CIS | Gravesend
Lower Thames Crossing Work Is Coming: the Tax Moves Gravesend Subbies Should Make Now
For Gravesend and the DA postcodes, the Lower Thames Crossing is a generational event: years of civil engineering work mobilising right on the doorstep, alongside the ongoing Ebbsfleet build-out. The trades who sort their tax position before mobilisation will quietly bank thousands more than those who sort it after. Here is the to-do list.
Before your first invoice
- Verification at 20 per cent. Tier-one contractors run strict onboarding; mismatched details mean the 30 per cent emergency rate. Confirm your CIS registration and that your name and UTR match HMRC exactly.
- Tickets current: CSCS at your trade's level, NPORS or CPCS for plant, confined-space or working-at-height where relevant. Renewal costs are deductible.
- Clean up old years. Unfiled returns are best resolved before joining a high-profile supply chain; HMRC pays attention to major projects. Catch-ups usually end in refunds anyway.
From day one on the job
- Mileage log. Home to compounds, between work fronts, the merchants. Multi-year infrastructure engagements make travel the biggest line on the return: £4,000 to £6,000 of deductions per year is common.
- Statements filed monthly. Big contractors issue clean CIS paperwork; keep pace and April filing becomes same-week money.
- A tax pot if you win gross status. Established trades should consider applying: payment without deduction transforms cash flow on long engagements, provided a slice of every invoice goes aside for the bill.
From Ebbsfleet backlog to crossing-ready
A Gravesend groundworker moving onto early enabling works came to us with two unfiled years from his Ebbsfleet stretch. We filed both, recovered £7,200 against roughly £700 of surviving penalties, fixed his verification and set up his log. He started the new engagement clean, on 20 per cent, with the evidence file already running.
Estimate your position with the refund calculator, and see the local service at CIS accountant in Gravesend.
Frequently Asked Questions
I live in Gravesend but the work fronts move along the route. How does travel work?
Moving work fronts are classic temporary workplaces: home-to-front travel is generally allowable. Log each day's destination and the claim builds itself.
Will crossing charges to reach the job be claimable?
Business-journey crossings and tolls are claimable on top of mileage. Set the Dart Charge account to keep statements.
Agencies are recruiting for the project. Does agency CIS differ?
Same scheme: the agency verifies, deducts and issues statements. Multiple agencies just multiply the paperwork to gather; nothing else changes.
Is it worth going limited for a long infrastructure engagement?
Sometimes, at the right profit level and engagement model. It brings admin, possible IR35 questions and VAT considerations. Run the numbers before deciding; we do this comparison for clients constantly.
What is the domestic reverse charge I keep hearing about?
A VAT rule between VAT-registered construction businesses where the customer accounts for the VAT. It mostly affects registered subbies invoicing contractors; labour-only trades under the VAT threshold can usually ignore it.
How early should I apply for gross payment status?
A few months before mobilisation is ideal: HMRC reviews compliance over the previous 12 months, so a clean recent record helps the application.
Do safety boots and wet gear really add up?
Across a year of PPE, renewals and consumables, trades typically build £300 to £800 of small claims. Photograph receipts as you go and it costs no effort.
Can you handle everything remotely while I'm on shifts?
Yes. WhatsApp the documents, calls around your shifts, and filings handled as your agent. Most Gravesend clients never need to visit anyone.
Mobilising for the crossing or Ebbsfleet?
Fifteen minutes now sets up years of clean money: verification, records, gross status and a refund plan.
Or email info@yourtaxhelp.co.uk | CIS accountant in Gravesend
General guidance only. Not personal tax advice. Contact us for advice specific to your situation. Figures relate to the 2025/26 tax year unless otherwise stated.