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CIS returns, subbie payments, material orders — I've worked with builders, electricians, plumbers, and every trade in between. Nothing shocks me. Shoe boxes of receipts? I've seen worse.
I'm not an accountant who'll send you a bill and disappear. I'm your business partner who understands job profitability, cash flow between projects, and that you're bleeding money when admin piles up. I work alongside you, not above you.
Are your CIS returns always on time? Do you know exactly who owes you money? When did you last have time to actually run a job instead of chasing paperwork?
These are the headaches I fix every day for builders, sparkies, and trades across Derbyshire.
The 19th creeps up every month. One missed return = £100 penalty. Keep missing them and it escalates to £200, then daily penalties. HMRC doesn't care you were busy on site.
You're a tradesperson, not a paper pusher. Every hour spent on invoices is an hour not earning. Sunday evenings doing paperwork instead of watching football with the family.
Hands covered in plaster, phone ringing — suppliers, subbies, clients all wanting answers you can't give right now.
Waiting 60+ days for payment while subbies need paying next week. No idea which jobs are profitable and which are bleeding money.
The domestic reverse charge rules are a minefield. One mistake and you're either overcharging clients or owing HMRC money you've already spent.
Verifying new subbies, tracking their status, making sure you're deducting the right rate. Get it wrong and you're liable for the difference.
When we started working together, CIS compliance was at 67% and thousands were slipping through the cracks. Within 6 months, we turned it around completely.
"Before Steph, I was drowning in CIS paperwork and chasing subcontractors for invoices. Now my returns are always on time, my subbies get paid properly, and I can actually focus on running jobs. She's saved me hours every week and probably thousands in avoided penalties."
Due by the 19th of every month. Miss it and you're looking at £100 penalties that stack up fast. I handle the entire process — verifying subbies, calculating deductions, filing on time. You'll never dread the 19th again.
Before you pay a subbie, they need to be verified with HMRC. Wrong deduction rate? That's your problem. I verify every subcontractor, track their status, and make sure you're deducting the right amount every time.
You're on site with cement on your hands — you can't be chasing invoices. I process incoming bills, chase outstanding payments, and keep your cash flow healthy so you can focus on the job.
No more panic calls about missing materials or lost delivery notes. I coordinate orders, track deliveries, and handle the paperwork so your sites run smoothly.
Construction VAT is complicated — domestic reverse charge, different rates, reclaiming on materials. I make sure your returns are accurate and you're not leaving money on the table.
Think you can't afford help? Let's look at what CIS chaos is already costing you.
CIS (Construction Industry Scheme) is HMRC's system for taxing payments between contractors and subcontractors. If you're a contractor paying subbies, you must verify them with HMRC, deduct the right tax (20% or 30%), and file monthly returns by the 19th. Get it wrong and you're personally liable for the tax plus penalties.
Miss the 19th and you'll get a £100 penalty immediately. Still haven't filed after 2 months? Another £200. After 6 months, HMRC charges 5% of the CIS deductions due, or £300 — whichever is higher. After 12 months, it's another 5% or £300. I've seen contractors rack up thousands in penalties they didn't need to pay.
For most construction services, if you're VAT registered and selling to another VAT registered contractor, you don't charge them VAT — they account for it themselves (reverse charge). But you do charge VAT to end users and unregistered businesses. It's confusing, and getting it wrong means incorrect invoices, unhappy clients, and HMRC questions.
Absolutely. Shoe boxes of receipts, missing verification records, returns that should have been filed months ago — I've seen it all. We'll get your records straight, file any outstanding returns, and set up a system that means you never have to panic about the 19th again.
Not necessarily — I can work with whatever you're comfortable with. But proper invoicing software makes life easier for tracking CIS deductions, VAT, and getting paid on time. I can recommend and set up systems that work for construction businesses without overcomplicating things.
This is more common than you'd think. If you've been deducting too much, the subbie claims it back through their tax return. If too little, you're liable to HMRC for the difference. I verify every subbie's current status before payments go out, so you're always using the right rate.
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