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Can CIS accountants for construction catch the mistake before the next payment?

CIS accountants for construction keep subcontractor verification, monthly returns, deduction statements and reverse charge invoices in step. Crosby checks them before a missed detail reaches the next deadline.

The gap often sits inside the next subcontractor payment. Was the verification done, was the deduction right, and will the return be ready by the 19th? Egbenn keeps that trail current while the job is still moving.

  • Crosby Enninful ACCA
  • Hertfordshire and London
  • Fixed monthly fee
CIS accountants for construction: A construction owner making pancakes with his children on Saturday morning

Egbenn Accountancy is an ACCA registered practice handling CIS for owner-run construction businesses across Hertfordshire and London. A fixed monthly fee is agreed before work starts, and Crosby Enninful checks verifications, returns, deduction statements, reverse charge invoices and job costs through the year.

What stays under control as the business grows

Make the first payment correctly

New subcontractors are verified before the first payment leaves the bank.

Reach the monthly deadline prepared

Returns, deductions and statements are ready before the 19th.

Quote the next job from cost

Subcontractor costs sit against the right job, so the next quote starts from what the last job cost.

Where CIS mistakes start costing real money

Most begin before the return is filed, inside a payment or invoice nobody checked.

  • “We paid a new subcontractor gross, then found out nobody had verified them before the first payment.”

    The business is left correcting the payment trail and explaining the mismatch later.

  • “The return was due by the 19th, but the deductions and statements still did not agree.”

    A rushed return can carry the wrong payment details into the next month.

  • “The invoice looked normal, so nobody checked whether the domestic reverse charge should have been used.”

    The VAT return can then be built from an invoice that needed different treatment.

  • What changes once the CIS trail is checked?

    Every subcontractor is checked before the first payment. Each deduction, statement and reverse charge invoice follows the same payment trail. The owner can see what the job earned before pricing the next one.

If your accountant can’t confirm each verification, explain the next return and check reverse charge invoices before payment, you have the wrong accountant

Answer these questions about the accountant looking after your construction business now.

Question 1 of 3

Could they tell you today whether every subcontractor was verified before their first payment?

What changes when CIS is checked before payment

The useful difference appears before the subcontractor is paid and continues through the filing deadline.

Year-end filing support

The month’s deductions are collected near the deadline.

The return uses the payment details supplied.

The job result appears after the year end.

CIS questions are answered when the owner raises them.

Year-round CIS support

Subcontractors are verified before their first payment.

Deductions, statements and reverse charge invoices are checked through the month.

Subcontractor costs are connected to each job margin.

Crosby gives his view before the next job, van or hire.

What should be checked before the next payment

Each check protects the payment trail that supports the monthly return.

  • Was each subcontractor verified before their first payment?

    Verification comes before the first payment.

  • Is the verification kept with their payment details?

    Keep the verification with the payment it supports.

  • Was the reverse charge checked on every invoice?

    Check each invoice before the VAT return.

  • Do the VAT and CIS entries follow the same job?

    The job and payment details should support both.

  • Does each deduction statement match the payment?

    The statement should follow the deduction actually made.

  • Is the monthly return ready before the 19th?

    Prepare the return before the deadline.

  • Is gross payment status checked before payment terms are agreed?

    Check the current status before agreeing how to pay.

  • Can each subcontractor cost be traced to the right job?

    Job costing puts each cost against the right project.

What Egbenn keeps moving behind every job

The monthly work follows the same trail from first payment to job margin.

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How one construction owner took control of growth

The back office kept pace because the work was kept current each month.

£500,000 and upwards with the owner running it from monthly reports

Bookkeeping, VAT, payroll and CIS were kept current, then job costing was built around each project.

The construction business is now past £500,000 and the owner uses job margins to make decisions.

The same monthly work now supports regular calls before new jobs are priced.

Clients described by type. Names withheld.

How the CIS trail comes under control

The first months turn scattered payment details into a routine the site team can follow.

Before day one

The missing trail is found

Crosby checks current subcontractors, verifications, deductions, statements and reverse charge invoices.

Day 30

The next return is ready

Payment details are matched and reviewed before the 19th.

Day 60

Payments and invoices agree

VAT treatment and CIS deductions follow the same job details.

Day 90

Each job shows its margin

Job costing shows which work paid and what the next quote must cover.

Who gets the most from year-round CIS support

A business run alongside a full-time job is outside the service.

Short-life contractor and freelancer companies are not taken on.

Pre-revenue starts and first-week side projects are outside the service.

Egbenn declines any request to report income or costs that are not real.

An established construction business with staff, subcontractors and plans to grow can use the free growth review to check the fit.

CIS questions owners ask before the next payment

What does the monthly fee for CIS accounting include?

The fixed monthly fee is agreed before work starts. For a construction business, it can include bookkeeping, VAT, payroll, CIS verification, monthly returns, deduction statements, year-end accounts and corporation tax. The exact scope follows the free growth review, so the work and fee are settled before the handover.

Can we use Egbenn if we already have an accountant?

Yes, most owners who approach Egbenn already have an accountant who files the forms but rarely advises. The free growth review checks where the CIS, VAT and payroll records stand. If there is a fit, Egbenn handles the switch and keeps upcoming returns in view during the handover.

Do we have to move accounting software for CIS?

No, a software move is not automatic. Egbenn first checks whether the current cloud setup can support verifications, deduction statements, reverse charge invoices and monthly returns. A change is suggested only where the present setup gets in the way, so the team does not have to relearn tools without a reason.

What happens to our current accountant when we switch?

Egbenn writes to the current accountant for professional clearance and requests the available books and filings. Crosby then checks upcoming CIS, VAT, payroll and year-end dates, brings missing work up to date and keeps the next return in view. The owner does not have to manage the exchange.

When does a construction business file its monthly CIS return?

Contractor returns need to reach HMRC by the 19th each month. Egbenn keeps the subcontractor verifications, payment details and deductions together as the month moves. That gives Crosby time to review what will be filed and produce the deduction statements from the same payment trail.

Can CIS accountants for construction check gross payment status and reverse charge invoices?

Yes, Egbenn checks the business’s gross payment status and reviews whether the domestic reverse charge applies on each invoice. Crosby also checks that the VAT and CIS treatment follow the same underlying job and payment details. Any business-specific point is discussed before a return or payment is made.

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