CIS tax returns

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Since March 2021, where both parties are VAT and CIS registered and the supply is within the scheme, the subcontractor does not charge VAT; the contractor accounts for it on their own return. The invoice must state that the reverse charge applies. We check your sales and purchase invoices for this on every return.

Subcontractors should register so deductions are 20% rather than 30%; registration is free with HMRC or £49 through our service with your UTR sorted at the same time. Contractors must register before paying their first subcontractor. If you are both, both registrations are needed; our dual package is £99.

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.

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.

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.

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.