Question 1

Does TradeTally generate a CIS-compliant invoice to my contractor?

Accepted Answer

TradeTally records subcontractor payments with the labour/materials split and the CIS deduction applied (20% registered, 30% unregistered, 0% gross payment), so your SA103F year-end summary shows the right figures in box 18 (Payments to subcontractors). TradeTally does not currently produce a stand-alone CIS invoice document showing the deduction to the contractor — raise the invoice through the contractor's requested format and record the payment in TradeTally so the deduction flows through to your tax figures.

Question 2

Can I file my CIS300 monthly return from TradeTally?

Accepted Answer

No. TradeTally is the invoicing, expense, and tax-prep layer — it does not file CIS300 returns or verify subcontractors with HMRC. Use HMRC's CIS online service for monthly returns and verification. TradeTally keeps your records in a format that's easy to transfer when you need to.

Question 3

I'm a subcontractor. How do I record the CIS my contractor has taken from me?

Accepted Answer

When you raise an invoice in TradeTally, add the CIS deduction as a separate line or note against the payment. TradeTally tracks the gross and net figures. At year-end your SA103F export shows the turnover in box 15-16 and the deductible CIS amount in the right place. You'll still need to enter the total CIS deductions from your monthly CIS statements into your SA100 return for HMRC to credit against your tax bill.

Question 4

Does the 20% or 30% rate get calculated automatically?

Accepted Answer

Set each subcontractor's CIS status (registered 20%, unregistered 30%, gross payment 0%) in their record. When you log a payment, record the labour amount and the materials amount. TradeTally applies the deduction based on the subcontractor's status — you stay in control of the inputs, the calculation is mechanical but explicit.

Question 5

What about reverse charge VAT on CIS invoices?

Accepted Answer

If you're VAT-registered and the work falls under the domestic reverse charge for construction, set the relevant line's VAT rate to 0% and add the reverse charge wording to the description. TradeTally supports standard, zero, and exempt VAT rates on every line — the reverse charge still appears in your VAT figures correctly.

Question 6

Can I import my old spreadsheet of CIS payments?

Accepted Answer

Yes — log subcontractor payments as Expenses with the category set to SUBCONTRACTOR. The CIS deduction flows into the year-end SA103F box 18 summary automatically.

Category	Example	CIS treatment	SA103F box
Subcontractor payments	Plumber pays carpenter £1,000 labour + £200 materials	Deduct 20% (registered) / 30% (unregistered) from £1,000	Box 18 (Payments to subcontractors)
Materials	Merchant receipt for copper pipe	Not subject to CIS	Box 17 (Cost of goods)
Own labour (your own work)	Your hours on a site	Always excluded from CIS — it's your income	Box 15-16 (Turnover)
Vehicle / fuel	Van diesel, mileage	Not subject to CIS	Box 20 (Travel and subsistence)

CIS invoice software for UK contractors

How CIS work looks in TradeTally

CIS deductions and the SA103F box map

Related guides and tools

Start tracking CIS deductions the right way