If you’re a self-employed tradie — a plumber, sparkie, chippy, or mechanic — you’ve probably had a customer say,
“Can you do it for cash, mate? Skip the Tax?”
It sounds easy, doesn’t it? No invoice, no tax, a quick bit of extra money in your hand.
And in the moment, it feels like you’ve come out ahead.
But here’s the uncomfortable truth most tradies don’t see: every cash job that goes “off the books” is actually chipping away at the value of your business.
Those hidden payments might help you dodge a bit of tax today, but they’re destroying your credibility, shrinking your profits on paper, and slashing your business’s future sale price.
When it comes time to apply for a loan, expand, or sell up — that hidden cash in business pocketed doesn’t count. It’s invisible.
And in business, if it’s not recorded, it doesn’t exist.
So let’s break down how cash jobs might feel smart today, but are quietly making your business worth less tomorrow — and what you can do instead.
The Illusion of Easy Money
It’s easy to understand the temptation. Cash feels good — it’s immediate, tangible, and no one’s watching.
But that instant gratification hides a long-term problem.
When you skip the invoice and pocket the money, you’re also skipping the opportunity to prove that income later.
Every job you don’t record is a piece of evidence missing from your financial story — and that story is exactly what lenders, investors, and buyers rely on to measure your business’s success.
In short, you might think you’re earning more, but you’re really proving less.
What Hidden Cash in business Really Means
“Hidden cash” doesn’t just mean taking money under the table.
It includes:
- Failing to declare full income in your BAS or tax returns
- Skipping invoices for “quick jobs”
- Mixing business cash with personal spending
- Avoiding income tax through unreported work
Every unrecorded dollar makes your business look smaller and riskier — even if you’re working harder than ever.
To everyone else (the bank, the ATO, a future buyer), that hidden cash simply doesn’t exist.
And that invisibility comes at a big cost.