[simon knight]

Doing the insides yesterday and the custy had a couple of mates round for a Chardonnay afternoon. They were chit-chatting about this and that and the conversation got around to tax.

The lady of the house said to me: " Do you pay tax Simon...fill in a tax return?"

She seemed genuinely surprised when I said "yes".

I'm now assuming that all my custys think I'm on the fiddle

[frames to panes]

Many of mine try to give me cash because they think it's not declared.

[Xline Systems]

thats nothing. one of my custys last week could not believe that window cleaners actualy do it as full time job. ive been cleaning there windows for nin years

[supernova77]

Yeah sometimes people pay me with cash and say something like "there you go, you can keep that quiet can't you".

Obviously the beer money brigade and the like don't declare everything... But if you're trying to run a proper business everything needs to do through the books!

Andy

[dave0123]

Iv had that aswell.

iv had some cheques given to me and said here you go you can write it out to whoever you want lol.

the other day which i was shocked by was i did a new clean on a house and the person said next door i think are looking for window cleaner so i ring the bell little lad answerd the door! i said hi is your mum or dad in?? he went to get his mum came back and said exactly what she said him not knowing being young it was " she doesnt want to talk to you" i was like errm oh ok then! just hope i get asked next time to  clean her windows my reply will be " sorry i dont want to talk to you  "

lol

[MJH]

Many of mine try to give me cash because they think it's not declared.

Nearly all of my customers are BACS or cheque into my buisness account that way everybody is happy!!

[Feen]

I get this too. "Can I give you a cheque?". Me: "Certainly, it all goes into the bank". They look a little surprised. I have a few that now pay directly, but it's a struggle. The upside is my 9 year old lads maths are really coming on now I get him to add up the cash at the end of the week

[Sir Squeaky]

This is why it’s up to professional window cleaners to change the image of the industry. Get the trade associations to get the public to only use professionals.

Soon as the public start to ask the window cleaner are you a professional, and then hopefully there will be a drastic decrease in cash in the hand window cleaners.

Think of all the benefits if this did happen.

Ewan 

Wasting your time.
You'll never change what people think.

We're doing a working class unskilled cleaning job.
That's what it is, that's what it will always be.

No amount of expensive kit or nice van will change that.
I can't believe people are surprised customers say these things.

[Feen]

Squeaky, I agree with you. I find it hard to get people to pay me directly or even by cheque, but I'm not surprised. I also think that if some of these people realised what we can earn they'd think hard about the price they pay. Sometimes it can pay to play the daft laddie.

[paulscotney]

About 15 years ago I had a house on my round. The chap was a tax inspector but he always paid me cash. He had a semi. His neighbour told me one time that they both had double glazing installed at the same time and the taxman insisted they get a company that would accept cash. He even gave me a tip at xmas. Shows everyone is human, well most of them

[Moderator David@stives]

This is why it’s up to professional window cleaners to change the image of the industry. Get the trade associations to get the public to only use professionals.

Soon as the public start to ask the window cleaner are you a professional, and then hopefully there will be a drastic decrease in cash in the hand window cleaners.

Think of all the benefits if this did happen.

Ewan 

Ewan

Are you a member of one ?

Dave

[chrismroberts]

I guess it might be hard to change the attitudes of some people.... but in the end, does it really matter?

Whether they think we're paying tax or not, or earning a million quid an hour - money is money, whether is cash, cheque, bacs, paypal.... as long as we're happy and we're being honest, legal and up front about all our earnings then thats what matters 

[matt]

This is why it’s up to professional window cleaners to change the image of the industry. Get the trade associations to get the public to only use professionals.

Soon as the public start to ask the window cleaner are you a professional, and then hopefully there will be a drastic decrease in cash in the hand window cleaners.

Think of all the benefits if this did happen.

Ewan 

Wasting your time.
You'll never change what people think.

We're doing a working class unskilled cleaning job.
That's what it is, that's what it will always be.

No amount of expensive kit or nice van will change that.
I can't believe people are surprised customers say these things.

exactly, times are changing, no longer are we seen as the " stan ogden window cleaner ", but i feel with the influx of eastern europeans, we just may be heading back down that road, except it will be staniski ogdeniski

I guess it might be hard to change the attitudes of some people.... but in the end, does it really matter?

Whether they think we're paying tax or not, or earning a million quid an hour - money is money, whether is cash, cheque, bacs, paypal.... as long as we're happy and we're being honest, legal and up front about all our earnings then thats what matters 

i find the idea when some of my customers say the odd remark aout " will check be ok" it entertains me

[jonah]

This is why it’s up to professional window cleaners to change the image of the industry. Get the trade associations to get the public to only use professionals.

Soon as the public start to ask the window cleaner are you a professional, and then hopefully there will be a drastic decrease in cash in the hand window cleaners.

Think of all the benefits if this did happen.

Ewan 

Wasting your time.
You'll never change what people think.

We're doing a working class unskilled cleaning job.
That's what it is, that's what it will always be.

No amount of expensive kit or nice van will change that.
I can't believe people are surprised customers say these things.

exactly, times are changing, no longer are we seen as the " stan ogden window cleaner ", but i feel with the influx of eastern europeans, we just may be heading back down that road, except it will be staniski ogdeniski

I guess it might be hard to change the attitudes of some people.... but in the end, does it really matter?

Whether they think we're paying tax or not, or earning a million quid an hour - money is money, whether is cash, cheque, bacs, paypal.... as long as we're happy and we're being honest, legal and up front about all our earnings then thats what matters 

i find the idea when some of my customers say the odd remark aout " will check be ok" it entertains me

According to news recently , many eastern europeans are going back home because their former employers have wised up !  They are now paying decent wages because of the shortage of workforce !

[NWH]

There trying to get most of them back to help build the stadiums for the football in a couple of years.

[peter holley]

i used to get realy wound up by the way people view us   but the bigger my round grows and the more i earn ...the less i care...iv been a wc for 16 yrs and now im starting to reap my hard work...peoples  ignorance is my advantage..

i pay tax .... im insured ...etc....and i like it when people feel sorry for me and give me a tip..
 

[jonah]

Does it really matter how somone views you ? If you are doing well,  thank you very much . . . . . ignorance is bliss isnt it ?

[peter holley]

thats what i  :Pwas trying to say

[TVCS]

There are a few on my round that I got when the old window cleaner got to cold in the autumn and stopped coming.  They saw me cleaning in the same street and asked me.  All of these NEW custies always say stuff like " I always leave enough cash in the house cos I know you window cleaners wont take cheques" or  " the old cleaner only wanted cash, I suppose you are the same" WINK.   It does make me smile when I say a cheque will be fine.  They always say "payable to you is it?"  No , heres my card, make it payable to the business name please.

The average pay for men in the UK in 2007 was £26,000

Where I live the avaerage pay is so much lower than that. Probably to the sum of 10 k lower than that. 

[mr D]

i've had a few whos jaws drop when i ask them to make cheques payable to my company name.

march just gone i had a customa ive been doing for a year ask '' so this window cleaning lark is it something your doing full time now?'' he said this as i stood there in my logo shirt and signwritten veacheal out side. he then said ''its only i was going to offer you a job. you would be on good money £400 per week take home''. he grinned at me like a smug footballer that had just given a 14 year old lad £2 for cleaninghis boots for him. i told him i was gonna stick at it. lol ! fool my dads been cleaning windows for 20 years and could buy all of his cars, house, pearants house business and wife off him and still probaly have enough in the bank to emergrate to austraila.

i surpose hi did mean well.