of a 40' LCD as a microwave.

[Louise]

My score is 1 and even then I have only done it once

[BeckyBoo]

Mr score is 1 - have frequently paid cash for a job, it's up to the contractor to disclose his earnings, and being married to a self employed builder I know just how much you end up paying to the tax man. In fact the tax man could officially be classed as a robber in my books!!

 

Mrs B

[Tina C]

My score is 2. Hands up to the change thing. Also, although I have never physically 'stolen' anything from work I have done personal business on company time and the odd photocopy too. But at the same time work creeps into personal time too (especially now, as I work at home) so I don't feel too guilty.

 

I have never made an insurance claim but I know a lot of people do inflate their claim.

[beach chick]

3 I think - paid cash for a job (agree with Mrs. Bertie specially about taxman!)

dont fess up if given too much change but only if cashier is snotty (as above).

stolen from work - same comment about personal business on company time, but then the hours I used to do when I had a 'proper' job meant that everyone did it and it was generally accepted.

[Egluntyne]

I was puzzled about the paying cash one.

 

Surely it is not illegal to pay a bill with cash .

 

It is the chap on the receiving end who doesn't necessarily declare it who would be diddling.

 

If you are offered 2 prices for a job around the house, would you be breaking the law if you decided to go for the cash price?

 

After all, the book keeping of a person you employ to paint your shed is not your problem.

 

That doesn't read back very well, I', not trying to suggest that people break the law, what I'm trying to say is who is the onus upon in a situation like this?

[beach chick]

I suppose if you are offered 2 prices, 1 cash and 1 not, and you take the cash one you might be conniving? however, I cant believe the onus would be on you the purchaser...

[Guest]

My score would honestly be 0 - I think the most common one would be the keeping the money when given extra change, but as someone who worked as a manager in the service industry for a long time, I simply cannot do it to someoone who is already payed a pittance, and who will be expected to put any shortages back into the till out of their pockets. Mistakes are made, and everyone would be quick enough to point out when they were short-changed, and if the member of staff was particularly rude, then I'd speak to a manager and complain (and point out their mistake) rather than keeping quiet.

[Cinnamon]

I made a mistake & counted wrong - I am a 5 not a 6

 

You lot are more honest than I am

 

Stealing from work - I counted using the company phone as this which I have done before.

 

As for the Tax thing, well it does say that you pay cash in hand to avoid Tax, so I guess it needs to be for that reason.

Everyone pays cash sometimes - think window cleaners, milkman etc, but I guess if you don't know that you are getting a cheaper deal (by 17.5% then you can't be guilty of any wrong doing.

I think its aimed at those who pay their builder cash to get VAT knocked off.

[bronze]

1 for me too

number 8

when claiming some money back for something but they dont normally count the postage in the total I got her to add the postage into the price of the item so I could claim some of it back too.

[Cinnamon]

1 for me too

number 8

when claiming some money back for something but they dont normally count the postage in the total I got her to add the postage into the price of the item so I could claim some of it back too.

 

Ahh, but wouldn't that count as a number 7 as well?

Or a 9 even?

Edited June 26, 2007 by Guest

[Cate in NZ]

The only one there that sort of applies to me is the stealing from work thing, and it is more along the lines of personal phone calls and photocopying, or visiting the forum during work time when I should really be working . Oh, and pens, never deliberate theft but somehow I regularly go home with a pen in my pocket.......... I do bring them back though

But of course, t'would appear that I'm working class based on the school that my son attends, so I can forget all middle class aspirations

[starboyhull]

I'm a 5 lol

 

I think number one means when you do a job and dont pay the tax on it, not if you pay someone to do a job........Eg. if you was a cleaner (or whatever) and just got paid "cash in hand" and it doesnt go through anyones books.......

[Cinnamon]

I don't agree with you.

It had a high percentage of people that did this one, & there aren't that many self employed people

I think LOTS of people ask for "a bit of discount for cash" or "your best price for cash" & the vendor knocks the VAT off.

 

As a building company we get asked this all the time, but the people don't realise that if we did do it we still have to pay VAT on materials we buy to do the job

[Charlottechicken]

Can I deduct points for every time I have been overcharged and paid up? This has happened quite a few times by pennies. I have only been given too much change once, the assistant was rude and pushed me aside to serve the next person, can't remember how much, probably less than 20p.

 

Ahh, stealing from work, hmm, had the odd photocopy, but the boss does it too and now I have a nice scanner at home I do my own. I try not to use the phone except in emergencies too.

 

 

But I am working class, so of course none of this applies to me!

 

[Egluntyne]

I don't agree with you.

It had a high percentage of people that did this one, & there aren't that many self employed people

I think LOTS of people ask for "a bit of discount for cash" or "your best price for cash" & the vendor knocks the VAT off.

 

As a building company we get asked this all the time, but the people don't realise that if we did do it we still have to pay VAT on materials we buy to do the job

 

My builder says the taxman has access to his, his wife's and his children's bank accounts and would pick up on any dodgy dealings straight away.

 

His father had a £30,00 fine to pay once because of this sort of thing.

[bronze]

1 for me too

number 8

when claiming some money back for something but they dont normally count the postage in the total I got her to add the postage into the price of the item so I could claim some of it back too.

 

Ahh, but wouldn't that count as a number 7 as well?

Or a 9 even?

 

no co sit wasnt insurance and it wasnt an actual refund more a scheme. Well thats how I read it anyway.

[theherd123]

 

My builder says the taxman has access to his, his wife's and his children's bank accounts and would pick up on any dodgy dealings straight away.

 

Surely that cant be legal or ethical!?

[starboyhull]

From what I understand when we have been audtied by VAT, they can get access to bank account details if they think something dodgy is going on.....Usually would only do that sort of thing if they had good reason to, also would think they would have to get some kind of court order (although im only guessing about that).

 

I doubt very much that the "tax man" has enough time or resources to check every business bank account in the land to make sure nothing dodgy is going on, never mind any accounts associated with a business.....

[Cinnamon]

 

My builder says the taxman has access to his, his wife's and his children's bank accounts and would pick up on any dodgy dealings straight away.

 

Surely that cant be legal or ethical!?

 

They can also gain access to your Tesco Clubcard points record, to see if you have ever paid for your shopping by cash which has not come from your Bank account. And all other loyalty scheme records too.

 

Like Starboyhull says, they only do this if they suspect dodgy dealings, & they wouldn't have the resorces to check everyone all the time