off the books

USAGE SUMMARY

"off the books" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe an arrangement that is not officially recognized or is not in accordance with the law, especially one involving money or an employment relationship. For example, "He was paid off the books for the work he did."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

49 human-written examples

"People will go off the books.

The New York Times

More people will hire off the books entirely".

The New York Times

After that, it is taken off the books.

The New York Times

But the forces pushing people to work off the books are powerful.

The New Yorker

Most mortgages, for example, are securitised, taking them off the books of the originating banks.

The Economist

How many people work off the books and owe back taxes?

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

11 human-written examples

Off-the-books campaign financing is illegal, but common.

The Economist

As the ABC series "Scandal" suggests, there's a fascination with off-the-books problem solving.

The New York Times - Arts

Each source of power comes with its own risks and off-the-books costs.

The New York Times

"Too much off-the-books work is not good for the social contract," Venkatesh says.

The New Yorker

"Most of it comes from off-the-books financing," he said.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

In formal legal writing, consider more precise terms like "undeclared income" or "unreported labor" unless you are intentionally using the idiom for descriptive effect.

Common error

Do not confuse "off the books" with "off the record". While both involve secrecy, "off the books" relates to accounting and money, whereas "off the record" relates to communication and journalism, meaning information that should not be publicly attributed.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "off the books" typically functions as an adverbial phrase or a predicative adjective. According to Ludwig AI, it modifies how an action is performed (e.g., "working "off the books"") or describes the status of a transaction (e.g., "the arrangement was "off the books"").

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

75%

Formal & Business

15%

Wiki

10%

Less common in

Science

0%

Academia

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "off the books" is a robust and widely used idiom in English, essential for describing the underground economy or unrecorded financial activities. As shown in the data from Ludwig, it is most prevalent in News & Media contexts, where it describes everything from illicit campaign financing to informal labor arrangements. The phrase is grammatically versatile, functioning as both an adverb and an adjective (noting the hyphenation shift for the latter). While it often implies a degree of illegality—specifically tax evasion—it can also be used figuratively to describe anything done outside of official protocols. Users should be careful to distinguish it from "off the record" to avoid confusing financial secrecy with journalistic confidentiality.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

under the table

Highlights the illicit or secret nature of a payment, often to avoid taxes

unreported

A more literal and formal way to describe income not disclosed to authorities

unofficially

Focuses on the lack of formal sanction rather than financial secrecy

below the radar

Emphasizes avoiding detection by oversight or regulatory bodies

outside the system

Describes working or transacting beyond the reach of standard institutional frameworks

clandestinely

Adds a stronger tone of deliberate secrecy and potentially illegal behavior

in cash

Specifies the medium of payment, which is the most common way to stay unrecorded

unaccounted for

Often used when money or assets are missing from official records

behind the scenes

Suggests activity that is hidden from the public eye but not necessarily illegal

on the sly

A more colloquial and informal way to describe doing something secretly

FAQs

How do I use "off the books" in a sentence?

You can use it to describe unrecorded work or payments, for example: "Many small businesses pay temporary staff "off the books" to reduce administrative costs."

What is the difference between "off the books" and "under the table"?

While very similar, "off the books" is often used in business or accounting contexts to describe records, whereas "under the table" is more colloquial and strongly implies an illegal or shady transaction.

Is it "off the books" or "off the book"?

The correct plural form is almost always "off the books" because it refers to the multiple ledgers or financial records (books) of a company.

Can "off the books" refer to something other than money?

Yes, it can refer to anything omitted from an official list or schedule, such as an "unofficial meeting" or a task performed outside of official duties.