One 2026 fee guide puts a sole trader's tax return at £200 to £350 plus VAT. Routine garden work is outside CIS, so in our reading seasonal takings, plant hire and VAT shape a landscaper's price more than CIS.
There is no official price list; Accotax calls its figures market ranges, not HMRC-set prices. The figures below come from firms' own fee guides and price pages, and from ByteStart, a publisher that works with partner firms, all checked on 18 October 2026. They have a commercial interest, so treat them as the going rate, not a quote.
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What landscapers are quoted
| Source and date | What it covers | Price as published | Including VAT at 20% |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleek fee guide, updated 11 September 2026 | Sole trader return | £200 to £350 + VAT | £240 to £420 |
| Accotax fee guide, 17 August 2026 | Basic return: one or two income sources, organised information | £150 to £300 + VAT | £180 to £360 |
| Accotax fee guide, 17 August 2026 | Freelancer or contractor return; CIS named as a price factor | £200 to £500 + VAT | £240 to £600 |
| ByteStart cost guide, updated 25 September 2026 | One-off return | £150 to £300, VAT not stated | Not stated |
| ByteStart cost guide | Monthly package with VAT and support | £50 to £100+ a month, VAT not stated | Not stated |
| Gorilla Accounting, MTD Comply, checked 18 October 2026 | Software, quarterly updates and the tax return; listed as ideal for non-VAT registered businesses | From £49 + VAT, sold as a fixed monthly fee | From £58.80 a month |
| Gorilla Accounting, MTD Complete, checked 18 October 2026 | Adds year-end accounts and VAT returns; listed as ideal for VAT-registered businesses | From £79 + VAT, sold as a fixed monthly fee | From £94.80 a month |
Sleek says filing close to the 31 January deadline can add a £50 to £150 rush fee, and that cloud accounting software used all year pulls the fee down by £50 to £100.
What drives the price for a landscaper
HMRC's manual puts routine landscaping and gardening outside CIS unless it is part of a wider construction project. A homeowner paying you direct is not a contractor whatever you build.
| What you have | Why it adds work |
|---|---|
| Garden rounds for householders | No CIS, but many small payments, each recorded as income. |
| Hard landscaping for a builder or developer | Walls, drives and patios are inside CIS even as routine landscaping, and so is landscaping that finishes a new build. A contractor takes 20% if you are registered and they can verify you, 30% if not, or nothing if you have gross payment status. Where it takes a deduction, it must give you a statement within 14 days of the end of each tax month. |
| Fencing | A one-off fence with posts set in concrete is inside CIS; one with posts driven into the ground is not. Any fencing on a wider building project is inside. |
| Mixed contracts | CIS 340 says if a contract includes some CIS work, every payment under it comes within the scheme, even on separate invoices. |
| Hired diggers and plant | On a CIS job, plant you hire from a third party, and its fuel, can be treated as materials when the deduction is worked out. Plant you own cannot, even on hire purchase. |
| Paying a digger driver or another landscaper | Hiring plant with an operator is CIS work. In our reading, paying for it for construction work, even on a homeowner's patio, makes you a contractor, with checks and monthly returns of your own. |
| VAT registration | You must register once taxable turnover for the last 12 months goes over £90,000, or if you expect it to in the next 30 days alone. In our reading, plants, turf and slabs you charge for count as well as your labour. |
| Making Tax Digital | Over £50,000 of qualifying income (income before costs) in 2024-25 meant starting on 6 April 2026; over £30,000 in 2025-26 means 6 April 2027; over £20,000 in 2026-27 means 6 April 2028. Quarterly updates are then due every 3 months for each business. |
Seasonal work does not change the timetable. GOV.UK says you must still send a quarterly update for a period with no income or expenses. The full CIS line for garden work is in does CIS apply to landscaping and gardening.
Fixed fee or a share of your refund
If all your work is for householders, no CIS is taken, so there is no CIS refund to share. If a developer does take deductions, GOV.UK says you record pay before deductions as income and the deductions as CIS deductions on your tax return, and HMRC pays back any refund due. Once you are in Making Tax Digital, you cannot claim the refund in the MTD tax return itself; you request it separately through your HMRC online services account. GOV.UK says you do not need an agent to claim a tax refund. Our CIS refund companies comparison lists dated, fixed fees.
Can you claim the fee back?
Partly. GOV.UK says accountancy fees can be allowable when you hire an accountant only for business reasons, but you cannot claim the cost of preparing and submitting your Self Assessment tax return. HMRC's manual allows the normal recurring cost of preparing your business accounts. It says the cost of completing a tax return is not allowable. In our reading, if one fee covers both, only the business accounts part counts.
What this means for you
In our reading, if you mostly maintain gardens for householders, are not VAT registered and record each payment as it comes in, a fee near the bottom of the ranges above is realistic. If you also build for developers under CIS, pay others or are VAT registered, expect the upper end or a monthly package. Either way, the figures on your return are your responsibility.
Steps to get a fair price
- Use the free MTD check to see whether and when MTD starts for you.
- Split last year's work into householder jobs and jobs paid by builders or developers.
- Gather any CIS statements, and plant hire receipts matched to each CIS job.
- Note whether you paid anyone else for CIS work, such as a digger with a driver.
- Check how close materials and labour bring you to £90,000.
- Ask at least two firms for a written yearly price in pounds, including VAT, that says whether quarterly updates are covered.
See what landscapers can claim, the best MTD software for landscapers and how to sign up for MTD as a landscaper. The trades section has more guides.
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Questions people ask
How much does an accountant charge a landscaper for a tax return?
Sleek's 2026 fee guide puts a sole trader return at £200 to £350 plus VAT, which is £240 to £420 with VAT at 20%. Accotax puts a basic return with one or two income sources and organised information at £150 to £300 plus VAT. These are firms' own figures, not an independent survey.
Does CIS apply to garden maintenance?
Not on its own. HMRC's manual excludes routine landscaping, gardening and tree surgery not done as part of a wider construction project, and CIS 340 says private householders are not contractors. Walls, drives and patios built for a contractor are inside CIS even as routine landscaping.
Does hiring a mini digger lower my CIS deduction?
It can, on a CIS job. CIS 340 says plant you hire from a third party, with fuel it needs, can be treated as materials when the contractor works out the deduction. Plant you own cannot, though its fuel can, and HMRC's manual says buying plant on hire purchase does not change that.
Do I still send a quarterly update in a quiet winter?
Yes, once you are in Making Tax Digital. GOV.UK says that if you have no income or expenses in an update period, you must still send your quarterly update to tell HMRC.
Can I claim my accountant's fee as a business expense?
Partly. GOV.UK says accountancy fees can be allowable when you hire an accountant only for business reasons, but you cannot claim the cost of preparing and submitting your Self Assessment tax return. HMRC's manual allows the normal recurring cost of preparing your business accounts, but not the cost of completing a tax return.
Sources
- CISR14200: The Scheme: construction operations: landscaping (HMRC manual, checked 18 October 2026)
- CISR14140: The Scheme: construction operations: fencing (HMRC manual, checked 18 October 2026)
- CISR14260: The Scheme: construction operations: plant hire (HMRC manual, checked 18 October 2026)
- Construction Industry Scheme: a guide for contractors and subcontractors (CIS 340), sections 2.2, 2.3, 3.14, A.4 and A.21 (GOV.UK, checked 18 October 2026)
- What you must do as a CIS subcontractor: Get paid (GOV.UK, checked 18 October 2026)
- What you must do as a CIS subcontractor: Pay tax and claim back deductions (GOV.UK, checked 18 October 2026)
- Use Making Tax Digital for Income Tax: Send quarterly updates (GOV.UK, checked 18 October 2026)
- Use Making Tax Digital for Income Tax: Submit your tax return (GOV.UK, checked 18 October 2026)
- Use Making Tax Digital for Income Tax: Help and support (GOV.UK, checked 18 October 2026)
- Find out if and when you need to use Making Tax Digital for Income Tax (GOV.UK, checked 18 October 2026)
- Register for VAT: When to register for VAT (GOV.UK, checked 18 October 2026)
- Expenses if you're self-employed: Legal and financial costs (GOV.UK, checked 18 October 2026)
- BIM46450: Specific deductions: professional fees: taxation account and negotiations (HMRC manual, checked 18 October 2026)
- How to choose a tax agent (GOV.UK, checked 18 October 2026)
- Accotax: How much do accountants charge for tax returns in the UK? (17 August 2026, checked 18 October 2026)
- Sleek: How much do accountants charge for Self Assessment in 2026? (updated 11 September 2026, checked 18 October 2026)
- ByteStart: How much should you pay for an accountant if you're self-employed? (updated 25 September 2026, checked 18 October 2026)
- Gorilla Accounting: MTD packages (checked 18 October 2026)
This is general information to help you understand the rules. It isn't tailored to your circumstances, so check your own position before acting on it.
Righto Tax is a trading name of NJG Consultancy Ltd, registered in England and Wales, company number 16095900. Registered office: Jubilee House, East Beach, Lytham St Annes, FY8 5FT.
What happens next
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