The Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) is a UK tax scheme under which contractors deduct money from payments to subcontractors and pass it to HMRC as an advance towards the subcontractor’s tax and National Insurance.
Rates, thresholds and deadlines below are correct at the time of writing. HMRC and other authorities update them regularly, so confirm the current figures on the official website or with your adviser before you file or pay. This guide is general information, not tax advice.
A contractor is a business that pays subcontractors for construction work — including firms that spend more than a set amount a year on construction even if building is not their main trade. A subcontractor does the construction work for a contractor. Both must register with HMRC for CIS.
| Subcontractor status | Deduction from payment |
|---|---|
| Registered with HMRC for CIS | 20% |
| Not registered | 30% |
| Gross payment status | 0% — paid in full |
The deduction applies to the labour part of the invoice. It is not taken from VAT or from the cost of materials the subcontractor has paid for directly.
Post subcontractor payments and deductions to the right accounts and reconcile them to HMRC.
| What | When |
|---|---|
| CIS tax month | 6th of one month to the 5th of the next |
| Payment and deduction statements to subcontractors | Within 14 days of the 5th |
| Monthly CIS300 return | By the 19th |
| Pay deductions to HMRC | By the 22nd (electronic) |
Subcontractors who meet HMRC’s tests on compliance, business activity through a UK bank account and turnover can apply for gross payment status, so contractors pay them in full with no deduction. Status can be withdrawn if the business fails to keep its tax affairs up to date.
For most CIS supplies between VAT-registered businesses, the domestic reverse charge for construction applies: the customer, not the supplier, accounts for the VAT. Invoices carry the reverse charge wording and no VAT is charged. Check whether it applies before you raise or process an invoice.
Filing a CIS300 return late brings an automatic penalty, and it increases the longer the return is outstanding. Incorrect deductions or failing to verify subcontractors can also lead to charges.
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1. Verify new subcontractors | Confirm the rate before the first payment |
| 2. Record labour and materials separately | Only labour is subject to the deduction |
| 3. Deduct at the right rate | 20%, 30% or 0% depending on status |
| 4. Issue statements | Payment and deduction statements to each subcontractor |
| 5. File the CIS300 | Submit by the 19th |
| 6. Pay HMRC | Settle the deductions by the 22nd |
A UK scheme under which contractors deduct tax at source from payments to subcontractors and pay it to HMRC as an advance against the subcontractor’s tax and National Insurance.
20% for subcontractors registered with HMRC, 30% for unregistered subcontractors and 0% for those with gross payment status.
By the 19th of the month following the end of each CIS tax month, which runs from the 6th to the 5th.
No. The deduction applies to the labour element only, not to VAT or to materials the subcontractor pays for directly.
A status that lets a subcontractor be paid in full without deductions, granted by HMRC to businesses that pass its compliance, business and turnover tests.