receipts

[hannajadem]

This is a simple situation which has escalated into a really complicated one. I rent a desk in a salon and only myself and the owner work there as two seperate businesses. I have a writen contract but absolutely no receipts have been given to me for rent since I started in November. I feel so stupid for leaving it this long, I have been paying by cheque since the start of the financial year so at least I have some proof.
The manager is so disorganised it's unbelievable. I used to ask for receipts weekly but there is always some excuse as to why she hasn't done them, eg. Her car has broken down, kids are ill, funeral to go to etc, it's got to the point now that there are so many to write she's saying that I'm going to have to sit down with her and help her do them. She also needs to write some where I paid cash for advertising. I'm not prepared to take time out of my working week to sit down and help her write 40 receipts.
I think she has taken too much on, it's her first salon, and everything is really badly managed. The salon is still not finished 8 months later, there is no-one to answer the phone when we are both busy, I have been asking for ages to get an answerphone msg put on instead of 1571, the people that do leave a msg she never gets back to until the following day. I'm there on my own a lot and find myself taking calls from annoyed clients whose calls haven't been returned, and their her clients! I have given all my clients my mobile no, because I don't want us to be associated as one salon anymore, rather 2 seperate businesses.
Where do I stand regarding receipts? Can I withold the rent until I get them? It's mainly the things I paid in cash from last financial year I need so I can complete my tax return. Thanks for your help.x

 

[persianista]

Does it say in your contract that she will give you a receipt? I know she should anyway, but it is an extra lever.

It may help if you give her a list of dates and amounts that she needs to issue a receipt for. The actual receipts would then only take her 20 mins to write out.

 

[jotommo]

if its just for your accounts it shouldn't really be a big deal if you have apid by cheque as there is your proof.. it will be on all you bank statements.
sounds like she a nightmare though.... x

 

[hannajadem]

Thanks for the repiles. I took all my accounts stuff in with me to the salon 2 days ago, but the manager was 'having a clearout', which took nearly all day. I went to the Post Office lunch time and saw some receipt books, phoned her on my mobile and asked if she needed one (hint), to which she replied that no, she didn't have one, pick it up and she'll pay me back. (One of the reasons that she gave me for not giving them was because she couldn't get into town to buy a receipt book).
I took her the book, and she said that she couldn't use it because there was no duplicate. There was a conterfoil attached, like in a chequebook, which I pointed out, and she said that she'd have to take the book back becasue she's 'not used to working that way' and get the book she'd seen in town originally.
I went in today and the book was still sitting there. She went out for 3 hours this morning, to have a psychic reading. I'm starting to get a little peed off.

I would also like to ask (sorry I'm going off topic again) if anyone else who rents has to dispose of their own waste. She told me today that for the last 8 months (since she opened) she's been taking a black bin bag home containing all salon waste and now our council have switched to black boxes for card, food etc, she's not happy to keep doing it because her husband works for the council and says they'll start checking the black bags. (I wasn't aware she was doing this btw, I assumed the rubbish was collected by the council from the salon). She's told me that I'll have to start taking all my rubbish home with me. I asked what she's doing with her used wax strips etc and she said that she'd be taking it to the council tip, which I'm sure is for residential waste only(?)
I would have thought that waste disposal would have been included in my rent, or is this the norm? Am I going to have to get a contractor to collect my little metal bin's worth of used couch roll and lint free wipes every week? Does anyone know how much this would cost roughly?
Sorry to go completely off topic, but my brain is completely fried to the point where I can't concentrate on my work anymore because I'm too busy worrying about other things.
Please can someone advise, does anyone know if I'd be unreasonable in stopping my rent payment until I get all the receipts?

 

[trozzina]

Hi Hannah,

Does sound like she's a nightmare.....

Anyway, she doesn't have to give you a separate receipt for each week so it really isn't a big deal for her to write one out. Just one sheet of headed paper with £x amount from this date to that date for a total of £xx is more than enough. As someone else said, if you paid by cheque or have your own record that's enough for you to put through as your expenses. Whether she's declaring it as income is another matter but frankly not your problem.

I don't know if it depends on area and local councils but ours doesn't collect from businesses and any business has to pay a private company to collect it. Crazy when you think of the thousands we pay in rates, but there you go. You can just pay for a collection when you need it or just monthly or quarterly. Ask your neighbours which company they use. It would be worth joining forces with your lady there (if you can bear to) and splitting the cost as she definitely shouldn't be taking it to the tip.

Hope that helps

 

[EMMA AT ELITE]

Instead of getting reciepts for each weeks rent, why dont you buy a rent book (W H Smiths)?
You fill in the date, amount given, give her the rent a get her to sign in the box to prove you have! Simple.

 

[jes]

Hi,
You will need these receipts should you have a tax inspection. HMRC will let you get away with one of two, small value, missing receipts but there's no way you would get away with a whole years worth of rent missing.

I can't see no reason why she can't write you receipts... apart from the very obvious one!!! It might be worth seeing her reaction to you suggesting that you'll have to contact HMRC for advice:twisted:

In the mean time I wouldn't pay any more rent. Tell her you'll pay by invoice (which is as good as a receipt as long as your bank statement backs it up) until all receipts are issued

I would also like to ask (sorry I'm going off topic again) if anyone else who rents has to dispose of their own waste. She told me today that for the last 8 months (since she opened) she's been taking a black bin bag home containing all salon waste and now our council have switched to black boxes for card, food etc, she's not happy to keep doing it because her husband works for the council and says they'll start checking the black bags. (I wasn't aware she was doing this btw, I assumed the rubbish was collected by the council from the salon). She's told me that I'll have to start taking all my rubbish home with me. I asked what she's doing with her used wax strips etc and she said that she'd be taking it to the council tip, which I'm sure is for residential waste only(?)
I would have thought that waste disposal would have been included in my rent, or is this the norm? Am I going to have to get a contractor to collect my little metal bin's worth of used couch roll and lint free wipes every week? Does anyone know how much this would cost roughly?

Putting commercial and clinical waste into domestic waste is illegal and there's fines for anybody caught doing it.

HTH
jes

 

[hannajadem]

Hi geeks, thank yu for the replies, put my mind at rest a bit.
I'm not psychic but I know if I suggest a rent book or invoice I'll probably get shot down in flames again, but if you think it's ok for me to withold the rent until i get an invoice then I may do that. It's not so much the rent I'm paying now, as I pay by cheque, thank God, it's lasts financial years' that I was naive enough to pay in cash.

I contacted the council who have said that I CANNOT take it to the civic amenity site (fancied dropping her in it at the same time), but they can provide me with trade waste sacks I have to go in and buy for small amounts which I can dispose of at my leisure at no extra cost, so that's taken a weight off my mind. Would have thought something like this would be included in my rent, but it says nothing about waste in my contract, and has never been discussed verbally at all for 8 months until now.
I've learned some good lessons here:- anyone else reading this please don't make the same mistakes as me, no matter how much you trust someone!

 

[EMMA AT ELITE]

Hi Hannah,
Dont suggest a rent book or invoice just do it! You buy it & as you hand over your rent to her get her to sign it.
By suggesting it, it gives her chance to avoid doing it, if she says anything when you ask her to sign, say something like "I have been advised my my accountant/ tax people that I need proof of my rent so you will have to sign this to prove I have paid my rent.
Surely if she rents the salon she has some prove from her landlord of payment! = You need the same.
Why is she being so difficult?!

Regarding the waste issue - I think you also can take it to the tip/dump yourself, pay £x amount per bag & get a reciept.

I really feel for you, hun.
It must be a horrible atmosphere at work too.
Are you looking for work elsewhere? x

 

[hannajadem]

Thanks emma, so if I understand you correctly, I should buy a rent book, enter all last year's dates and get her to sign it? Like I said, I've been paying by cheque since the start of the financial year, so I could get away without those.
I'm not looking for somewhere else yet, but I am going to put feelers out. I have no contacts in this industry locally, whereas the owner has loads. I know nothing about rentals and don't claim too but from what I've seen so far, neither does she. The place justs needs a good manager cos she is actually quite a good therapist

 

[EMMA AT ELITE]

Yes, you could do that - I cant see how this could/would be a problem.

I would still get a rent book even if you are paying by cheque, it just makes it easier to see week-by-week or month-by-month payments.

I would get yourself a few rent books & fill one out for last year & have another one starting from this tax year.

In the rent book I used to get (A6 blue cover) it has chart that you fill out, one of the boxes was "type of payment" so you could just fill that in as cheque or cash where needed.

I rent a beauty room (4 years (next week) where I am now, 3 1/2 years place prior) so have learnt a little along my way, if you ever need any questions answered etc I more than happy to give it a go! x x

 

[hippy-chick]

why not do a print out,

do rent for the following periods

date: amount: cheque no:
1/1/10
1/2/10
1/3/10
etc


signed:
Salon Owner

You could get a full year on one page.
Actually I've just realised that as I pay direct debit into my landlady's account I haven't got any receipts, so I shall be doing this for a full year and get her to sign at the bottom for my accounts.

 

[SusanEvian]

Looks like you may have to write your own receipts....

Thanks emma, so if I understand you correctly, I should buy a rent book, enter all last year's dates and get her to sign it? Like I said, I've been paying by cheque since the start of the financial year, so I could get away without those.
I'm not looking for somewhere else yet, but I am going to put feelers out. I have no contacts in this industry locally, whereas the owner has loads. I know nothing about rentals and don't claim too but from what I've seen so far, neither does she. The place justs needs a good manager cos she is actually quite a good therapist