Meaning of UNDER THE TABLE and OFF THE BOOKS - A Short English Lesson with Subtitles

So in Canada like in most countries

when you have a job you have to pay taxes.

When you get your paycheck there is a certain amount

of money that goes straight to the government,

you don't see it at all.

Unless, you work under the table.

This is illegal in Canada,

but if you work under the table for someone it means

that instead of taking money off your paycheck

to send to the government to pay your income taxes,

they just give you cash.

So instead of a paycheck they just give you an envelope

with lots of 20, or 50, or $100 bills in it.

Again it is illegal to work under the table in Canada,

but there are people in Canada who work under the table

and so their boss just gives them cash

to pay them instead of giving them a paycheck.

When you work under the table though,

you usually don't make as much money

as you would make if you had a real job.

We have another phrase, off the books.

And this means something very very similar.

When somebody keeps something off the books,

it means they do not write down what they've done.

So sometimes when you get paid under the table,

you can also say that you are getting paid off the books.

So the person who is paying you does not write down

that they paid you,

and they don't put it into their computer.

So, when you work under the table it means

that you get paid cash.

That means they actually give you money

as bills instead of giving you a paycheck.

And when someone does something off the books,

it means that they do not write it down,

or enter it into a computer.

Anyways, Bob the Canadian here

and you're learning English with me.

It's Friday today.

I'm going home from work soon

and I hope that you have a good weekend

and I hope I have a good weekend too.

See ya on Monday.