Part 7 of 10 in the Ultimate Guide to Running a Trade Business series.
Previously: Part 6 - Systems That Scale

Tax, VAT & Compliance: The Stuff HMRC Won't Tell You (Until It's Too Late)

26 January 2026 16 min read Tax & Compliance

The expensive reality:

£8,400

Average amount UK contractors overpay in tax annually due to not claiming legitimate expenses.

And another £2,000-5,000 in penalties for late filing or mistakes.

HMRC won't ring you up to say "Hey, you forgot to claim that van insurance—here's £280 back!" They're perfectly happy for you to overpay. And they're very interested when you underpay.

This guide shows you how to navigate UK tax law without needing an accounting degree—what you can claim, what you can't, when to register for VAT, how Self Assessment actually works, and the mistakes that cost contractors thousands.

Disclaimer: This is guidance, not advice. Tax law changes. When in doubt, speak to an accountant. But this will stop you making the expensive mistakes.

Sole Trader vs Limited Company: The Tax Decision

Most contractors start as sole traders. Some eventually switch to limited companies. Here's when each makes sense:

Factor	Sole Trader	Limited Company
Annual profit	Best if under £50,000	Tax efficient above £50,000
Setup cost	£0 (just register with HMRC)	£12-100 (Companies House + accountant)
Annual accountancy	£300-800	£800-2,000
Admin burden	Low (Self Assessment once a year)	High (monthly payroll, annual accounts, Corporation Tax, confirmation statement)
Tax on £40k profit	~£7,432 (Income Tax + NI)	~£6,200 (Corporation Tax + dividends)
Tax on £70k profit	~£19,432	~£13,950
Liability	Unlimited (you personally liable)	Limited (company liable, not you personally*)
Perceived credibility	Fine for most residential work	Better for commercial contracts

* Personal guarantee often required for business loans/credit, which negates limited liability protection.

The £50,000 Crossover Point

Sole trader making £50,000 profit:

Income Tax: £7,486
National Insurance: £5,096
Total tax: £12,582 (25.2%)

Limited company making £50,000 profit:

Corporation Tax (19%): £9,500
Dividend Tax (after salary): ~£1,500
Total tax: £11,000 (22%)

Saving: £1,582/year

But... Limited company costs £1,200-1,500 more in accountancy fees. So you're roughly break-even at £50k.

Above £60k profit? Limited company saves serious money.

When to Switch

Stay sole trader if:

Profit under £50,000/year
You value simplicity over marginal tax savings
Residential customers only (they don't care about Ltd)

Switch to limited company if:

Profit consistently over £60,000/year
Working with commercial clients (they prefer Ltd companies)
Want asset protection (though it's not bulletproof)

Tax Deadlines That Cost You Money

Miss these and you'll pay penalties. HMRC doesn't care that you were busy.

Critical Tax Deadlines (Sole Traders)

5 October: Register for Self Assessment (if you started trading this tax year)
Penalty: £100 if late
31 October: Deadline for paper tax returns (don't use paper, use online)
Nobody uses this anymore—just file online
31 January: Online Self Assessment deadline + payment for last year's tax + first payment on account for current year
Penalty: £100 immediately, then £10/day after 3 months, plus 5% interest on unpaid tax
31 July: Second payment on account for current year
Penalty: 5% of unpaid amount if late

The Payment on Account Trap

This catches new contractors every year. Here's how it works:

Example: You made £40,000 profit in tax year 2024/25. Your tax bill is £8,000.

31 January 2026: You pay £8,000 (for 2024/25) plus £4,000 (first payment on account for 2025/26). Total: £12,000.

31 July 2026: You pay another £4,000 (second payment on account for 2025/26).

31 January 2027: You settle up (if actual 2025/26 tax was higher/lower) plus first payment on account for 2026/27.

This means you're paying 1.5 years of tax within 12 months. Contractors who don't plan for this go bust.

Allowable Expenses: What You Can Actually Claim

Every pound you claim as an expense reduces your taxable profit by £1, saving you 20-45p in tax (depending on your tax bracket).

Golden rule: You can claim anything that's "wholly and exclusively" for business purposes.

Expense	Fully Claimable?	Notes
Van purchase/lease	✅ YES (if business only)	Can't claim if used for personal journeys
Van insurance	✅ YES	Business van insurance fully deductible
Van fuel	⚠️ PARTIAL	Business miles only (45p/mile first 10k miles, 25p thereafter) OR actual costs if 100% business use
Van servicing/repairs	✅ YES	Fully deductible
Tools & equipment	✅ YES	Every drill, saw, meter, ladder—claim it all
Materials for jobs	✅ YES	Only if customer pays you for them (included in job price)
Trade clothing/PPE	✅ YES	Hi-vis, steel toe boots, branded workwear—all claimable
Mobile phone	⚠️ PARTIAL	Business proportion only (e.g., 80% if mostly business use)
Accountancy fees	✅ YES	Fully deductible
Professional subscriptions	✅ YES	NICEIC, Gas Safe, trade body memberships—all claimable
Insurance	✅ YES	Public liability, professional indemnity, employers' liability
Marketing/advertising	✅ YES	Website, business cards, van signage, ads—all claimable
Software subscriptions	✅ YES	HiveSuite, Xero, Microsoft 365—business software fully deductible
Training/courses	✅ YES	18th Edition, Part P, health & safety—improving existing skills
Home office	⚠️ PARTIAL	£6/week simplified expenses (£312/year) OR actual proportion of bills
Lunch/food	❌ NO	You'd eat anyway—not allowable (unless entertaining clients, then still no for sole traders)
Gym membership	❌ NO	Personal benefit, not allowable
Commuting	❌ NO	Home to first job is commuting (not deductible). Job to job is deductible.

Home Office: Simplified vs Actual Costs

Simplified expenses (easiest): £6/week if you work from home regularly = £312/year.

Actual costs (more accurate):

Calculate % of home used for business (e.g., 1 room of 6 = 16.7%)
Claim that % of: mortgage interest (not capital), council tax, utilities, internet, home insurance
Example: £1,200/month housing costs × 16.7% × 12 months = £2,400/year

Most contractors use simplified expenses (£312/year) because it's not worth the admin.

Record Keeping: The Boring Bit That Saves You Thousands

HMRC can investigate you up to 6 years back. If you can't prove expenses, they disallow them. Then you owe tax, interest, and penalties.

What to Keep (And For How Long)

Invoices to customers: Keep for 6 years minimum
Proof of income, VAT evidence (if registered)
Receipts for expenses: Keep for 6 years
Photo them with phone, save digitally (in case paper fades)
Bank statements: Keep for 6 years
Shows money in/out, backs up income/expense claims
Mileage log: Keep for 6 years if claiming mileage
Date, destination, purpose, miles. Apps like MileIQ automate this.
CIS deduction statements: Keep forever
Proof you paid tax already (needed for Self Assessment)

The Easy Way

Use an app to photograph receipts as you get them:

Dext (formerly Receipt Bank): £9/month, auto-categorises
Xero/QuickBooks: Built-in receipt capture
Even just Google Photos: Create "Business Receipts 2026" album, dump everything there

Takes 10 seconds per receipt. Saves thousands if HMRC investigates.

VAT: When to Register (And When Not To)

VAT registration is mandatory once your turnover exceeds £90,000 in any 12-month period (as of 2024/25). But should you register voluntarily before that?

Scenario	Register for VAT?	Why
Turnover under £50k, mostly homeowners	❌ NO	Adds 20% to your prices, homeowners can't reclaim it, you'll lose work
Turnover £60-90k, mostly homeowners	❌ NO	Same reason—stay below threshold if possible
Mostly commercial/VAT-registered customers	✅ YES	They reclaim VAT anyway, doesn't affect your competitiveness, and you reclaim VAT on materials/van/tools
High material costs (£20k+ annually)	✅ MAYBE	You reclaim 20% VAT on materials, but customers pay 20% more—run the numbers
Approaching £90k threshold	✅ YES (you have to)	Register before you hit it to avoid penalty

VAT: The Maths

Example: Electrician, £70k turnover, £15k material costs, serving homeowners

NOT VAT registered:

Customer pays: £70,000
Materials cost you: £15,000
Your gross profit: £55,000

VAT registered:

Customer pays: £84,000 (£70k + 20% VAT)
You pay HMRC: £14,000 (£84k VAT collected)
You reclaim VAT on materials: £2,500 (20% of £15k)
Net VAT payment to HMRC: £11,500
Your gross profit: £55,000 (same as before)

Result: You're neutral, but customers now pay £84k instead of £70k. If they're homeowners (can't reclaim VAT), you've just priced yourself 20% higher than competitors.

Conclusion: Only register for VAT if customers don't care (commercial) or you're forced to (over £90k).

The Flat Rate VAT Scheme

If you do register for VAT, consider the Flat Rate Scheme:

You charge customers 20% VAT as normal
But you only pay HMRC a flat % (e.g., 12% for building/construction trades)
You keep the difference (8% in this example)
Downside: Can't reclaim VAT on purchases (except capital assets over £2,000)

Works well if: Low material costs (mostly labour). Doesn't work if: High material costs.

CIS (Construction Industry Scheme): What You Need to Know

If you're a subcontractor working for main contractors, you'll encounter CIS. It's HMRC's way of ensuring tax gets paid in the construction industry.

CIS: The Basics

How it works: Contractor deducts 20% or 30% from your payment, pays it to HMRC on your behalf
Standard rate (20%): If you're registered with HMRC for CIS
Higher rate (30%): If you're not registered (don't let this happen)
Gross payment status: No deductions if you meet criteria (turnover £30k+, good compliance record). Apply for this if eligible.
CIS statements: Contractor gives you monthly statement showing deductions. Keep these—you need them for Self Assessment.
Getting tax back: CIS deductions count as tax already paid. If you've overpaid, HMRC refunds you after Self Assessment.

Get Gross Payment Status

If you've been trading 12+ months, have turnover over £30k, and file tax returns on time, apply for gross payment status:

Contractors pay you in full (no 20% deduction)
Massively improves cash flow
You still pay tax normally via Self Assessment

Apply here: HMRC CIS gross payment application

Common Tax Mistakes That Cost £5,000+

Mistake 1: Not Claiming All Allowable Expenses

The error: Only claiming "big" expenses (van, tools), forgetting hundreds of small ones (PPE, software, subscriptions, mileage).

The cost: £3,000-5,000 in unclaimed expenses = £600-2,000 overpaid tax annually.

The fix: Claim everything. Every receipt. Every mile. Every subscription.

Mistake 2: Missing the Payment on Account Deadline

The error: Paying 31 January tax bill, forgetting 31 July payment on account.

The cost: 5% penalty on unpaid amount + daily interest.

The fix: Set calendar reminders. Put 25-30% of every payment into tax savings account.

Mistake 3: Not Registering for CIS

The error: Working as subcontractor without CIS registration.

The cost: 30% deducted instead of 20% = 10% extra deduction on every payment.

The fix: Register for CIS before doing any subcontractor work.

Mistake 4: Mixing Personal and Business Money

The error: Using one bank account for everything, can't separate business expenses from personal spending.

The cost: Can't prove business expenses, HMRC disallows them, you pay tax on higher profit.

The fix: Separate business bank account. Non-negotiable.

Mistake 5: Filing Late

The error: Missing 31 January deadline because "I'll do it next week."

The cost: £100 immediately. Then £10/day after 3 months (£900 max). Then 5% of tax owed after 6 months.

The fix: File in December. Seriously. Don't wait until January.

Accountant vs DIY: When to Get Help

Your Situation	Recommendation	Why
First year, simple sole trader, under £30k	DIY (use software)	Your tax situation is simple, software guides you through it, save £400
Established sole trader, £30-60k	Accountant (£400-600)	They'll find expenses you missed, optimise tax, handle Self Assessment, worth the cost
Limited company (any turnover)	Accountant (essential)	Corporation Tax, annual accounts, payroll—too complex to DIY safely
VAT registered	Accountant (recommended)	Quarterly VAT returns, penalties for mistakes, let accountant handle it
Multiple income streams	Accountant (essential)	Rental income, investments, multiple businesses—complexity requires expertise

Finding a Good Accountant

Don't just Google "cheap accountant"—you'll regret it.

Instead:

Ask other contractors who they use
Look for accountants specialising in trades/construction
Interview 2-3, ask about tax planning (not just compliance)
Check they use cloud software (Xero, QuickBooks) not spreadsheets
Expect to pay £600-1,200/year for sole trader, £1,200-2,000 for limited company

A good accountant saves you more than they cost.

The Bottom Line

Tax isn't exciting. But getting it wrong is expensive, stressful, and completely avoidable.

The essentials:

Separate business bank account (prevents 90% of record-keeping problems)
Claim every legitimate expense (saves £2,000-5,000 annually)
Set aside 25-30% of every payment for tax (prevents cash flow crises)
File Self Assessment in December, not January (avoids penalties)
Register for CIS before doing subcontractor work (saves 10% deductions)
Only register for VAT if customers don't care or you exceed £90k
Get an accountant once profit exceeds £30k (they'll pay for themselves)

HMRC isn't the enemy. They're just collecting what's owed. Pay the right amount (not more, not less), file on time, keep records, and you'll never have problems.

Tax compliance is boring. Tax investigations are terrifying. Choose boring.