What is a CIS Tax Refund Form?
A CIS tax refund is claimed using your Self Assessment tax return form. You will have to complete a tax return to be able to reclaim your CIS tax refund from HMRC.
When you have submitted your CIS tax return if you are owed a refund HMRC will repay this to you as per the instructions on your return.
Please use our free CIS tax rebate calculator to give you a personalised estimate of how much you could be owed back.
What is Self Assessment for CIS?
The Self Assessment system is the way HMRC collects Income tax from taxpayers who are not paid through PAYE. It can be submitted on paper or through HMRC’s online service.
As a self employed sub contractor under CIS you enter how much you have invoiced and all your allowable expenses in your tax return.
When HMRC receives your tax return online your tax record is usually updated within about 72 hours and will show how much tax you are owed back or how much tax you owe HMRC.
When should I register for Self assessment?
As a CIS scheme member, you are probably already familiar with completing your Self Assessment tax return. But, if you are new, you need to allow time to register. You can do this through Gov.UK and you will need your Unique Taxpayer Reference number. It can take up to 10 working days to receive your activation code in the post.
When is the CIS tax return deadline?
The deadline for a paper tax return submission deadline is October 31st at midnight. But you still have time to sort out an online tax return submission with this deadline being midnight on 31st January. This is when HMRC must receive your Self Assessment tax return and payment of your tax bill if you owe them tax.
How long does it take to receive a CIS tax refund?
Once your tax return is submitted, it usually takes between five days and eight weeks to get your refund. The timescale can change and does largely depend on HMRC security checks, procedures and if it as an extra busy time of year for them.
On your tax return you can ask for your refund to be transferred to your bank account via BACS.
Do I need to keep CIS Payment and Deduction statements?
Yes, you need to keep your CIS Payment and Deduction statements because they record how much you’ve earned and how much income tax you have paid. You get CIS payment statements instead of payslips, within 14 days of when you are paid.
Most people carry on calling them wages slips, but HMRC will only refer to them as CIS Payment and Deduction statements. Essentially, you are being issued with a certificate from your contractor as a record of the tax payments they have sent to HMRC on your behalf. You need them as evidence of your income for your CIS tax return.
Evidence for your CIS tax refund form
As part of your CIS tax return you can include allowable expenses which reduces the amount of you may owe. If you declare any allowable expenses on your CIS form you should have available a digital record for each item claimed. This can be a copy or digital receipt for example.
HMRC can review your tax return and as part of a review may ask for evidence that corresponds with the figures included on your tax return.
CIS Refund Calculator
Calculate how much your CIS tax refund is worth today
Use the calculator to work out how much tax you can reclaim.
