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Accountants for construction companies

CIS on both sides, VAT reverse charge, retentions, job costing and plant. We know how construction money moves, and we keep your company's books, payroll and tax returns in line with it.

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  • Weekday evenings until 10pm, weekends until 8pm
  • Ex-forces
  • Contractors and subcontractors
  • Groundworks, steel, M&E, joinery, build
  • Fixed fees, no VAT added

Why construction is different

Six things a general accountant gets wrong

Construction has its own tax rules and its own way of getting paid. These are the areas we check for every construction client.

CIS

Deductions in and out

Verifying subcontractors, filing monthly returns, and setting deductions suffered against your company's PAYE so cash isn't stuck at HMRC.

Our CIS service
VAT

Domestic reverse charge

Knowing when to charge VAT and when the customer accounts for it. Getting it wrong on invoices to contractors or end users is one of the most common VAT errors in construction.

Retentions

Money you're owed but can't touch

Retentions tracked by job, with release dates at practical completion and the end of the defects period, so they're chased and not forgotten.

Job costing

Profit by job, not just by year

Applications, valuations, variations and costs matched to each job, so you know which work makes money before you price the next one.

Plant

Vans, plant and equipment

Capital allowances claimed in full, hire purchase recorded correctly, and the buy-or-hire decision backed by numbers.

Site staff

Payroll and travel

Payroll for operatives, travel and subsistence for temporary sites, and the employed-or-self-employed question answered properly.

Cash flow and disputes

Get paid what the work is worth

Construction businesses rarely fail for lack of work. They run out of cash waiting for applications to be paid, retentions to be released and final accounts to be agreed.

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We keep a live record of what's been applied for, certified, paid and held back on every job. When a payment is disputed, we prepare the figures behind your position: valuations, variations, costs and the payment history, ready for your QS or solicitor.

  • Aged debtors by job and customerSee who owes what, and how long it's been
  • Retention scheduleEvery retention, amount and release date in one place
  • 13-week cash flow forecastSpot the gap before payroll and the CIS bill fall due
  • Final account and dispute figuresCosts, valuations and variations set out clearly

Fees

Construction company packages

Agreed in writing before we start. No VAT added.

Compliance

£150 a month · £1,800 a year

Bookkeeping, CIS returns and deductions, VAT returns with reverse charge, payroll for up to 3 staff, annual accounts, corporation tax return and confirmation statement.

Compliance and job costing

£275 a month · £3,300 a year

Everything in Compliance, plus monthly management accounts with profit by job, a retention schedule and a cash flow forecast.

Projects and disputes

Fixed quote per job

Final account figures, payment dispute support, CIS or VAT backlogs, and HMRC disclosures.

HMRC

Put HMRC problems right

CIS, VAT reverse charge and fast growth make errors easy. If your company has underpaid VAT or corporation tax, or a director hasn't declared income, a voluntary disclosure usually means lower penalties than waiting for HMRC to find it.

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We work out what's owed, prepare the disclosure and deal with HMRC for you.

How voluntary disclosures work

Talk to us in confidence

Your first conversation is free and confidential. Tell us what's happened and we'll explain your options before anything goes to HMRC.

Questions

Construction questions

When does the VAT domestic reverse charge apply?

When a VAT-registered business supplies construction services to another VAT-registered business that reports under CIS and isn't the end user. We check each customer and set your invoices up so the right treatment is automatic.

Can you set CIS deductions against our PAYE?

Yes. Deductions taken from your company's income are claimed each month through payroll, which reduces the PAYE and National Insurance you pay. Any balance left at the end of the tax year can be repaid.

How should we account for retentions?

Retentions are income you've earned but haven't been paid yet. We record them as a debt owed to you by job, so your accounts show the true position and nothing is forgotten when release dates come round.

Do you work with our QS?

Yes. We work alongside quantity surveyors and project managers on valuations and final accounts, and keep the financial records consistent with theirs.

Should we buy or hire plant?

It depends on how often you use it, your cash position and the tax relief available. We'll compare the options for your figures before you commit.

Did the 2026 Budget change anything for construction companies?

Companies get a 50% first-year allowance on qualifying new plant bought from 1 January 2027, and since April 2026 contractors must file a nil CIS return in months they pay no subcontractors. Read our Budget 2026 summary.

Next step

Talk to a construction accountant

Tell us about your company and the jobs you run. We'll come back with a fixed price.

Same-day call back. Weekday evenings until 10pm, weekends until 8pm. No call centre.

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