Getrude - certainly not the worst plan in the world.
Given that you can usually double your instructors take home pay if you slip him a tenner every hour it might be highly cost effective to do so. Having an instructor who is putting in 100% effort rather than - say 75% - for you can make all the difference. Certainly if it saves you even a partialing of the skilltest then it would pay for itself...
Actually that might be thw way of the future. Schools set up where you pay - say £1 - an hour for their instructors time. To get around the NMW instructors could set themselves up as some kind of contractor. The instructor would end up paying no tax, might be able to claim some benefit, the school would reduce their NI contributions. All on the understanding that a bundle of tenners is exchanged in the car park.
Everyones a winner except the tax man.
Working for tax free cash is endemic in other practical service industries - ask any plumber/sparky/chippy/gardener/window cleaner/builder/plasterer/decorator/odd-job man...
Cheers
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