As a main contractor, you can record CIS tax withheld from subcontractors directly in your accounts software. The following steps are for the Standard VAT scheme. Follow our alternative article if you're on the Standard VAT scheme.
CAUTION: Manual CIS entries don’t meet CIS legal requirements. You need to track and report CIS obligations separately outside of your accounting software.
The Sage 50 CIS module is available as an add-on in Sage 50 Accounts. If you're interested in adding it, leave your details and we'll be in touch.
If you haven't already, you need to set up a supplier record for your subcontractor.
You also need a nominal code for CIS tax within the Current Liabilities section of the Chart of Accounts. If you already have this you can move onto the next section.
| N/C | Enter the new nominal code number, for example, 2150. |
|---|---|
| Name | Enter the name for the new nominal code, for example, CIS Tax. |
Example:
First, post the invoice from our subcontractor:
| A/C | Date | N/C | Details | Net | T/C | VAT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BROWN001 | Invoice Date | 6002 (subcontractors labour) | Labour Charges | 200.00 | T21 | 00.00 |
| BROWN001 | Invoice Date | 5000 (Materials) | Materials | 100.00 | T21 | 00.00 |
NOTE: The tax codes used here are an example only. Use the appropriate tax code for the VAT applied on the supplier invoice. CIS is deducted from the net element of the invoice.
That's our purchase invoice posted. Once we're ready to pay this, we move onto the following section.
We record the CIS tax withheld as a bank receipt. This offsets the supplier payment which we post for the full value of the supplier invoice to ensure the VAT Return is correct.
| Bank | Date | N/C | Details | Net | T/C | VAT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bank account | Date of receipt | 2150 (CIS Tax Withheld) | CIS Tax Withheld | 40.00 | T9 | 0.00 |
The bank account must be the same as the bank account used for the supplier payment.
TIP: If you want the CIS tax withheld to appear on your supplier record, instead of a bank receipt you can post a purchase credit using the T9 tax code, and then refund it.
Although we don't pay the full value to the subcontractor, the supplier payment is posted for the full outstanding amount. This offsets the bank receipt posted in the previous section and ensures that the VAT Return is correct.
The postings now reflect the payment to your subcontractor and the CIS tax withheld.
To pay the CIS tax over to HMRC, post a bank payment.
| Bank | Date | N/C | Details | Net | T/C | Tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bank N/C | Payment Date | 2150 (CIS Tax) | CIS Tax withheld | 40.00 | T9 | 0.00 |
NOTE: The £60 VAT is paid to HMRC as part of the normal VAT Return process.