CIS Tax Returns · South East London
CIS tax returns in Shortlands
CIS tax returns for construction businesses in Shortlands: monthly returns for contractors at £30 a month, annual returns with refund claims for subcontractors at £149, and gross payment status applications at £199. Everything is done online and the fee is the same in Shortlands as in every other part of England.
from £30/mo · fixed, per month
Next deadlines
- VAT return and payment for the quarter that ended last month
- CIS monthly return and deduction statements to subcontractors
- PAYE and National Insurance for last month paid to HMRC (electronic)
- VAT return and payment for the quarter that ended last month
Who this is for
CIS Tax Returns for Shortlands
Construction businesses in Shortlands on either side of the scheme: sole trader and limited company subcontractors with 20% or 30% deductions to reclaim, contractors who pay subcontractors and must file monthly, businesses that do both, and established subcontractors with turnover high enough to apply for gross payment status and stop deductions altogether.
What is included
Everything inside the fixed fee
- Subcontractor verification with HMRC and the correct deduction rate (20%, 30% or gross) applied each time
- Monthly CIS300 return filed by the 19th with deduction statements issued to every subcontractor
- Subcontractor annual Self Assessment with CIS deductions reclaimed and the refund chased with HMRC
- Gross payment status application prepared with the turnover, compliance and business tests evidenced
- Domestic reverse charge VAT checked on every CIS invoice in both directions
- CIS deductions offset against PAYE for limited company subcontractors through the EPS each month
How it works
CIS Tax Returns from Shortlands, step by step
Tell us your situation
A short message or call about what you do and what needs filing. We ask the questions that determine the right package and nothing more.
Fixed fee in writing
You receive one price for the work, confirmed by email before anything starts. It does not change if the job takes longer than we expected.
Send records, review the draft
Records come by WhatsApp or email. We prepare the draft, explain the figures in plain English and answer your questions.
We file, you get the receipts
Once you approve and the fee is settled, we submit electronically and forward the HMRC or Companies House acknowledgement the same day.
Why IGI
The IGI way of working, in Shortlands
No hourly rate and no surprise invoice. Shortlands clients know the fee for cis tax returns before they send a single document, and it stays fixed.
We work to the HMRC and Companies House calendar, not an appointment diary. Clients in Shortlands get reminders at 60, 30 and 7 days before each date that applies to cis tax returns.
Online only, UK based. There is no office in Shortlands to pay for, which is why the fee is the same here as anywhere in England; the work is done by people in the UK who answer the same day.
Continuity matters in cis tax returns: the person who prepared last year's work for your Shortlands business prepares this year's, and remembers what was agreed.
We explain cis tax returns in the words Shortlands business owners use, not in accountant's shorthand, and we show our working so you can check it.
Nothing is filed for Shortlands until you have reviewed and approved it. You see the draft, you ask questions, you sign off, then we submit and send you the receipt.
Local facts
About Shortlands
Shortlands is in South East London, within Bromley, in the BR2 postcode district, England. Income tax in England follows the UK rates: 20% basic to £50,270, 40% higher to £125,140 and 45% additional, with the personal allowance of £12,570 tapered away above £100,000. National Insurance, VAT and Corporation Tax are UK-wide, and Stamp Duty Land Tax applies to property purchases.
| Place | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|
| Bromley Town | 0.7 mi | E |
| Bromley, South East London | 0.7 mi | E |
| Bromley North | 0.9 mi | E |
| Copers Cope | 0.9 mi | NW |
| Bromley South | 0.9 mi | SE |
| Park Langley | 1 mi | SW |
| Beckenham | 1 mi | W |
| Sundridge, Bromley | 1 mi | NE |
Worth knowing
Rules that come up in this work
Record keeping
Good records are the difference between a quick enquiry and a long one. For the self-employed, five years after the filing deadline; for companies, six years from the year end; for VAT, six years. Photographs of receipts, PDF statements and software exports all count. The requirement is to keep records, not paper, and a well-organised cloud folder satisfies it.
Allowable expenses
An expense is allowable against trading profit if it is incurred wholly and exclusively for the business. Materials, business travel other than ordinary commuting, a proportion of home running costs, software, insurance, professional fees, bank charges and protective clothing qualify. Client entertainment, ordinary clothing, fines and the private share of mixed-use costs do not.
Crypto records and reporting
Crypto tax splits into capital gains on disposals and income on rewards, with different rates and different reporting. The £3,000 annual exempt amount and the 18% and 24% rates apply to gains; staking, mining and airdrop income is taxed at marginal income tax rates. HMRC's nudge letters to holders have increased sharply, and a voluntary disclosure before one arrives is treated far more leniently.
The 60-day property CGT return
The 60-day Capital Gains Tax return on residential property is the deadline landlords most often miss, because it falls outside the Self Assessment cycle and runs from completion, not exchange. Private residence relief for periods you lived in the property, plus the final nine months, reduces the gain. Penalties for a late return mirror Self Assessment, starting at £100.
Dormant companies
A dormant company is one with no significant accounting transactions in the year, where the only permitted entries are the payment for shares on incorporation, Companies House fees and penalties. It still files a confirmation statement and simplified dormant accounts every year. A bank charge or an accountant's fee paid from the company ends dormancy and requires full accounts.
The trading and property allowances
Not every small income needs a tax return. The trading allowance exempts the first £1,000 of self-employment or casual income and the property allowance does the same for rental income, each measured on gross receipts. They cannot be combined with rent-a-room relief on the same income, and claiming the allowance means giving up the expense deduction for that source.
Employer National Insurance
Since April 2025 employer National Insurance has been 15% on earnings above a £5,000 secondary threshold, a substantial increase for small employers. The Employment Allowance rose to £10,500 at the same time to soften it for the smallest businesses. Directors deciding their own salary weigh this cost against the Corporation Tax deduction a salary provides.
Questions
CIS Tax Returns questions from Shortlands
What does the £149 subcontractor return include?
Your full Self Assessment with the self-employment pages, every CIS deduction statement reconciled to your income, allowable expenses claimed, the refund calculated and the return filed. We then track the repayment with HMRC, which usually arrives within two to six weeks of filing in the quieter months.
How much CIS refund can I expect?
It depends on your profit and expenses. Deductions are 20% of the labour element of your invoices; tax is only due on profit after expenses and the £12,570 personal allowance, with Class 4 National Insurance on top. Many subcontractors earning under £35,000 get back several thousand pounds. We give you the figure before filing.
When are contractor returns due?
The CIS300 monthly return covers the tax month to the 5th and must reach HMRC by the 19th. Deduction statements must go to subcontractors by the same date. A nil return is still required if you paid no subcontractors. Late returns cost £100 immediately, rising to £200 after two months and then percentage-based penalties.
What rate do I deduct from a subcontractor?
You must verify each new subcontractor with HMRC before the first payment. HMRC tells you 20% if they are registered, 30% if not, or 0% if they hold gross payment status. Deductions apply to the labour element only, never to materials, VAT or plant hire. We verify every new subcontractor and record the result.
What is gross payment status and can I get it?
Gross status means contractors pay you in full with no deduction; you pay your tax through Self Assessment or Corporation Tax instead. You need a construction turnover of at least £30,000 (sole trader) or £30,000 per director for companies, a clean compliance record for the previous 12 months and a UK bank account. Our £199 service prepares and submits the application.
How does CIS work for a limited company subcontractor?
Deductions suffered by a company are not reclaimed through Self Assessment. They are offset against the company's own PAYE and CIS liabilities each month through the Employer Payment Summary, and any excess at the year end is reclaimed from HMRC in writing. The £49 CIS plus payroll bundle handles this monthly.
Which deadlines matter most for cis tax returns?
The next four dates that apply to cis tax returns are shown at the top of this page, calculated from today. For Shortlands clients we diarise every one of them from the day you join and send reminders before each, so the work is done in good time rather than in the last week before a penalty.
How do I get started from Shortlands?
Message us on WhatsApp or email with a sentence about your business and what you need. We reply in working hours with any questions and a fixed fee for cis tax returns. Once you confirm, we tell you exactly which records to send and the work begins. Most Shortlands clients are set up within a day.
Ready to fix your fee in Shortlands?
Tell us what you need. You get one fixed fee in writing, and nothing is filed until you approve it.