HMRC arresting plumbers

By : Forum Member
Published 17th August 2011 |
Read latest comment - 19th August 2011

Don't you just love it, you'd think they'd get their own house in order before going after small fry BBC News - Unpaid tax crackdown: Five plumbers arrested by HMRC
If they only knew the reallity, I know of at least 7 plumbing / heating companies that have gone to the wall in the last 2 months. I've had at least 40 emails from youngsters in that same period of time, trying to get on to an apprenticeships. I know I could place an advert now for a plumbing vacancy and I would have between 40 and 100 responses by miday tomorrow. Yet the Government swears blind it is helping small businesses....

Thanks,
Barney
Comments
Meant to mention, that a colleague of mine within the construction industry (carpenter) has recently commited suicide because he had these people chasing him, every single day of the week, he ended up working 14 -16 hours every day trying to get these people of his back. In the end he just lost it..

Thanks,
Barney

That's terrible about the chippie.

But what do you think the answer is? Much as I hate handing over money, tax is a fact of life.

Is it general red tape problem across the board, or do you think this is a particular issue with Trades people?

Is it maybe people struggling with their books or needing help with accounts packages? Possibly a market for low cost virtual bookkeepers? For the sake of a few quid, remove all the stress and hassle and let a VA/bookkeeper help out. If you've been slogging your guts out all day, last thing you want to be doing in the evening is ploughing through Quickbooks or sage.

I know a builder who dances a fine line, only declaring so much, and operating in cash wherever he can. Extra revenue must be nice, plus it makes him very competitive against his rivals, but is that fair? I know he worries about HRMC, so I don't know if the extra cash really worth that much added stress of the revenue boys breathing down your neck

Steve Richardson
Gaffer of My Local Services
My Local Services | Me on LinkedIn

But what do you think the answer is? Much as I hate handing over money, tax is a fact of life.


Well cut government spending national and local to a more reasonable % of GDP.

Plus Cut Personal and corporate taxes.

It needs a ten year plan of the economy growing at a faster rate than Government spending.

Though I doubt very much it is going to or can happen.

highlandspring

Not sure what the answer is, there is however lots of ups and downs. A visit to the Uk plumbers forums will show that the majority of plumbers are struggling and have been over the last couple of years. You always get the odd one who says he gets all his work by word of mouth and he's rolling in it! But you know just by driving past his house that he spends the majority of his time watching daytime television. And this is the same for all self employed tradesmen, the rates of pay have also come crashing down a couple of years ago I would have to pay a plumber a minimum

Thanks,
Barney

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