Construction accountants for London trades. Every stage of the build.
Sole trader subbie chasing a refund? Growing contractor with a team and monthly CIS to file? Multi-trade limited company juggling VAT, payroll and a yard? We work across the entire construction journey - and we know the rules HMRC actually checks. Open Mon-Sat 10am-7pm, same-day response from chartered accountants who file hundreds of construction returns every year.
Construction tax is its own world. Generalist firms get it wrong.
Construction has its own deduction scheme, its own VAT rules, its own gross-status regime, and its own cash-flow timing. The four problems below show up in nearly every onboarding call from a builder, plumber, electrician, scaffolder or groundworker who's been with a generalist firm.
"My old accountant didn't claim half my expenses."
Tools, vehicle costs, mileage at 45p, PPE, training, public liability, work clothing, phone, materials, sometimes home office - most generalist firms tick the obvious boxes and miss £500-£2,000 of allowable expenses on a typical sub-trade return. We prompt for everything claimable line by line.
"I waited 4 months for my CIS refund."
HMRC pays CIS refunds in days when the return is correct and complete. Slow refunds usually mean records gaps, missing contractor verifications, or the accountant simply not chasing. We file complete returns from May to October, pull deductions direct from HMRC where contractor slips are missing, and chase the refund into your account.
"I can't get a mortgage because my accountant won't issue an SA302."
Every UK lender accepts SA302 + Tax Year Overview as proof of self-employed income. Generalist firms often don't know how to produce them or charge £40-£80 each. We produce both, certify them on chartered headed paper and email them within 24 hours - included in the £350 annual fee.
"Nobody told me about Domestic Reverse Charge VAT."
Since March 2021, VAT-registered subcontractors providing services to other VAT-registered contractors do not charge VAT on their invoices. Plenty of trades still invoice VAT incorrectly and have to refund it later. We review your invoice templates, set up DRC handling in your software and adjust your VAT return treatment.
Wherever you are on the journey, we have the right structure.
Most construction trades move through four predictable stages. Each stage has a different optimal tax structure, a different fee level, and a different set of HMRC obligations. Identify yours below.
Sole Trader Subbie
Annual Self Assessment with CIS reconciliation. Refund chased into your account. Free SA302 for mortgages. No payroll, no monthly returns, no VAT.
Growing Subbie / Solo Director
Limited company conversion saves several thousand £ in tax. Annual accounts, CT600, optimal salary/dividend split, director SA included from Tier 2.
Contractor with Subbies
Monthly CIS returns for verified subcontractors. VAT registration with DRC handling. Possibly Gross Payment Status. Payroll for direct employees.
Multi-Trade Business
Full bookkeeping, weekly payroll, multi-rate VAT, possibly statutory audit, tax planning workshop, R&D claims for innovative methods, group structure.
Every construction service under one roof. No referrals, no handoffs.
Click any service to read the dedicated page. All services below are delivered in-house by chartered accountants who specialise in construction.
CIS Construction Specialists
Subcontractor SA fixed at £350/yr, refund chased into your bank, free SA302 for mortgages.
View service →Annual Accounts & CT600
Limited company year-end accounts and corporation tax filing from £1,200/year.
View service →Limited Company Formation
Companies House setup, share structure, VAT and PAYE registration. From £400 one-off.
View service →Payroll & PAYE
Director-only or weekly site team payroll with full RTI, P60s and auto-enrolment.
View service →VAT Returns & DRC
Quarterly VAT under MTD plus full Domestic Reverse Charge setup for construction.
View service →Tax Planning Workshop
Bespoke £1,200 tax strategy - incorporation timing, R&D, IHT planning, structure.
View service →Find your optimal structure and fee. Five questions, one minute.
Answer five quick questions about your trade, turnover and team. We'll show you your likely tax position, the right service mix and an estimated annual fee. Then send the result to our chartered team via WhatsApp for a written quote.
Your construction tax position
Based on your answers, here's the right setup for your trade.
The fees a construction trade actually pays. Standard, transparent.
Below is the typical service mix and standard fee for each construction stage. Quotes are issued in writing within 24 hours of the call - request one to see what discounts and seasonal offers are available in the current period.
Construction service fees
All prices exclude VAT. From the master service-fee schedule.
| Service | Description | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| CIS Subcontractor Self Assessment Full reconciliation, refund chased, free SA302 - for turnover below £50K |
Fixed annual fee for sole trader CIS subbies under the MTD threshold | £350/year (fixed) |
| MTD for Income Tax - Quarterly Service Mandatory from April 2026 for sole traders & landlords above £50K turnover |
4 quarterly digital submissions + year-end finalisation + CIS reconciliation | £150/quarter (£600/yr) |
| Monthly CIS Returns Contractor with subbies on the books |
Verification, deductions, CIS300 filing | from £95/month |
| Gross Payment Status Application Cash flow uplift - full pay no deduction |
Eligibility review, application, HMRC liaison | £400one-off |
| Limited Co - Solo Director Annual accounts, CT600, confirmation statement |
Full FRS 102 / FRS 105 accounts and Companies House | from £1,200/year |
| Limited Co - Growing (Tier 2) Most popular - accounts + 1 director SA included |
Tier 1 plus director Self Assessment + payroll setup | from £2,200/year |
| Domestic Reverse Charge VAT Setup Construction-specific VAT compliance |
Invoice templates, software config, VAT return adjustment | £250one-off |
| VAT Returns (Standard) Quarterly under MTD, all schemes |
Preparation, filing, scheme adherence | from £195/quarter |
| Bookkeeping (Light) Sole trader / freelancer transaction volume |
Bank rec, invoice categorisation, monthly reporting | from £125/month |
What our construction clients actually got back. Real numbers.
Three recent examples from sole trader subbies, growing contractors and multi-trade businesses across London. Names changed, numbers real.
£4,200 CIS refund the previous accountant missed
Marcus had been with a £40/month online firm for three years. They filed his SA but never reconciled CIS deductions properly and missed several months of contractor verifications. We pulled the data direct from HMRC, identified £4,200 of unrecovered CIS, filed a corrected claim and chased the refund into his account in 23 days. We also issued his SA302 for a buy-to-let mortgage application - same day.
Saved £6,800/year by incorporating at the right moment
Sarah was running £75K of net profit through self-assessment, paying full income tax and Class 4 NIC. We modelled the limited company position in a free 15-minute call - optimal salary plus dividends saved £6,800/year on the same profit level. We handled the formation (£400 one-off), set up payroll, registered for CIS as a contractor, and onboarded her onto Tier 2 accounts at £2,200/year. Net saving year one: £4,200 after fees.
GPS application unlocked £140K of tied-up cash flow
Daniel ran a £1.4M turnover groundworks business with 12 subbies on the books. Without Gross Payment Status, his contractors were deducting 20% from every invoice - about £140K tied up across the year, repaid only via annual reconciliation. We reviewed his eligibility (clean compliance, turnover well above threshold), submitted the application, and HMRC granted GPS within 6 weeks. Cash flow uplift was immediate. We also moved him from a £2,000/month firm to our full bundled service at a saving of £700/month.
Popular construction and CIS guides
Construction-specific quote, in writing within 24 hours.
Tell us your trade structure, turnover and team size. We'll send a written fixed-fee quote covering exactly the services you need - and any current discounts or offers in the period.
Frequently asked questions.
If your question isn't here, message us on WhatsApp or book a free 15-minute call.
Do I need to register for CIS as a sole trader subcontractor?+
How much does a construction accountant cost in London?+
What is Gross Payment Status and should I apply?+
What is Domestic Reverse Charge (DRC) VAT for construction?+
When should I switch from sole trader to limited company in construction?+
Do you handle CIS investigations and HMRC enquiries?+
What's the difference between this and your CIS service page?+
Do you work with subcontractors who use multiple contractors?+
Construction accountants based in King's Cross, London.
Our office sits at 39-41 North Road, London N7 9DP - five minutes from Caledonian Road tube and ten from King's Cross St Pancras. We work with construction trades across Islington, Camden, Hackney, Westminster, Tower Hamlets, the City of London, Enfield and out to our secondary presence in Wickford / Basildon, Essex.
Most engagements are delivered remotely via video call, WhatsApp and our client portal - but for clients who prefer to meet face to face, the King's Cross office is open Monday to Saturday, 10am to 7pm. No appointment fee, no travel charge.
London N7 9DP
10am to 7pm
Ready for a construction-specialist accountant?
Book a free 15-minute call. We'll quote your engagement in writing within 24 hours including any current discounts or seasonal offers. If LOYALS isn't the right fit we'll tell you that too.
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