Construction Crews

The CIS (Construction Industry Scheme) covers most types of construction work done in the UK, including things like site preparation, repairs, decoration and demolition. Most kinds of general contractors need to register for CIS. The Construction Industry Scheme is a set of rules for construction contractors explaining how to pay their subcontractors. When they pay a subcontractor, they take a cut of their money and send it straight to HMRC / the taxman, which goes towards the worker's Tax and National Insurance Contributions. Currently, the rate of CIS tax is 20%. That's how many CIS workers end up paying more tax than they should. A CIS tax rebate will get you some of this cash back as well as any money you may be owed on any work related expenses you cover directly from your own pocket.

Ground workers, joiners, builders, electricians (sparkies), and all other UK construction workers in the Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) can claim tax rebates.

We do the work, you enjoy the payout! 2/3rds of tradespeople are missing out £300 million goes unclaimed each year ZippTax Refunds have helped thousands tradespeople get back what they're owed. ZippTax are UK specialists in rebates and expenses - so if you've got a whole truckload of out-of-pocket expenses just to do your job, let us put that cash back in your hands where it belongs. It takes seconds to find out if you're due a tax rebate! On the books or self-employed, we'll handle everything for you.

When you're on the books you can claim for a range of things including: Travel to different sites, Meals, Accommodation, Protective clothing or tools. 1 in 3 construction workers are paying too much tax so make sure you don't miss out!

When you make a tax refund claim, you’re going to need to prove to HMRC that you’re owed money. That means: A list of the sites you've worked on: You'll need to tell HMRC the places you've worked and when you were there. You can claim for up to 4-years, but don't stress out if you can't track down every last detail. We can help you fill in the blanks. Monthly payslips: You’ll need these for each of the tax years your claim covers. Supporting documents: Basic paperwork like a photo ID and proof of address are essential. Things like MOT certificates for your mileage claim and receipts for your work expenses will all help, too You may already have a Personal Tax Account (PTA) set up at HMRC. If not, we’ll help you get one sorted out. Your PTA keeps all your key information together in one place. It’s a useful thing to have when you’re claiming a tax rebate.

HMRC likes to take its time over things, so you’re probably looking at 8-10 weeks for them to pay out your refund. Of course, the sooner ZippTax gets to work, the sooner you’ll have your money. Remember, you can claim your overpaid tax back for up to 4-years, so there’s no reason to miss out on what you’re owed.

When you’re working a Pay As You Earn (PAYE) job and travel to temporary worksites, you’re probably owed some money back from HMRC. In the building trade, you’re likely to spend a lot of your time clocking up mileage that counts toward your yearly refund. Not only that, but a lot of the other day-to-day costs you’re shelling out for could qualify for tradesman tax deductions. Meals, accommodation on the road and upkeep of your equipment and uniform can all contribute to your refund claim. Even fees and subscriptions to unions and other professional bodies can count as builders’ expenses if they’re necessary for the work you do. Even if you’re self-employed on CIS, ZippTax can still help. We’ve got expert teams of Construction Sector specialists to explain exactly what you’re owed - and get it back in your pocket fast. We've even got our CIS tax calculator to give you an estimate of how much you could be owed back from HMRC. It takes mere moment to discover what you could claim with our free calculator. Once you’ve got your estimate, we’ll get to work on claiming it back for you. ZippTax will prepare and file your claim, then chase HMRC until it’s paid out. We’ll keep you updated throughout the process. All you’ll need to do is plan how to spend your refund.

Claiming a tax rebate means you’re letting HMRC know that you’ve paid too much tax over the year (or in previous years). Of course, HMRC is going to require proof before any payouts. They are going to need to see some paperwork before they release any refunded cash. That’s a big part of what puts off so many people from getting back what they’re owed – assuming they even know they’ve overpaid in the first place. Tax refund claims need to stick to some very strict rules and deadlines. Not understanding these leaves a lot of people never coming close to getting back everything they’re due. Worse still, some of them end up in serious trouble with HMRC. ZippTax will ensure you never have to worry about missing out or getting in hot water with HMRC. We’ll guide you through the whole process, get your full refund back for you and keep you in HMRC’s good books every step of the way.

To recover everything you're owed by HMRC, you'll need to support your claim with appropriate evidence. This typically includes details of where you've worked and the expenses you've incurred to perform your job. Essential documents like P45s, MOT certificates, and wage slips are key—and the more of these you can provide, the smoother the process will be. That said, you don’t need to have every single document on hand to get started. ZippTax can assist you in gathering much of the required information, including contacting former employers or calculating mileage to past work locations that no longer exist. Once your ZippTax account manager has set you up, your claim process becomes even simpler. Plus when it's time to claim again next year, most of the groundwork will already be complete, you'll simply need to update the existing information in your account.

When you’ve got a second job or other income, it can make a big difference to your tax situation. For PAYE jobs, you’ll have a separate tax code for each. However, only one of them will have your tax-free Personal Allowance attached to it. That means your other job will be taxed from the very first penny you earn. Things can get a little tricky in tax-land when you’ve got more than one source of income. Tax codes can change over time, and it’s easy to end up paying the wrong amount.

When you get a few “extras” on top of your wages at work, you’ll often find yourself being taxed on them. Things like free medical insurance, interest-free loans and company cars can all count as taxable “benefits in kind”. There are some exemptions, though, like your employer’s contributions toward your pension or a subsidised work canteen. Things like free medical insurance, interest-free loans and company cards can all count as taxable ''benefits in kind'' and will need to be added to your P11D form. Let ZippTax know if you’re getting any benefits in kind when you’re claiming a tax rebate. Our expert teams will steer you onto the right path.

In fact, stopping work part-way through a tax year is a pretty common reason why people end up being owed some PAYE tax back. When you’re working through PAYE, the tax taken out of your wages is based on the assumption that you’ll be earning steadily all year. If that income gets choked off early, it can be like paying tax on money you’ll never even earn. What you’re owed depends on your situation. If you start claiming a taxable benefit after your previous job ends, for instance, it can bring down your refund amount. There’s still never a good reason to leave your cash with the HMRC! Just answer a few questions on our online form and get an idea of what you could claim. It takes under a minute to do and will set you on the path to getting your overpaid tax back where it belongs.

Don’t be stressed if you get a P800 tax calculation form from HMRC. It might actually be good news! Being sent a P800 means HMRC has noticed that you’ve paid the wrong amount of tax, one way of the other. If you’ve overpaid tax, you’ll get an automatic refund. If you’ve paid too little, they’ll let you know how they’ll be clawing the rest back (probably through a change to your tax code). Don’t ignore a P800 if you get one. If you can’t understand why you have it, talk to ZippTax and we’ll sort it out. If there’s a mistake, we’ll get it fixed for you.

When HMRC refers to builders’ work clothing, they don’t mean just any outfit you wear on the job. They're talking specifically about job-related attire—like protective gear or clothing with company logos that your employer requires you to wear. For instance, repairing a full-body clowncostume might be a valid business expense for an entertainer. But if you’re a brick layer, HMRC isn’t likely to accept that claim. If your clothing qualifies as builders’ workwear, you may be able to claim tax relief on the cost of repairing, cleaning, or replacing it. The same applies to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), provided you’re covering the cost yourself. If your employer pays for these items or reimburses you later, you won’t be eligible to claim. Likewise, if your employer offers a free laundry service—even if you choose not to use it—you can’t claim for laundry expenses. However, if you’re self-employed, the rules are more flexible. Under the Self Assessment system, many day-to-day business expenses can be deducted from your taxable profit. That means the initial cost of job-specific clothing is generally classed as an “allowable expense,” reducing the amount of tax you owe. HMRC may still raise an eyebrow at that clown costume, though. If tracking every expense throughout the year feels like too much admin, there’s an easier option. Self-employed workers can use “flat rate deductions” instead of itemising every cost. For employees under PAYE, there’s a “simplified expenses” system, which allows you to claim a standard amount based on HMRC’s estimates rather than doing detailed calculations yourself. While you might not reclaim every penny you're entitled to, the process is much simpler. Get in touch with us here at ZippTax and we’ll guide you through the best approach for your situation.

The CIS (Construction Industry Scheme) covers most types of construction work done in the UK, including things like site preparation, repairs, decoration and demolition. Most kinds of general contractors need to register for CIS. The Construction Industry Scheme is a set of rules for construction contractors explaining how to pay their subcontractors. When they pay a subcontractor, they take a cut of their money and send it straight to HMRC, which goes towards the worker's Tax and National Insurance Contributions. Right now, the rate of CIS tax is 20%.  That's how many CIS workers end up paying more tax than they should. A CIS tax rebate will get you some of this cash back as well as any money you may be owed on any work related expenses you cover directly from your own pocket.

A CIS tax refund can put cash back in your pocket whenever you’ve spent your own money just to do your job. Usually, it does this by bringing down the amount of your income that you’re being taxed on. These costs can include: Travel costs, being either mileage claims using your own vehicle or through use of public transport, meals while you’re working or on the road, Accommodation if you need to stop overnight while travelling, Parking fees and tolls you have to pay yourself, Upkeep and replacement of any essential tools or protective equipment, Public liability insurance and fees to professional bodies, where they’re needed for your work, Home office bills like phone use, postage and stationery. When ZippTax looks into your claim, we’ll pinpoint all the expenses that qualify for tax relief. That means you’ll never get tripped up by a confusing rule or find yourself claiming too little (or worse, too much. HMRC enquiries are never fun). Sadly, there are some unscrupulous tax advisers out there taking advantage of CIS workers, so please do be aware!