If you work in construction as a subcontractor or sole trader and you're paid under the CIS scheme, there's a strong chance HMRC has taken more than they should. Most people never claim it back.
When you work as a subcontractor in construction, your contractor usually deducts tax from your pay before you receive it and sends it to HMRC on your behalf. This is the Construction Industry Scheme (CIS).
The deduction rate is either 20% or 30% depending on your registration status. The problem is that this is a rough estimate. It doesn't account for your actual expenses, allowances, or personal tax situation. Most subcontractors end up paying more than they actually owe.
The excess sits with HMRC until you claim it. If you've never submitted a tax return, it might still be sitting there now.
It varies depending on how much you earned, how long you've been working under CIS, and what expenses you've had. But for many sole trader subcontractors, refunds of several hundred to several thousand pounds per year are common. We've seen significantly more where returns haven't been filed for multiple years.
You can normally claim back up to four tax years. After that, the refund window closes. If you've been overpaying for years and haven't claimed, the clock is already running.
You're self-employed, you work in construction, and contractors deduct tax from your payments before you receive them.
Bricklayers, joiners, plasterers, electricians, plumbers: if you're paid net of CIS deductions, you're likely due a refund.
If you've moved between contractors or worked multiple projects in a year, the deductions can stack up quickly.
If you've never submitted a Self Assessment return, the refunds you're owed may have been accumulating for years.
Tools, materials, travel, workwear: legitimate expenses reduce your taxable income and increase your refund.
If you're deducted at 30% instead of the standard 20%, your refund is likely to be proportionally larger.
You don't need to understand the tax rules. That's what we're here for. All we need from you is some basic information, and we take it from there.
A quick conversation: how long you've been under CIS, who you've worked for, roughly what you earned. That's enough to get started.
We'll get the CIS deduction statements from your contractors or HMRC and work out exactly what's been paid over.
We prepare the Self Assessment returns for any years that need filing and submit them to HMRC on your behalf.
Once the returns are processed, HMRC send the refund directly to you. We'll let you know what to expect and when.
We charge a flat fee for CIS refund work, agreed upfront before we start. You'll know exactly what you're paying before anything is filed.
There are no hidden charges and no percentage of your refund taken as commission. What HMRC send you is yours.
Get a quote"Got my CIS refund sorted quickly and with no hassle. I'd been putting it off for two years. Wish I'd called sooner."
Self-employed subcontractor, Lancashire
It takes a few minutes to get started. If there's a refund due, we'll find it and get it back for you.
Check your refund