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Specialist accountants for electricians.

Self-employed electricians working under CIS have 20% taken from their labour payments every month. Add up materials (cable, consumer units, accessories) that should be excluded from the deduction base, and many electricians are overpaying by several thousand pounds a year. That money is recoverable.

20%
Deducted on labour payments
~£2,000
Average first-year CIS refund
55p
Mileage rate per mile from April 2026

What makes electricians accounting different.

Separating materials from labour on invoices

CIS deductions apply only to the labour element of an invoice. Cable, consumer units, light fittings and other materials you supply are excluded. If your main contractor does not distinguish between the two on your deduction slips, you may be overpaying on every job. We review your statements and ensure the deduction base is correct.

Tools and equipment allowances

Electricians carry significant tool costs: testers, drills, cable pullers, ladders. Capital allowances let you deduct the cost of tools and equipment against your taxable income. The Annual Investment Allowance covers up to £1 million of qualifying expenditure per year at 100%.

Registration and verification issues

If a main contractor cannot verify your CIS status with HMRC, they are required to deduct at 30% rather than 20%. This often happens when electricians change trading name, address or UTR without updating HMRC. We identify and fix verification problems quickly.

What we do for electricians.

CIS refund calculation and claim

We calculate your full refund entitlement including all allowable expenses, check your deduction slips for incorrect base amounts, and submit your Self Assessment return. Most electricians receive their refund within 8 to 12 weeks.

Capital allowances on tools and equipment

We claim the correct capital allowances on tools, test equipment, ladders and vehicles. For larger equipment purchases, we ensure you are using the Annual Investment Allowance correctly.

CIS compliance and MTD

Ongoing Self Assessment, CIS records management, and Making Tax Digital preparation if your gross income exceeds £50,000 from April 2026.

Questions from electricians

I buy my own cable and accessories. Can I exclude these from CIS deductions?
Yes. The cost of materials you supply for a job is excluded from the CIS deduction base. Only the labour element is subject to the 20% deduction. If your contractor is taking the deduction from the full invoice value, you are overpaying and this is recoverable through Self Assessment.
Do I need to register for VAT as a self-employed electrician?
You must register for VAT if your taxable turnover exceeds £90,000 in any 12-month period. On domestic work, standard 20% VAT applies. On new-build residential work, the zero rate applies. The domestic reverse charge applies when you supply construction services to another VAT-registered contractor who is not the end user.

Talk to a specialist electricians accountant

Book a free call. We will talk through your CIS position, your deduction history and whether there is anything worth changing. No hard sell, no obligation.

Specialist in CIS and construction accounting, not a generalist practice
24-hour response guarantee
Fixed fees, quoted before we start

Book your free call

We respond within 24 hours and store your details securely.