Never miss a CIS deadline. Get back what you're owed.
CIS (the Construction Industry Scheme) is the HMRC scheme where contractors take tax off subcontractors' pay. If you pay subbies, we file your monthly returns and check every subbie with HMRC. If you work as one, we claim back the tax you've overpaid.
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Example screen. One month of CIS for a contractor with six subbies.
What's covered
What CIS compliance involves
Plenty of builders pay subbies and work as one too.
Paying subcontractors
- Checking each new subbie with HMRC before you pay them. HMRC tells us whether to take off 0%, 20% or 30%.
- Working out the deduction on every payment, on the labour only
- Your monthly CIS return, filed by the 19th
- A payment and deduction statement for every subbie, every month
- Telling you what to pay HMRC, and by when
- Nil returns in months you don't pay anyone
Working as a subcontractor
- Registering you for CIS, so contractors take 20% off instead of 30%
- Checking the statements contractors send you against what reached your bank
- Claiming back what you've overpaid: through your tax return if you're a sole trader, or off your PAYE bill each month if you're a limited company
- Applying for gross payment status, so nothing's taken off at all, if you qualify
Who needs this
Sound familiar?
You're doing the return at 11pm on the 18th
It's due every month, busy or not. Miss it and HMRC fines you £100 straight away, and the fines keep growing the longer it's late.
You're not sure what rate to take off
Take off too little and HMRC can make you pay the difference. Take off too much and your subbie wants to know why.
Your statements don't match your bank
Contractors send them late or with the wrong figures. If nobody checks, you can end up claiming back less than you're owed.
You wait a year for your refund
You've had 20% taken off all year. If your return isn't filed until January, the refund reaches you months later than it could have.
The process
How we do it
Send us your subbies' details once. We check each new one with HMRC before their first payment.
Send invoices over as they come in. We work out what to take off each one and what to pay.
Your return goes in on time, statements go to your subbies, and you know what to pay HMRC by the 22nd.
100%construction clients1 to 3 daysaverage turnaround
Cost
What CIS services cost
If you work as a subbie, your yearly CIS refund claim comes with every package, from £30 a month on our Tradies package (£90 for limited companies). If you pay subbies, monthly CIS returns come with our Small Subcontractors and Subcontractors / Contractors packages, and paying subcontractors adds £100 a month to those packages.
Included
Checking subbies, monthly returns, statements, nil returns and claiming back your deductions. No extra charge per subbie.
One-off extra
Applying for gross payment status costs a one-time payment of £199, or it's free with our Big Fish package.
See the full pricing page for every price, including what we never charge for.
CIS questions
What's the difference between 20% and 30%?
Subbies registered for CIS have 20% taken off. Subbies who aren't registered have 30% taken off. Subbies with gross payment status have nothing taken off. HMRC tells you which applies when you check them.
Is CIS taken off materials?
No. It's only taken off the labour on an invoice. Materials and VAT are left out. Getting this wrong is one of the most common reasons subbies overpay.
How do I get my CIS back?
If you're a sole trader, it comes back through your tax return after the tax year ends on 5 April. The sooner the return's filed, the sooner you get it. If you're a limited company, it comes off the PAYE and National Insurance your company owes each month, and anything left is claimed back after the year ends.
What's gross payment status?
It means contractors pay you in full, with no CIS taken off. Your business has to pass a turnover test and have its tax returns and payments in on time for the past 12 months. For a sole trader the turnover test is £30,000 of construction work a year, not counting VAT and materials. We check whether you qualify and apply for you.
Do I have to file if I didn't pay anyone this month?
Yes, unless you've told HMRC you won't be paying subbies for a while. Otherwise you file a nil return, and a late one can still bring a penalty. We keep track of it for you.
Stop losing an evening a month to CIS.
Returns filed on time, every subbie checked, statements sent, and your own deductions claimed back.
Free.No contact details needed.
"Great prices. Been using their services for years now and they've always been really helpful with any questions I'm unsure of, always fast with the tasks I need completing, all around great accountants."
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