CIS | Acton
Starting at Old Oak Common? The Tax Checklist Every Acton Subbie Should Finish Before the First Invoice
Old Oak Common is the biggest construction project in Britain, and for Acton trades it is a career-defining stretch of work right on the doorstep. Tier-one contractors, long engagements, proper money. It is also where small tax mistakes compound for years. Five tasks, finished before your first invoice, protect the whole engagement.
1. Verify before you invoice
The contractor must verify you with HMRC before first payment. If your details do not match, deductions start at 30 per cent instead of 20, and on big-project money that is serious cash parked with HMRC until your next return. Confirm your CIS registration is active and your name and UTR exactly match HMRC's record. Changed address or gone limited recently? Update HMRC first.
2. Know your UTR cold
Onboarding teams process hundreds of starters; a transposed digit puts you on the emergency rate. Carry the UTR in your phone, give it in writing, and check the first payment statement shows 20 per cent.
3. Start the mileage log on day one
Home to compound, compound to work fronts, the merchants: over a multi-year engagement this is thousands of pounds of deductions. Day one discipline beats year-end archaeology. A simple app entry per day is enough.
4. Build the records habit
One folder: every payment and deduction statement as issued, every receipt photographed the day it happens (PPE, tools, tickets, parking). Tier-one paperwork is excellent, which makes your end easy if you keep pace monthly.
5. Check your tickets before onboarding does
CSCS at the right level, NPORS or CPCS current if you touch plant, first aid in date. Renewals you pay for are claimable; lapsed tickets cost you start dates, which is far worse.
Going limited for the engagement? Get advice first. The day-rate maths changes with company admin, possible IR35 questions on some engagement models, and VAT registration. Sometimes the company wins, sometimes the sole trade does; it depends on your numbers, not the site gossip.
Estimate what proper expense capture is worth with the refund calculator, and see the local service at CIS accountant in Acton.
Frequently Asked Questions
My deductions jumped to 30 per cent when I switched contractor on site. Why?
A new contractor must verify you afresh; if the details mismatch, 30 per cent applies until fixed. The excess is recovered through your return, and we fix the verification so it stops.
Is travel to one big site for years really claimable?
While the workplace is genuinely temporary (your engagement there has a foreseeable end and your trade pattern is site-to-site), home-to-site travel is generally allowable. Truly permanent one-site patterns can fail the test; we assess honestly per case.
The agency offered an umbrella arrangement. Good or bad?
Umbrella means PAYE employment with fees, not CIS. Sometimes unavoidable, often negotiable. Bring the paperwork before signing; the take-home difference can be large either way.
Can I claim lodging if I stay near the site some nights?
If your base is elsewhere and the stay is for the work, reasonable accommodation can be allowable. Patterns matter; keep the receipts and we will judge it properly.
Do I need a business bank account?
Not legally as a sole trader, but practically yes: clean separation makes records, claims and any HMRC questions ten times easier. Free business accounts exist; we point clients to suitable ones.
What insurance do I need on a tier-one site?
Most require personal or public liability at specified levels; specialist trades may need more. The premiums are fully deductible business costs.
Should I register for VAT for a big engagement?
Only when turnover requires it or there is a clear advantage. Labour-only subbies under the threshold usually should not volunteer. The domestic reverse charge changes how construction VAT flows, so take advice before registering.
How fast can you set all this up for me?
Verification fixes and registrations typically complete inside a week or two; the records system in one call. Start before onboarding week and the whole checklist is painless.
Mobilising for Old Oak Common?
Do the 15-minute call before your first invoice. Verification checked, records set up, rate confirmed, refund maximised from day one.
Or email info@yourtaxhelp.co.uk | CIS accountant in Acton
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.