Booking with a suspected tax-cheat tour guide?

If you’re uncomfortable with the terms I recommend simply moving on. It is not wise or necessary to confront based on suspicion and even with seemingly good evidence. Things may look like a duck and just might be something quite surprising. I would let it go.

If it's straight up illegal, well maybe best to find another guide. I'm not sure such restrictions apply in the UK.

In my personal experience of people preferring to do business in cash, I kinda turn a blind eye and let them get on with it. I was always happy to pay in cash when I was getting work done on my car, without being asked. My local chicken shop only started accepting card payment a couple of years ago but I was still happy to eat there.

The guy insisting on cash somewhere it's in law that he can't is a bit shady. I'm not sure I would mail the guidebook publisher straight off. I think talking about it here is quite enough for me.

"Should I write in to the RS guidebook dest to let them know they're promoting a tax cheat?" - how do you know that he's not paying tax on his earnings?

Maybe be specific about which country. I've not heard of any country not allowing someone to get payment in cash, although that may be the case as I'm not familiar with laws of all countries. And is that law regarding payments to corporations, or individuals, in all circumstances? Requesting cash is not always to avoid taxes but rather to avoid add'l fees when dealing with credit cards or other payment services.

If you weren't going to pay him in cash, how would you like to pay? Credit cards and Pay Pal, both pull money off the top. If the guide is an employee of one, doing business can be very expensive.
I think calling somebody a cheat in this instance is over stepping.
Pay him in cash or move along is my advice (since you asked).

I suspect it's Italy- the land of rules, regulations, and bureaucracy- not that it's the only country that could fit the description.
When I'm paying cash, I expect a discount from the other party.
I suspect I know of whom you speak, as the guide is mentioned here frequently. Good luck with your decision.
Safe travels!

I think it’s fairly common to pay a tour guide in cash. Credit cards payments don’t always make sense for businesses like that — and as someone has already said, they take a percentage of the payment from the merchant. Also, the tour guide knows that your payment is legit if it’s in cash. I remember a number of years ago small hotels in Europe offered a discount if you paid the deposit by credit card and paid the rest in cash. I also remember going on a day long excursion with a tiny tour company in Ireland who required payment in cash….not up front, but at the end of the day! A number of local restaurants have begun offering a small discount if you pay with cash. An honest business person can record cash payments and pay tax on them. Not sure why you’re jumping to the conclusion this person is a cheat????

A correction: 60euros is the limit in that country for a merchant to require cash—beyond that they're required to accept card/electronic payment. And it's illegal to conduct any transaction over $5,000 in cash. (these measures were implemented explicitly to limit tax fraud, which is limited to avoiding sales tax, but also the merchant's business and/or income taxes. And those are both increases to prior limits, increases denounced by the central bank as an invitation to corruption. But the new right-wing, populist government pushed them through anyway)

Y'all are right that I can't know he's looking to dodge taxes, but with these rules in place for this purpose, it certainly makes it seem like the quack is coming from a duck.

The credit card fee argument doesn't hold up in Europe like it does in North America, where looser regulation allows banks to charge merchants much more. Generally, in Europe, fees a less than a percent above the costs associated with dealing with cash (security, time, manual accounting, etc of handling cash costs about .075-1%)

Not specifying the country, for the sake of discretion, was intentional. I'm not sure the specific country is relevant. But an astute reader could draw a short list from the information given.

I think calling somebody a cheat in this instance is over stepping.

I agree. You have no evidence other than suspicions to believe that he is cheating on taxes. And I don't know about the other country, but if you did that in the US, you would leave yourself open to an action of libel. You should always be very very careful when accusing anyone of something like that, especially with no real proof.

How else would you expect to pay an individual? They might take Venmo or Square but realistically they would run a cash business. Their tax situation is theirs to worry about, yours is to get the tour you want.

How else would you expect to pay an individual? They might take Venmo or Square but realistically they would run a cash business.

Venmo and Square don't exist in Europe, that I know of. Rather those portable credit card machines waiters and taxi driver carry are all connected via cellular networks. And the whole point of the laws in this country is to limit any company with transactions over 60euros from being a "cash business".

I think calling somebody a cheat in this instance is over stepping.

I certainly understand this, and because of it I do want to tread carefully. (Not naming the guide, the site, the city, or even the country.) And this is why I sought the collective wisdom of the forum.

So, which businesses are allowed to accept up to 5,000 euros in cash?

So, which businesses are allowed to accept up to 5,000 euros in cash?

Any business in this country can accept up to 5,000€ in cash if that's how the consumer would like to pay. No business can accept over that amount in cash, in any case. (In another country well known for its tax avoidance that limit is 1,000€.)

Gail, I would imagine we would care if we knew for a fact that someone is violating a law. But this is just a guess by the OP with nothing valid to back it up. That’s the problem I have with it. It’s very easy to point a finger at someone, but without something substantive to back it up, it’s still just finger pointing.

By the way, the advice here seems to be the opposite of the advice I see regarding booking illegal Paris rentals.

I'd been thinking about exactly this contrast. And its irony.

Mardee—As Gail points out in her previous post, we do know the guide is breaking the law—maybe not with taxes, but at least in requiring cash payment over 60€.

You made me curious because I don’t think I’ve ever paid an individual guide in anything but cash. I’ve paid companies, like Walks of Italy, who have more than a single employee, by credit card. In the US, our requirements are different based on the size of the business and the designation, I wonder if that holds true in other countries?

See Our Community Guidelines...

Community Guideline #7:

Do not help people break laws. Speaking of the existence of law
breaking is OK. Sharing how to circumvent visa restrictions, scam
hotels, or perform other illegal acts is prohibited.

If the OP really has reason to believe this individual is indeed conducting business in Italy in violation of tax laws, then I would think they should at a minimum:

1. Report it to the Rick Steves Europe company (perhaps via the webmaster...go ahead, cick the "Report" button...it could be the first time on the forum someone actually reported their own post!). The company may know all about it, they may ignore it or they may address it in some way they see fit. I would be extremely disappointed if I learned they knew all about this and actively turned a blind eye.

2. Let others know. I think the OP has done just that, with an appropriate degree of ambiguity and plausible deniability.

3. What else is to be done? I dunno, perhaps one of our Italian forum participants can offer suggestions (is there an Italian anonymous turn-in-a-tax-cheat tip line?).

I am bemused to see so many participants here who say this is none of anyone's business, suggest the OP should just move on and mind their own business. Nobody likes paying taxes, but they are a necessary part of life in a functional society. Tax cheats are unfair to those who actually do pay their fair share, and a theft from those who miss out on government-funded services because of chronic underfunding. My sense has always been that Rick Steves as an individual and RSE as a company strongly believed that "doing the right thing" was a core value, and that extended to (most) forum participants. How would you feel if a local business near you turned out to be illegally skipping paying taxes?

@Scudder: Thank you for bringing this up. You seem to be doing the right thing to me.

“By the way, the advice here seems to be the opposite of the advice I see regarding booking illegal Paris rentals”

Apples and oranges. The concern with illegal apts is that it will be unavailable at the last second leaving the renter with no where to stay.

“Do not help people break laws”

You’re not helping them break a law if you do not hire them.

There’s a wide range of perspectives… from the Karens to the other extreme of being oblivious. I fall in the middle. I have way more important things in my life that i don’t have the time, or the inclination, to be a Karen. Which is what this is about imo. Surely people have better things to do with their time.

Edit: this post was in response to a poster who deleted their comment.

Ask for a receipt and be done with it.

We’ve always paid private tour guides and drivers in Italy in cash. Much ado about nothing.

If you're not comfortable with this, find another guide.

But with guides, it can be different. Not knowing the country or the rules, this guide may not be offering himself as a business but as an independent contractor. You are paying his daily/hourly rate.

If not a business he's not required to accept credit cards. He may also not be able to accept credit cards the way a business does. He may have to use a third party system to do this and they charge more than a bank.

Additionally, as a business he would have to pay extra business taxes. As an independent contractor, what he makes is taxed as personal income.

Lastly, he may want cash to make sure he gets paid.

This is common among guides. They can hire themselves out to tour companies or individuals and not have to operate as a business.

In the UK at least, what you describe as an independent contractor is known in employment law as a "sole trader". The business and the individual are one and the same in the eyes of the law. It may be different in other parts of Europe of course.

When I was hiring freelancers as part of my work, it was a prerequisite that they had to be sole traders or a registered company. I would send them a document outlining His Majesty's Revenue and Customs policies on tax as part of their induction, and then it was up to them what they did with the money they invoiced for. I believe there was some potential blowback from HMRC to our business if our contractors did not comply with tax law. Everyone behaved (or didn't get caught) so I never had to deal with that. Again, a UK specific aside, things may be looser in the country we don't want to name in this thread.

The laws in said country make it a bit less appealing to just ignore than it would be in the UK. Now there's been a big thread on the internet about it, the guy's booking with you is probably a bust. Time to find another guide, although I hope other guides in the aforementioned EU country haven't read this thread. I'd probably tend to have some solidarity with fellow guides if I sussed it was the OP who went straight for the jugular with "tax-cheat" in the title.

1. I would not accuse because I just dont know.
2. I don't do business with people I suspect of being dishonest. Too many honest people need the work.
   

Whether it pays taxes or not shouldn’t be of concern since you’re not a tax person in that country. As stated, if you’re uncomfortable, take your business elsewhere.

I’ve only ever just paid private guides in cash. You meet up with them at the site or some public location that is full of tourists. Not very conducive to running a credit card transaction……

The whole community guidelines thing is moot. There is nothing illegal about paying for a legal service (registered guide) with legal tender.

This thread is ludicrous. Are any of you lawyers that can be legal counsel anywhere in Europe? Tax accountants for any country in the EU ? Look way back in the RS forums at folks who asked for simple advice or traded stories and radiated excitement for travel. Now you’ve appointed yourself as legal gadflys and enforcers to assure your vague unenforceable accusations are acted on.

Quite a revealing Rorschach test.

As someone who has spent over three decades working in the European financial services sector, I would have to say you are mistaken in your beliefs. The Euro is regulated at the EU level and it would be illegal for any member state to impose such a restriction in the single market. There are restrictions relating to MLA for the payments of amounts of 5,000 or 10,000 Euro depending on the country but not for such trivial amount.

And it is very common in Europe for small business and independent contractors to specify that payments are to be in cash.

I wonder if he would accept an offer to do a wire transfer from your bank to his.

Am I being silly? Should I tell him why I'm not booking him? Should I write in to the RS guidebook dest to let them know they're promoting a tax cheat?

We have paid numerous guides in cash at the end of a tour including many tax compliant countries. If it makes you nervous move on to another guide. I don't see an issue.

Ah, wads of cash for a tour that costs 15€, or for a private tour, maybe 150-200€, that might be 2-3 bills, but not wads.

We were cash only for many years, and I kept a spread sheet and a cash book where I faithfully recorded every transaction. I am appalled that anyone would think I was a tax cheat because we only took cash. You would be appalled if I told you how much money we had to pay in taxes every year.
Small businesses pay substantial fees to take credit cards, so cut them some slack if they prefer cash.

It seems that some readers misunderstand the issue here. The issue is that the law of the country in question states that for amounts > €60 a business must accept card payments. They can demand cash only payments for amounts up to €60.
That the business must allow card payments for amounts of €60 and higher, doesn’t mean that one isn’t allowed to pay an amount of, for instance, €1000 in cash. It’s indeed perfectly legal to pay that amount in cash. But for such an amount it isn’t legal for the business to only accept a cash payment. The country in question isn’t restricting cash payments for trivial amounts, they restrict cash payments higher than €5000.
For payments between €60 and €5000 the customer must be given a choice to pay by card or in cash.
A business that only accepts cash payments is breaking the law if the amount is > €60.

How many readers shop at church or other holiday boutiques in the US that don't remit sales taxes? Do you drive over your state border to buy liquor? Do you pay sales tax on clothing bought in another state? Do you ever pay a contractor or cleaning lady with cash? What's the point of enforcing tax collection for a country you're in for two weeks in your lifetime? Unless you are in a ministry or other "moral" promoting profession. Does your college invest in Private Equity or Hedge Funds?

I think you need to define "Merchant" a tour guide may not fall into this category as defined by the law. I think you read something and may have a limited understanding of the words/terms used.

Dutch_traveler, Read Frank II’s post.

In Italy, the guides must be licensed, so I'm assuming the guides are registered as businesses.
And if it's the guide that I suspect, the amount involved is several hundred euros, quite pricey. We contacted him initially, and when we received a quote well above 500 euros, and declined, he was less than gracious. He does receive glowing feedback here, and flatly told us he's worth every euro. Many folks here have agreed. We went with another guide.
Safe travels!

Pat, that's the RS factor. So, with those rates, I suspect he could afford a credit card machine? LOL .... I wouldn't use him because he's a RS guide. The whole cash and tax thing I am on the fence about. Sounds fishy, but I just dont know.

In Italy, the guides must be licensed, so I'm assuming the guides are registered as businesses.

Not necessarily.

And why is everyone assuming it's Italy. Did I miss something?

“This thread is ludicrous”. Agree 100%.

Susan, now i have to agree too.....

Yup, got a little ludicrous about 6 posts up.

Ludicrously fascinating read.

He/she wants payment in cash, I doubt the law can require them to work for you. Even if the law says they must give you the option of not paying cash they can simply just choose not to work for you if you don't pay cash.
It seems like an impractical law that would be difficult to enforce.

So I did a little checking, and read up on this new law in Italy (effective as of January 2023), that fines merchants who refuse to accept credit payments above €60 (it used to be only €30 and Italy raised it in January, which makes the original post outdated). There is also no evidence that violation of that law is a criminal act. In fact, the law says that the penalty for violation is a fine.

The key word here, though, is "merchants." Is a guide considered a merchant? I would think not, since in almost every legal document I have ever read, a merchant is someone who buys and sells goods. A guide, on the other hand, sells services. None of the articles I read about this new law indicated in any way that it applied to service-oriented professions. Most referred to merchants, and a few to retailers. That doesn't mean it doesn't apply, but my whole point here is the lack of clear evidence.

As Scudder mentioned, the €5000 law is also in effect and applies to everyone; not just sellers, but anyone making any cash transactions in Italy. That was also raised against the EU's wishes, as they are trying to get Italy on the cashless bandwagon. But unlike the other law noted above, violation of this law subjects both parties--the payor and the payee to sanctions.

I can't think of a reason why it wouldn't apply to someone selling services rather than physical goods. That would seem to me like a loophole big enough to drive a truck through, making the very existence of the law fairly pointless. I'm not suggesting for a moment it applies in this case, but these laws aren't just to tackle tax evasion. They're also anti-money laundering. Running a business that is cash-heavy or exclusively cash is a good way to clean up dirty money.

If your Italian tour guide didn't ask to be paid in cash you wouldn't be getting the full cultural experience.

Mardee- When I ran my business, in which I sold only my services, my credit card service contract defined me as the 'merchant'. I don't know how this other country's laws define it, or how that got translated into English language reporting, but it probably is a stretch to imagine that providers of goods vs services are treated differently by these rules.

If you're Italian tour guide didn't ask to be paid in cash you wouldn't be getting the full cultural experience.

Ha!!

Have you ever noticed that in Italy you will always get a paper receipt for every transaction? Even a coffee in a bar will generate one. That is another, similar law. It may seem ludicrous to Americans, but Italy actually also has "financial police" who have been known to question people about whether they were given a receipt after a purchase and make unannounced appearances at businesses to watch how merchants process transactions. In a country with a long history of extortion and money laundering, you can't fault them for their efforts to clean that up, however ineffective they may be. Clearly the guide who will only accept cash is attempting to evade the system. Whether you take his side or not is up to your own compass I guess.

So if he/she says cash only and you say no I want to use credit card, law says I can. He/she says go find another guide then! What will the law do about that?

This thread is giving me a headache! I do want to add, as someone who worked in banking for nearly forty years, we have a law in the US analogous to the "over 5000 euros" law. Banks and any financial institutions were required, by law, to file a Large Currency Transaction Report, whether someone, individual or business, was depositing $10,000.00 in cash or withdrawing it or exhanging it for other denominations. It was a way to prevent money laundering, and it was effective after the law took effect. We were also to be on the lookout for a "structured transaction," or a pattern of structured transactions. These were transacions under the $10,000.00 limit ((e.g. $9900.00) made in an effort to skirt the law. I don't know what the penalty would be for failing to report structured transactions.
There was a special form for reporting structured/suspicious transactions as well. Banks could face big fines for failing to report LCTs. It always amazed me how naive people could be when they made several $9900.00 deposits per month. Bankers and the FBI aren't stupid.
Anyway, my guess is the 5000 euro amount is for more than taxes. Money laundering and ill-gotten gains (drugs, etc.) are often hard to track, and reporting large cash transactions, or forbidding them, is another tool for law enforcement to do their job.
There! My two centimes on this subject! (And pay the guy in cash, please.)

If you're Italian tour guide didn't ask to be paid in cash you
wouldn't be getting the full cultural experience.

My favourite comment of the day on this Forum, and so true. I'm reasonably sure I know the guide in question and looking back on his quote to me from last year for around €800, he mentions payment in cash, but doesn't specifically say it can't be otherwise. I guess that's up to you to ask and also insist on a receipt.

Another question on whether you would use a cash only business if you're suspicious. In Venice 5 years ago our hotel offered a 20% discount if we paid in cash, that was about a €250 savings. Heck ya I paid cash even while wondering if the money made it to the books. Would you avoid that hotel just because you think it may not pay the taxman? The hotel has been recommended many times on this forum.

And l find this post fascinating for the varying opinions its generating.

Mardee, if you look at her profile, has a legal background. So, while hers is not a legal opinion as such, it is written with a legal understanding of the terminology and background.

There seems to be a simple mis-understanding here, which does not justify the use of the pejorative "tax cheat" and the threat to report to Rick and try to remove business from him.

I have been reading this thread and frankly find that opinion disgusting, and the OP's behaviour to be tantamount to bullying. The OP is determined not to use cash. For whatever reason the guide prefers cash. To try to get your way by using law to bludgeon your wish is not helpful IMO.

If I was the guide in question I would not now provide my services to you, given this attitude. What other mis guided grief am I going to get from you afterwards?
The professional relationship has broken down too far, IMO
Ultimately he is the service provider and you are the customer. You don't like his terms of business, then move on, or comply and pay cash. And, frankly, apologise for having gone public like this.
But furthermore, if I was the guide, it would not be unreasonable of me, having had such unproven (some might say libellous) allegations made, to inform my fellow guides of your identity- let them decide whether they are interested in helping you. You may have made it very hard to get the services you need due to obstinancy.

isn31c spot on.

isn31c, So very well said. My sentiments exactly, from the get go. I said as such way upthread and the webmaster deleted my post.

Ponygirl, it’s not the law in Italy that many of us find ludicrous, it is the OP’s original post and position.

Mardee, well done. As always.

Mr E, glad you do.

I think a lot of people have gotten rather carried away with a post I made that was meant more to ponder a thought than try an accused.

It's interesting to hear that the webmaster removed comments up-thread. While some people's interjections would be easy to read as bordering on mean or personal attacks, I'd chosen to read them more charitably, knowing how this medium can lack nuance.

isn31c, Thanks for pointing out that Madree has a legal background. I knew, from her other posts in the forum, that I appreciated her presence. Now I know that she and I are kindred in our former professions.

I haven't read all the replies, but have a few thoughts based on those I did read.

• If the guide is in the RS guidebook, I'm sure he's very reliable and well qualified and I wouldn't hesitate to book his services, cash or not.
• If he's "spoken very highly of in these forums", he's probably an excellent guide. If you want a top notch and very informative and memorable tour, I'm sure he will provide that.
• I think it's wrong to assume that he's a "tax cheat" simply because he prefers cash. He may like cash simply as there's less paperwork, and he doesn't have to pay the 3-5% commission to the credit card company. There could be perfectly reasonable reasons he wants cash.

As I wrote above, we paid all our Italian private guides in cash and received receipts for each one.

Your posts are usually insightful with good information, so I was shocked by this "pondering" even if the title was mitigated by the word "suspected." I don't think responders have overreacted.

You did out and out call the person a tax cheat, without proof, in your last sentence, "they're promoting a tax cheat.". Wow.

Just because you pay cash does not mean you cannot get a receipt. They are not exclusive from each other.

So many assumptions without any evidence,

A guide is offering services.

A guide, in general, does not have to be licensed in Italy. (If they do, Rick Steves will be in trouble because some of his guides are not licensed.) However, certain areas in Italy require guides to be licensed.

Just because someone is a guide and may be licensed doesn't mean he has a business. He could offer his services as an independent contractor or freelancer. If so, business rules don't apply.

If the above, and he wants to accept credit cards, he will have to use a third party service online which costs more than it would for a business. (Banks don't like to offer credit card services to non-businesses.) It's easier, and more lucrative for him, to only take cash.

But that doesn't mean he's not paying taxes.

If you want a receipt ask ahead of time. If he says no, then I might be skeptical.

There is no proof this guide is doing anything illegal. It seems many people on this board are making assumptions and jumping to conclusions.

And you know what happens when you assume. You make an A*** of U and ME.

If you think Scudder was jumping to incorrect assumptions ... explain why. Nicely and without making it personal.

Suspected tax cheat tour guide?

--why is he being accused of a crime just because he asked for cash?

I suspected, and have since confirmed, that requiting cash payment for more than 20-30 euros is illegal in that country

Are you sure that law applies to him? I think that's only for businesses and the guide may not operate as a business.

Should I write in to the RS guidebook dest to let them know they're promoting a tax cheat?

--can you prove it. Are you saying everyone who wants to be paid in cash is a tax cheat?

And then everyone else followed with their own assumptions and interpretations.

The poor guide, who probably hasn't done anything wrong, is being dragged through the mud.

Wouldn't it have been simpler to say you are thinking of hiring a recommended tour guide who wants to be paid in cash. Is that normal? Should I be wary of anything?

Mardee- When I ran my business, in which I sold only my services, my credit card service contract defined me as the 'merchant'. I don't know how this other country's laws define it, or how that got translated into English language reporting, but it probably is a stretch to imagine that providers of goods vs services are treated differently by these rules.

Perhaps and perhaps not. My whole point is that we do not really know - and neither does Scudder. In my opinion, it would be an unkind act to report this person without SOLID evidence that he is committing a crime, and I'm not sure there's any way of finding out without contacting an Italian attorney. I'm licensed in two states in the US but I certainly would not consider myself qualified to make a decision. I'm just giving this information to show that no one here really knows what the law is.

I don't think Scudder is unkind and I really hope he will leave it alone.

Frank II you disagree with me all the time. Always with class and respect

Hold the replies for a minute - I've run out of popcorn.

Frank II you disagree with me all the time. Always with class and respect

I was thinking the same about you.

But I don't always disagree with you. If I have no knowledge of a subject, I stay quiet.

Thank you sir.

Actually, guides in Italy DO have to be licensed and they have to wear their badges in full view.
A person who travels with a group is an accompagnateur, someone who manages logistics, not necessarily a licensed guide. That said, these accompagnateurs are sometimes licensed guides. If they aren't, they can still share information and have studied as much as a licensed guide, but they aren't officially guides.
I'm leaving soon with a French group for Rome. We have a French accompagnateur leaving from Paris with us and a local guide meeting us in Rome.

OP asked if he/she was "being silly". So, I cannot be mean when I answer "YES". (in my opinion.)

Either do business with the guide or do not.

I have had the same woman cut my hair for 4 years on. She only accepts cash. She always does a good cut. She fits me in on short notice. And she is easy on the conversation. I have never asked her if she stuffs the cash in a coffee can, mattress, or bank account. Why do I need to know?

Should you write to Rick to tell him that you’ve appointed yourself the tax inspector for that country? Unless you’ve audited this man’s tax returns, you don’t know if they are cheating the government and making accusations without facts is defamation. Would you like them to write Rick to point out that one of their posters is defaming them?

Most independent guides use cash and it’s not all about cheating the tax guy. It’s about keeping costs low. If you use a credit card, the credit card company takes part of the money it’s not a free service. I’m glad you’ve decided that the fee isn’t a lot but of course it’s not coming out of your pay😔

I took a tour with London walks last month, everybody on the tour paid the guide in cash. They are a a well-known company and they’re committing tax fraud and it’s our job to turn them in? No I don’t know if they’re committing tax fraud I’m not going to worry about it. That’s the British authorities problem not a busybody in the United States.

As someone who used to have a job collecting taxes, This is hardly something that would’ve even raised the flag when you called to turn it in.

In a lot of countries, tax evasion is a national pastime. I suggest you never step foot in Italy. People on here seem to think that’s where you’re going and I expect you’re going to be very upset as you try to enforce your standards

Oh, and you probably want to quit using your local dry cleaner. I grew up in the business. There’s not a dry cleaner in the United States that isn’t hiding money from the government.😂

Maybe in Italy....you aren't innocent until proven guilty?

I don't know of the guide in question, but apparently who he is, is knowable. Words may not break bones, but they can break a business.
I just ran into a thread on this forum from June about a private driver in Italy that wanted cash only. Dario felt that it was for "tax cheating". It was also stated that if you receive a receipt with the guides VAT number, he isn't cheating. So perhaps you could ask the prospective guide if you will receive a receipt with the VAT number.

Calling a person a "tax-cheat" without full understanding of the situation and when the person in question is knowable seems unethical to me. And isn't your concern that the other guy is being unethical?

Maybe this thread will have the same life as traveling through the alphabet.

There are many reasons the guide might require payment in cash. You have no proof that the guide is a tax cheat -- only a suspicion. You are certainly entitled to your opinon and / or suspicion. But if your moral or ethical feelings are such that you think you would be aiding or abetting tax evasion, or the breaking of some rules or regulations, then just don't deal with the guide. No need to ask us for advice about a moral or ethical dilemma that only you can decide.

For a person who says cash only, no problem. Half up front, the other half at the end. I also want a receipt. If they say no to 50-50 and no to a receipt, run Forrest run!!! Any legit business will give a receipt and will do 50-50.

In some countries, Hungary for instance, a receipt is a matter of law. It's evidence for the VAT taxation system. In Hungary when they cheat its 27% VAT and 15% income they are avoiding (its how they make the Healthcare free). I haven't run into any circumstance that I was suspicious of yet... I tend to think the best of folks.

Okay, so what if the cash winds up being counterfeit? Now there’s a whole new twist to what’s right, and who’s the victim or the perpetrator.

For a person who says cash only, no problem. Half up front, the other half at the end. I also want a receipt. If they say no to 50-50 and no to a receipt, run Forrest run!!! Any legit business will give a receipt and will do 50-50.

This thread is getting even more stupid. No one had talked about receipts.

What some people on this forum need to understand is that trust goes both ways. If you really want to do 50:50 then pay the other 50% at the start of the day. Why should anyone trust YOU to pay at the end of the day- rather than do a runner or try to dispute the services provided at the end of the day.
But quite bluntly why should any business owner/guide (whatever word you want to use) trust you not to be a no-show and to have wasted their time?

My advise to any guide or business faced with that request is "Run,Forrest, Run".

Good luck with paying any airline or transit company or even RS tours on a 50:50 basis.

I talked about asking for a receipt about fifty answers ago and repeated it subsequently, isn31.

All our private, licensed guides in Italy gave us receipts for cash payments.

Suspicion never crossed my mind. Certainly this guide with a well-known business and media savvy is not stupid enough to cut corners. OTOH, he's probably experienced enough bamboozling by clients over the decades that he just wants cold cash. Euros, not dollars, yen, rubles, dracmas.

Why not see if the guide will take Bitcoin? Or Travelers Checks?

If the guide still insists on cash, then we know...

1) He's probably a tax cheat;

2) He could be sending money to terrorist groups;

3) He's helping to finance the Russian campaign in Ukraine;

4) He's controlled by the Mafia. Or he could be the Capo di Tutti i Capi of a vast guide syndicate. Couldn't the gestures the guides make, with the idea of them pointing things out to us, really be secret hand signals to other guides? Do we really know what those little flags mean when guides use them to supposedly make it easier for the tour participants to follow them?

5) He thought you could help him launder money for South American drug cartels.

It never would have occurred to me that he is just trying to make a living and dealing with cash is easiest so that he gets paid with as little hassle as possible.

But then the guide has never had to deal with the "Rick Steves Travel Forum Police." Even Interpol wishes they were as powerful.

One warning....if you hire the guide and find yourself followed, don't worry. They are probably members of the Guardia di Financia (the Finance Police) who are already on to this masterful criminal.

To show trust, i pay the second half first ... then when the tour is complete he gets the first half.

How about we give the WEBMASTER a break. I would hate for RS to stop running this TRAVEL forum because it has become more effort for them to screen and delete posts.

I am assuming that all of you who live in the United States, and are so busy enforcing tax laws and foreign countries have turned in every every waiter you’ve ever had dinner with for failure to report a cash tip. Do you ask them to give you a receipt so that you can send it to the IRS saying you know on June 12 I gave this guy $20 make sure he turns it in. 😂

Seriously. Some of you have spent way too much time on this and it’s just ludicrous. I started my career working for a state department of revenue. Trust me, we would not have given this near the attention that some people have given it. 😂

"To show trust, i pay the second half first ... then when the tour is complete he gets the first" half. - Ha, Mr É is really Groucho Marx.

"How about we give the WEBMASTER a break" - It's almost Christmas. How much more time does he need off?

"Maybe this thread will have the same life as traveling through the alphabet." - Calvados, we can only dream.

Gunderson, 🤣🤣🤣

Maybe at Christmas we forgive the tax cheats, the Pharisees, busybodies, the opinionated and so on. PLEASE………

Wow! What a detour from the post. Cash is fine for FINAL payment. I don't feel I should police the tax adherence of anyone in any country. Unless it is by credit card, I see no reason to pay 100% up front. Paying cash up front just seems to put the buyer in a "no recourse" position if something should go wrong.

There seems to be such a sympathetic attitude from some people about those who choose to be guides or have a group tour business. This is their chosen field of work. Why shouldn't tax laws and business practices apply to them as it does to other businesses. They have chosen to do this for either a living or to supplement their income. Why should they be given all this reverence and different excused ways of running a business. If RS demands 100% payment before the tour, that is his call. If he demanded it in CASH, he would get a huge push back from customers who would be reluctant to do so.

If someone demands cash up front, you have reason to be a little cautious. If final payment afterward is demanded in cash, no problem. That's up to the guide and their tax officials. As someone mentioned, tipping in cash probably does not get reported. Most likely it doesn't and because it doesn't, guess who makes up the revenue shortages on unreported income? True in every country.

The thread that wouldn't die. Tax cheat or not, I just don't think it is RSE's responsibility to investigate and regularly verify the business practices of the service providers they mention.

Oh well…..I guess the Pharisees will be undeterred until the tax cheats and incorrect opinions are cast asunder from the Temple (aka forum).

ENOUGH ALREADY!

"Maybe this thread will have the same life as traveling through the alphabet." - Calvados, we can only dream.

That kind of dream is usually called a nightmare.

MERRY CHRISTMAS All

(I know , an off topic comment, so sue me)

Right back at you Joe, Merry Christmas!, Happy holidays!

Tax Cheat or not - those one and done rave reviews seem awfully suspect!

Hey! Ton Up!

If you have gone on a tour booked with Viator, they send you a review request, so lots of people write a review. We all wrote our first review at some time, just like we all wrote our first post on this forum. My 1st post on the forum was about 16 years ago, which is why I now have 1000s of them. Was I suspect after my 1st post?
My company has 100s of great reviews from 1st time posters, but it doesn't mean they are suspicious. It just means people went on their 1st walking tour and enjoyed it. We all did this one time as a 1st time experience. Mine was in Berlin back in 2006. We also have bad reviews from 1st time posters. Which ones do you choose to trust? Can they all be fake or can they all be real? I know I didn't write any of them, so they must all be real. Fun fact, I can not write reviews for any other tour, even in other countries.

Well said Ms Jo.

"Hey! Ton Up!" - Watch out, Nigel, your crown just slipped one millimeter.

Merry Christmas. Off for a glass of Crémant.

A friend of mine who owns a tourism dependent business in a European city showed me an email she received. The sender was a company that provided "review services." How many hundreds of good reviews would you like? They claimed they could provide.

Sadly, there are companies that provide fake reviews for all types of tourist businesses including hotels.

What I do is throw out the one star and five star reviews and look at the others.

Five stars could be fake and the one stars could be a disgruntled customer who may be upset for a reason that would have nothing to do with you. (Or these same fake reviewers are hired to post negative reviews about the competition.)

That's why it's usually best to inquire about a travel provider on a board like this. Or for hotels, Booking.com reviews over Trip Advisor.

I can personally vouch for Ms. Jo's company.....excellent.

How about the Eagles last night!

Hey, Calvados--I am an Iggles lifer. I am not sure it is possible to play any worse than that and still win.

But to keep this on topic: Anyone following this thread ever come through Philly? And buy something from any of the numerous tables that block the sidewalks? Or from the food trucks? All cash. Is everyone on the streets here a tax cheat? ( I will ignore the issue over the years of the availability of DVDs of movies currently on their first theatrical run...)