Real Client Story
How we got a Leyton CIS scaffolder £6,400 back across two years
Client M is a self-employed scaffolder working CIS for contractors on sites across East London, including the ongoing development around the Olympic Park. He'd had 20% deducted at source for two years and filed nothing, accumulating HMRC penalty notices while genuine refunds went unclaimed.
We acted quickly. We reconstructed his income from CIS payment statements and bank records, captured his legitimate expenses (van costs via the mileage method, tools and equipment, PPE, materials, phone, CSCS card), and filed both years' self-assessments showing the refunds due. We wrote to HMRC requesting cancellation of the late filing penalties, since the returns showed refunds, no tax had been lost, and got them substantially reduced.
Total outcome: refund of £6,400 across the two years, late filing penalties substantially reduced because the returns showed refunds rather than tax owed, and an ongoing simple process with prompt annual refund filing.