CIS Tax Returns · South East
CIS tax returns in St Albans
The Construction Industry Scheme takes 20% off a subcontractor's invoices before they are paid, and in St Albans that money is often more than the tax actually owed. We prepare the return, reclaim the difference and chase HMRC for the refund. Contractors get the monthly CIS300 filed by the 19th with statements issued. Fixed fees, agreed in writing.
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 St Albans
Construction businesses in St Albans 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 St Albans, step by step
Scope the job
We find out what you need filed, when it is due and what state the records are in, and tell you which fixed-fee package applies.
Agree the price
The fee is confirmed in writing. There is no hourly billing and nothing added for questions during the work.
Hand over the records
Photographs, PDFs, software access or a spreadsheet, sent however suits you. We confirm what we have and what is missing within two working days.
Approve, then we submit
You review the draft with our explanation, sign off, and we file. Receipts, copies and the next deadlines come back to you immediately.
Why IGI
The IGI way of working, in St Albans
One fixed fee for cis tax returns in St Albans, agreed in writing before any work starts and never changed part-way through the job, however long it takes us.
We work to the HMRC and Companies House calendar, not an appointment diary. Clients in St Albans get reminders at 60, 30 and 7 days before each date that applies to cis tax returns.
We serve St Albans remotely by design: records by WhatsApp or email, drafts back for approval, filing electronic. The saving on premises is passed to you in the fee for cis tax returns.
Continuity matters in cis tax returns: the person who prepared last year's work for your St Albans business prepares this year's, and remembers what was agreed.
We explain cis tax returns in the words St Albans business owners use, not in accountant's shorthand, and we show our working so you can check it.
You stay in control of cis tax returns: drafts go to St Albans clients first, with the figures explained, and nothing leaves us until you say so.
Local facts
About St Albans
St Albans is in South East, in the AL1 postcode district, England. For businesses in England the tax rules are those set by the UK Parliament: the 20/40/45% income tax bands, Class 4 National Insurance for the self-employed at 6% and 2%, Corporation Tax at 19% to 25%, and Stamp Duty Land Tax on property. Business rates are set locally by the council.
| Place | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|
| Bernards Heath | 0.6 mi | N |
| Townsend, South East | 0.6 mi | N |
| St. Stephen's | 0.9 mi | SW |
| St Julians, St Albans | 1 mi | SW |
| Sopwell | 1 mi | S |
| Fleetville | 1 mi | E |
| Cunningham | 1 mi | SE |
| New Greens | 1 mi | N |
Worth knowing
Rules that come up in this work
Corporation Tax rates and marginal relief
Since April 2023 there have been two Corporation Tax rates, 19% small profits and 25% main, with marginal relief smoothing the transition between £50,000 and £250,000 of profit. The band is where planning matters: each pound of profit in it is taxed at an effective 26.5%, so pension contributions and capital expenditure timed to keep profit below £50,000 are worth more than they look.
The VAT registration threshold
The £90,000 VAT threshold is measured over any twelve consecutive months, which is why a strong quarter can tip a business over unexpectedly. Registration must follow within thirty days of the end of the month the threshold was crossed. Below the threshold, voluntary registration is worth considering when customers are VAT-registered businesses and costs carry VAT.
Director's loan accounts
A director's loan account records money moving between a director and the company that is not salary or dividend. If the director owes the company money nine months and one day after the year end, the company pays section 455 tax at 35.75% of the balance, refundable only when the loan is repaid. Loans over £10,000 are also a benefit in kind unless interest is charged at HMRC's official rate.
Salary versus dividends
The salary-and-dividend split is the central planning decision for an owner-managed company. Salary costs employer National Insurance above £5,000 but is deductible; dividends are not deductible but attract lower personal rates and no National Insurance. The optimum changes each April with the thresholds and depends on the director's other income, so it should be set deliberately every year.
Payments on account
A common surprise in Self Assessment is the January payment that is far larger than expected. That is the balancing payment for the year just ended plus the first payment on account for the year ahead, which HMRC sets at half of the bill just calculated. We put the figure in your hands months ahead and tell you how to adjust it legitimately when circumstances change.
The Self Assessment calendar
The tax year runs from 6 April to 5 April. Anyone new to Self Assessment must register by 5 October after the end of the tax year in which their untaxed income began. The online return and the balancing payment are due by 31 January, with a second payment on account on 31 July where they apply. Paper returns have an earlier deadline of 31 October and are rarely sensible.
Making Tax Digital for Income Tax
Making Tax Digital for Income Tax began in April 2026 for sole traders and landlords with qualifying income over £50,000, extends to those over £30,000 in April 2027 and is planned for £20,000 in April 2028. It requires digital records in compatible software and four quarterly updates to HMRC each year, with a final declaration replacing the traditional return. Payment dates are unchanged.
Questions
CIS Tax Returns questions from St Albans
I have not filed for several years. Can you catch me up?
Yes. Late Self Assessment returns can be filed for the last four tax years to reclaim CIS deductions, and HMRC will offset refunds against any penalties. We quote a fixed fee for the set based on the number of years and reconcile each year's statements. The sooner this is done the more years remain claimable.
Can my CIS deductions be set against my VAT or other taxes?
For sole traders, no; CIS deductions are credited against your income tax and Class 4 National Insurance through Self Assessment, with the excess refunded. For companies, deductions are offset against PAYE and CIS owed, and the remaining balance is repaid by HMRC after the year end or, on request, set against Corporation Tax.
What records do I need to keep for CIS?
Subcontractors: every deduction statement, invoices and bank records. Contractors: verification references, gross payments, materials costs, deductions made and the statements issued, for at least three years. Missing deduction statements are the most common reason refunds are delayed, so we help you obtain copies from contractors.
What counts as construction work under CIS?
Site preparation, building, alteration, repair, decoration, demolition, and installing systems such as heating, lighting and water. Professional work such as architecture and surveying, scaffolding hire without labour, and carpet fitting are outside the scheme. Mixed contracts fall within it entirely. We check borderline cases against HMRC's list.
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.
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.
How do I get started from St Albans?
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 St Albans clients are set up within a day.
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 St Albans 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.
Get a fixed quote for St Albans today
Tell us what you need. You get one fixed fee in writing, and nothing is filed until you approve it.