Working off the books

amother

Royalblue

Tue, Jun 27 2017, 2:25 pm

How does working off the books work out when it's time to buy a home and prove income? When it's time for social security? When an elder needs Medicare? I understands how it can work for someone short term, but to do that for decades, well it just seems like something that's going to end up ruining them. So why do people do it LONG TERM (not for a few years, but for majority of their working years).

amother

Orange

Wed, Jun 28 2017, 4:04 am

I don't know the answer, but I have been shocked by how openly people talk about this in the Jewish community, as if it's a legitimate choice. I once met a lady from my country and we decided to go for a coffee, during which she asked me whether my husband works on or off the books, as if it was as normal as asking which shul we daven in or whether we own or rent our apartment.

My husband and I have wondered about this couple and others like them often. It seemed as if this particular husband worked very part time, yet they can afford a cleaner, after school babysitter three times a week in spite of the wife not working and three children currently in school.

My husband works a regular salaried job with a salary higher than the average for our city. I worked until I had my first child and still do a few hours here and there (on the books ;-) )
We haven't got a cleaner, never had a babysitter and in September are supposed to have a child in first grade, one in pre-school plus a baby at home. Our school does not give tuition breaks for anything before first grade. The fees are reasonable, so OK. For first grade we were told we should apply for a tuition break, which we did, but they only offered a small break which we can't afford, so we are having to send our child to public school.

It makes me feel like we can never be a part of the community, because we don't know how to play the system and fit in like other people seem to.

groovy1224

Wed, Jun 28 2017, 7:02 am

I guess the same way a SAHM would deal with these things? On the books, they have one income. That's the number they put down whe n applying for a home loan.
I would assume that most people working off the books are more concerned with their immediate financial situation rather than their future one

amother

Ginger

Wed, Jun 28 2017, 7:11 am

Anon because of the personal detsils. There must be something that we dont know. I tan a mikvah for years. I had a hell of a time finding workers, both attendants and cleaners, to work because we paid on the books. I used to explain to a potential employee that a mikvah has to be kosher in every aspect. The stakes are too high to fudge with mikvah. People used to tell me "do a mitzvah. Pay me in cash". They didnt want to loose their benefits. But the real peleh was how many of these women pwned houses. HUGE houses! One of the women who worked there only had one job on the books. The mikvah job, paid $50/night. Her husband is a "barber" - in their culture that means a cash job. She admittedly was 3 years unpaid on her mortgage, how it didnt go into forclosure I have no idea. I know they had a lawyer. But these women who wouldnt take the job because we paid on the books all owned houses. In NYC where its not cheap. So there must be a way to do this, to get a mortgage and not pay taxes or declare income.

amother

Orchid

Wed, Jun 28 2017, 10:15 am

amother wrote:

Forget about personal details. How can you post something like this online? (And again, I don't live in the US, but I don't understand how you can all be so careless.)

And this thread isn't even private, it's public for everyone. Though being private is just a myth anyway. Anyone can gain access if they want.