You know what you turned over last month, but what did each job actually make you once the CIS and the materials came off?
Fixed-fee bookkeeping for trade firms with a few lads on. Everything on WhatsApp (or your preferred comms), one page a month in plain English on what each job made you and the business's overall position. And the 20% the contractor takes off every invoice, I get that back for you by April.
First month's free on Solo and Growth, no card, nothing to cancel.
What actually happens
You photograph it
Receipt, CIS statement, whatever it is. Steering wheel, kitchen table, wherever you are. Send it on WhatsApp and forget about it.
I sort it
It lands with me, I read it and it goes into your Xero against the right contractor and the right month. You get one line back so you know it's in.
You get one page
First working day of the month. What came in, what went out, what you made, what to put aside for tax, and the one thing worth knowing.
This is the page
A real one, from my own company, July. Money in, money out, what it made, what to put aside for tax, and the one thing I'd want you to know that month. Yours looks like this from month one on the £149 plan, and the £69 plan swaps it for a running total of what HMRC's holding for you.
I'll look after you when it's just you, but then, when you've got five lads, I'll look after you and them. We'll grow together.
- £69/mo You've just gone CIS. I'll deal with HMRC and claim a refund at the end of the year, and all you do is photograph each statement when it lands.Refund claimed, HMRC dealt with
- £149/mo You need to know what you're actually making. You add receipts on WhatsApp, email, text, whatever is easier, and once a month I'll send you a one-page, plain-English report on where you are, where your business is, what looks good, and what doesn't.One page a month + me on the phone
- Most firms start here£249/mo You're taking on your first lad. VAT and the reverse charge, the monthly contractor return. I verify your subbies, so they're 20%, not 30%. You'll also get the monthly report: see where you are, see what's good, see what's not, what's working, and what isn't.One page a month + me on the phone
- £395/mo You've got staff on the books. Payroll, a job by job margin and me as your numbers person, so you can see exactly what each one made you, what you should be pushing, what to pull back on, and we sit down properly every quarter and go through it.One page a month + me on the phone
From Solo up, every allowable expense goes through the books, your refund's claimed as soon as the year's done, VAT and the reverse charge are done properly, nothing gets missed, and on the clever stuff I work alongside your accountant rather than instead of them.
By April, your refund's already done
Because every statement's been logged as it came in, on the 6th of April I've already got the year. There's nothing to find, nothing to chase, no shoebox. I put the return in, HMRC works out what they owe you, and the money comes back in weeks rather than you waiting until January because your accountant's got 200 other people to get through first. Most lads I speak to have never had it back that quick, and a fair few have never had it back at all.
Who's behind it
I'm a career entrepreneur, running operations in private aviation, taxis, agriculture and building projects. I've had small businesses and businesses with turnover over £10m. I loved the numbers side, got great at costings and knowing where the money goes, so I learned bookkeeping and accounting and saw a niche helping trades with their businesses. That's why I set this up. I really enjoy talking to people about their businesses and crunching the numbers. Your business is my business: I won't just send you a list of numbers, I'll break them down and offer suggestions too! It's just me, you have my WhatsApp all the time. Any questions, snags, or want someone to bounce an idea off, give me a shout. More →
Supervised by HMRC for anti-money laundering · £250k professional indemnity insurance · Xero Certified Associate and Certified Professional · Ran operations and the P&L of a business turning over £10m+
Common questions
Is it better to be paid CIS or PAYE?
Depends what you're after. On PAYE you're employed, so you get holiday pay and sick pay and your tax's sorted for you, but you earn what you're given. On CIS you're self-employed, the day rate's usually higher, and you can claim your expenses, but 20% comes off every job up front and you have to do a tax return to get the difference back. That's the bit I do.
Is CIS the same as self-employed?
Pretty much, yes. CIS isn't a different way of being employed, it's just how HMRC collects tax from self-employed people in construction. You're a sole trader like any other, you just have tax taken off at source by whoever pays you instead of paying it all at the end of the year.
How much tax do you pay as CIS?
The contractor takes 20% off your labour if you're registered, or 30% if you're not, and that goes to HMRC in your name. But that's not your actual tax bill. Your real bill gets worked out at the end of the year on your profit, after your expenses and your £12,570 personal allowance, and for most subbies it comes out lower than what's already been taken. The gap is your refund.
What does CIS stand for in accounting?
Construction Industry Scheme. It's HMRC's system where a contractor deducts tax from a subcontractor's pay before it's paid over and sends it to HMRC on their behalf. Materials aren't included, only the labour part. It's been around since the seventies, it's just changed shape a few times.
Can I switch part-way through the year?
Yep, that's absolutely fine. I sort the handover with your old accountant, and if the books are behind, the catch-up gets quoted as a one-off before you commit. It never just lands on your Direct Debit.
Got lads working for you, a couple of vans, or certification paperwork to deal with? This page is for the one-man band. The trades page →