Cashless? Can yhey do that?

[ICU 812]

I have become aware of tow local businesses that no longer accept cash. One is a small auto repair shop and the other is my dentist clinic.

The auto shop refused to take a friend's cash or check, insisting on a card of some sort for an electronic transaction. The dental clinic just sent me an e-mail saying about the same thing, but specifically referring to not taking cash.

Can they do that? I thought the bills say something like "Legal Tender For All Debts, Public and Private"

Is this legal?

[LexusLover]

Originally Posted by ICU 812

Is this legal?

They can also refuse to do business with you.

[rexdutchman]

Yes and that's what the rich elitist what ( so banks can turn off people when they don't comply )

[Unique_Carpenter]

Quite a lot of hotels do also.
It's not fun having an upset front desk clerk whose had a gun pointed at them during an armed robbery. So... the sign goes up.

[LexusLover]

Occasionally one sees/hears on the news of a home invasion with shootings involved and the focus is a business owner ....

.... they aren't there to get CC receipts.

.... some of the cash businesses related to the hobby in the Spa section get hit.

[bambino]

The IRS would like cash businesses to go away.

[LexusLover]

The IRS and state/local taxing authorities have historically had other methods of measuring cash flow and it's getting even easier as the utilities shift to laptop and internet monitoring of usage for billings. They can sit out in the street or down the block now.

[Unique_Carpenter]

Originally Posted by LexusLover

The IRS and state/local taxing authorities have historically had other methods of measuring cash flow and it's getting even easier as the utilities shift to laptop and internet monitoring of usage for billings. They can sit out in the street or down the block now.

Correct.
The nickname for that is the "Capone method". Ie: How does someone maintain a certain lifestyle without sufficient "reportable/taxable" income.

And, btw, banks will shut down customer accounts if there's a lot of cash deposits if the bank doesn't understand why. There's numourours federal rules about that, that the banks have to follow, in addition to the 10,000 rule.

[ICU 812]

Originally Posted by LexusLover

They can also refuse to do business with you.

That doesn't seem to work for businesses that refuse their services for sam-sex weddings.

[ICU 812]

Of course, in the hobby context, Cash IS king.

[gnadfly]

Originally Posted by LexusLover

They can also refuse to do business with you.

If they towed your car I would think they'd be obligated to take cash. My step sons truck was towed out of the apt complex. Scam. Not enough parking spots for the number of cars they have by many.

Took him to tow lot. Sign on the door said "Cash Only". Fee $190. He took in $200. They said "No change."

And they wonder why tow truck drivers get shot at.

[LexusLover]

Originally Posted by ICU 812

That doesn't seem to work for businesses that refuse their services for sam-sex weddings.

Strike one!

Are you trying to pay cash for a "sam-sex wedding"?

Here's the way that scenario works .... they aren't refusing to do business with you because you want to marry another guy (I assume you are a male today anyway), they are refusing to do CASH business with you irrespective of whether you like to suck dicks or not.

[LexusLover]

Originally Posted by gnadfly

If they towed your car I would think they'd be obligated to take cash. My step sons truck was towed out of the apt complex. Scam. Not enough parking spots for the number of cars they have by many.

Took him to tow lot. Sign on the door said "Cash Only". Fee $190. He took in $200. They said "No change."

And they wonder why tow truck drivers get shot at.

... errr.... apples and oranges.

Not disparaging you and/or your son, but "tow" drivers deal with a different concentration of clientele than most businesses ... meaning a higher % of their clientele is "different" ... and they realize that someone might be able to stop payment on their credit card and/or being using a "fake" credit card stolen from someone else .... blah, blah. Bondsmen get like that.

I'm reminded of the FEMA requirements for payments to the fish/shrimp folks devastated by Katrina and the complaints from that industry on how little they were getting in the way of assistance and/or replacement for their loss of business. Their tax returns if they had any were inconsistent with their claim for the loss of business in dollars and cents.

Occasionally in small, family owned eating places when one is leaving one can see the register drawer left open during the transaction of business when in cash. No paper trail.

As for being shot at ... that's usually the repo folks....which is a good reason to comply with local LE mandates of dropping off paper with the dispatcher (or to whomever is required) showing that one is about to grab someone's ride off their property or near it .... and occasionally an officer will appear to assure all goes smoothly. I saw one of those coming down this morning early down the street .... or at least that was the appearance ... vehicle was in the driveway ... deputy scouted it ... the vehicle is still there this afternoon.

[Jacuzzme]

I cringe when a client pays with a card, the fees are ridiculous. Cash>>>Check>>>Credit is my preference. As for hotels, they want a card up front but you can pay with cash when you check out. I just did this in an upscale Manhattan hotel last week.

[LexusLover]

New York is a business expense....CC only.