Meaning & use
pay on the books
Last updated
Meaning
phraseidiombusinessfinance
To pay someone officially through company records, with taxes and legal reporting.
Grammar: Used as a verb phrase: 'pay someone on the books' or 'be paid on the books'.
Patterns
- pay someone on the books
- be paid on the books
- pay on the books
The company pays all its employees on the books to avoid legal problems.
If you pay workers on the books, you must withhold taxes.
She insisted on being paid on the books, not in cash.
Common combinations
- pay someone on the books
- They pay their nanny on the books and file the proper tax forms.
- be paid on the books
- All staff are paid on the books, so there is a clear record.
- on the books
- The transaction is on the books, so it is official.
- off the books
- He was paid off the books, which is illegal.
Synonyms and how they differ
- officially
- This adverb describes the manner of payment; 'on the books' is the specific phrase for official payroll.
- legally
- Similar in meaning but broader; 'on the books' focuses on being recorded in company accounts.
Opposites
Word family
- on the books phrase
- Recorded officially, as in 'The deal is on the books.'
Commonly confused: pay on the books or off the books?
pay on the books vs off the books
The opposite: paid secretly without records or taxes. 'On the books' means officially recorded.
Practice
What does it mean to pay someone on the books?
Choose one answer.
'Pay on the books' means to pay officially through company records, with taxes. 'Off the books' is the opposite, meaning secret and untaxed.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “pay on the books”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.