http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/shortcuts/2012/may/15/what-can-you-buy-just-with-1p-and-2p What can you pay for with 1p and 2p coins? Not an £800 tax bill … A care home manager has been fined £1,118.62 after he settled an £804 debt to his accountant with five crates of mostly 1p and 2p coins. He had been to the bank especially, he said: be glad that you weren't behind him in the queue. So what did Robert Fitzpatrick, the care home manager, do wrong?
This has always been an interesting subject to me, mostly because of the common misconceptions about the law. A lot of people think if they go to their local grocery store and attempt to pay the cashier $200 in pennies that they are obligated to accept it. Not true, because they can simply refuse to serve you. However, if you are in debt to someone, be it a person or an organization, and you make an attempt to pay your debt in pennies and they tell you to pack sand, you might just be free and clear on your debt.
Well, honestly besides the law, paying a large tax bill with pennies comes off as passive aggression anyways. Just pay your bill by check, electronically or with larger denominations, no need to be a edited about it with a ton of pennies I say!
I love these stories! The fine is a little ridiculous though..... wonder if he'll decide to pay it in hundreds of individual 20p transactions
This law is one of those bits of knowledge that everyone in the UK knows, and loves to spout out if the opportunity arises.
