Compliance
£19/mo · included from SoloCIS compliance software for UK contractors
Deduct CIS off the gross instead of the labour and you’ve short-paid a subbie, who will notice. This module works the deduction out on the labour element, holds each subcontractor’s verification number and tax treatment, and builds the monthly CIS300 by tax month with the statutory declarations recorded against it. Included from Solo up. CIS is why a UK builder buys construction software, so it is not something to charge extra for.
What the CIS Compliance module does
- Stores per-company CIS settings: contractor UTR, whether CIS is enabled, and the standard and higher deduction rates.
- Holds each subcontractor’s CIS registration, UTR, verification number, verification date and tax treatment.
- Breaks a payment into gross, materials, VAT, plant hire and anything else excluded, leaving the labour figure the rate applies to.
- Applies the deduction rate to the labour amount and records the deduction and the net payment.
- Groups deductions into a monthly return by tax month and tax year, one return per period.
- Records the four statutory declarations against the return: employment status, verification, nil return and inactivity.
- Marks a return as submitted with a date, an HMRC reference and the submission method.
- Links deductions to the purchase order they were raised against.
CIS Compliance: how it works
How is a CIS deduction calculated?
On the labour element only. Take the gross, knock off materials, VAT, plant hire and anything else excluded, and what’s left is the labour amount. The rate goes on that. Deducting from the gross is the commonest CIS mistake there is, and it’s the reason this sum is done for you rather than in somebody’s head.
| Element | Treatment |
|---|---|
| Gross payment | Starting figure |
| Materials | Excluded from deduction |
| VAT | Excluded from deduction |
| Plant hire | Excluded from deduction |
| Labour amount | The base the rate applies to |
| Deduction | Labour × rate; net = gross − deduction |
What deduction rates does Estimark apply?
Two, both set per company. A standard rate for a subcontractor who’s registered and verified, and a higher rate for one who isn’t, or who you couldn’t verify. HMRC’s figures are 20% and 30%. A subcontractor with gross payment status gets nothing deducted at all. The rates sit in settings rather than being baked in, because HMRC has changed them before.
Does Estimark file the CIS300 with HMRC?
No. It records the return: the period, the totals for gross, materials and deductions, and the four statutory declarations covering employment status, verification, nil return and inactivity. Once you’ve filed, it stores the HMRC reference and the method you used. The filing itself is down to you or your accountant.
NoteEstimark doesn’t file CIS300 or RTI returns with HMRC, and it isn’t Making Tax Digital software. It builds the record and keeps it. Submitting is a separate job.
When does a CIS tax month run?
From the 6th of one month to the 5th of the next. Pay a subbie on the 5th and pay another on the 6th and those two land in different returns. Deductions get grouped by tax month and tax year on exactly that basis, one return per period per company.
CIS Compliance: at a glance
- Plan
- Included from Solo
- CIS300
- Recorded, not filed
- Deduction base
- Labour element only
- Tax month
- 6th to 5th
CIS Compliance
£19per month
CIS Compliance is a bundled module. Plans are a ladder, so it comes with Solo and with Core, Pro, Enterprise.
Included from Solo, £39 a month
- Included on Solo and above at no extra cost.
- There is no plan you have to add it to and nothing extra to pay for it.
- Included in full during the 14-day free trial.
- No implementation fee and no minimum term.
Questions
CIS Compliance: frequently asked
Which plan includes CIS compliance?
It’s included from Solo up. Verification, the deduction on the labour element and the monthly CIS300 all come with it.
Does Estimark submit CIS300 returns to HMRC?
No. It records the return, the totals and the declarations, and stores the HMRC reference once you’ve filed. Filing is down to you or your accountant.
What are the CIS deduction rates?
20% for a registered, verified subcontractor. 30% if they aren’t verified. Nil for gross payment status. Estimark keeps the standard and higher rates as per-company settings and applies whichever one fits to the labour element.
Is materials cost subject to CIS deduction?
No. Materials, VAT, plant hire and other excluded costs come off the gross before the rate goes anywhere near it. Each of those amounts is stored separately on the deduction, so an inspector can follow the sum.
Does Estimark handle the VAT domestic reverse charge as well?
Yes, though they’re two different things. The reverse charge changes who accounts for the VAT on an invoice, and it lives in core invoicing rather than in the CIS module.
Related
Subcontractor Management
The subcontractor register, verification status and insurances.
Purchase Orders
Where a CIS payment is raised and the deduction recorded.
HR Management
Employee records, contracts and Right to Work checks.
For builders & contractors
Pro at £299/month. Payment applications, HR, training, plant and fleet.
CIS compliance
Labour-only deduction, 6th-to-5th tax months, HMRC verification, CIS300 recorded.
VAT domestic reverse charge
Section 55A wording on the invoice, nil VAT, per-client control.
Pricing & plans
Solo £39, Core £129 and Pro £299 a month plus seats. Enterprise is quoted. Bolt-ons are priced separately.
Try it on a real job.
14 days, full access, every plan. No implementation fee.