One 2026 fee guide puts a contractor's tax return at £200 to £500 plus VAT, naming CIS as a price factor. When a builder pays under CIS for labour-only plastering, the 20% deduction comes off almost the whole invoice.
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 plasterers are quoted
| Source and date | What it covers | Price as published | Including VAT at 20% |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accotax fee guide, 17 August 2026 | Freelancer or contractor return; CIS named as a price factor | £200 to £500 + VAT | £240 to £600 |
| Sleek fee guide, updated 11 September 2026 | Sole trader return | £200 to £350 + VAT | £240 to £420 |
| ByteStart cost guide, updated 25 September 2026 | One-off return | £150 to £300, VAT not stated | Not stated |
| ByteStart cost guide | Basic monthly package | £25 to £50 a month, VAT not stated | Not stated |
| Gorilla Accounting, MTD Comply, checked 18 October 2026 | Software, quarterly updates and the tax return; lists construction workers among those it suits | 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, VAT returns and help with CIS returns for up to 2 subcontractors; listed for construction workers who want CIS and MTD handled | From £79 + VAT, sold as a fixed monthly fee | From £94.80 a month |
Gorilla's page advertises a "Transparent, Fixed Monthly Fee", though its price boxes do not say "a month". If you never pay a labourer or another plasterer yourself, the CIS returns help in the higher package may be work you do not need.
What drives the price for a plasterer
Plastering has no entry of its own in CIS 340 or HMRC's index of CIS work. CIS covers the construction, alteration and repair of buildings, so in our reading plastering, dry lining and rendering paid for by a builder or other contractor are CIS work. A homeowner paying you direct is not a contractor.
| What you have | Why it adds work |
|---|---|
| Labour-only work for builders | A contractor takes 20% if you are registered and they can verify you, 30% if not, or nothing if you have gross payment status. With no materials to take off first, the deduction comes from nearly the whole price, and CIS 340 says travel and fuel a contractor pays you are included too. |
| Monthly statements | Each contractor that takes a deduction must give you a statement within 14 days of the end of each tax month. Every one is kept and the deductions totalled for your return. |
| Supply and fix jobs | Contractors do not deduct from materials you paid for directly, consumables, or plant you hired for the job, such as a mixer. They may ask for receipts. Plant you own cannot be taken off. |
| Your own labourer or another plasterer | Paying a subcontractor for construction work makes you a CIS contractor. GOV.UK says to check first whether they should be your employee instead. You must register, check each one with HMRC, usually make deductions and file monthly returns. |
| VAT registration | If you are VAT registered, the domestic reverse charge applies to standard or reduced-rated CIS work for a VAT-registered customer, unless it says in writing it is an end user or intermediary. |
| 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. |
| Untidy records or late years | Sleek says disorganised records or missing receipts add £100 to £300, and puts each missed year at £150 to £400 plus VAT. |
Fixed fee or a share of your refund
The 20% comes off your pay before your van, tools and £12,570 Personal Allowance are taken into account, so a labour-only plasterer can have more taken than they owe. CIS deductions are advance payments towards your tax. GOV.UK says you record total pay before deductions as income and the total deductions as CIS deductions on your tax return, and HMRC pays back any refund due.
Once you are in Making Tax Digital, HMRC adds the CIS deductions it holds to your MTD tax return for you to check. You cannot claim the refund in that return; you request it separately through your HMRC online services account. A percentage-of-refund fee grows with your refund, so a bigger refund means a bigger fee for the same return. GOV.UK says you do not need an agent to claim a tax refund. Our CIS refund companies comparison lists dated, fixed fees, and how much CIS refund you can expect helps you size it.
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, but not the cost of completing a tax return. In our reading, if one fee covers both, only the business accounts part counts.
What this means for you
In our reading, if you work labour-only for one or two builders, keep every statement and are not VAT registered, a fixed fee near the bottom of the ranges above is realistic, and you can file the return yourself. If you pay a labourer, are VAT registered or have years of refunds to catch up, 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.
- Gather a year of CIS statements and check each one against your invoices.
- Keep merchant and hire receipts for any job where you supplied materials or hired a mixer.
- Note whether you pay a labourer or another plasterer, or are VAT registered.
- Ask at least two firms for a written yearly price in pounds, including VAT, and what a share-of-refund fee would come to in pounds.
- Check the price covers your quarterly updates once MTD starts.
See what plasterers can claim, the best MTD software for plasterers and the trades section.
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Questions people ask
How much does an accountant charge a plasterer for a tax return?
Accotax's 2026 fee guide puts a freelancer or contractor return at £200 to £500 plus VAT, which is £240 to £600 with VAT at 20%, and names CIS as one of the things that affects the price. It is a firm's own guide, not an independent survey.
Is plastering covered by CIS?
CIS 340 and HMRC's index of CIS work do not name plastering. CIS covers the construction, alteration and repair of buildings, so in our reading plastering paid for by a builder or other contractor is CIS work. A homeowner paying you direct is not a contractor.
Why is CIS taken from almost all of my invoice?
Contractors do not deduct from VAT, materials you paid for directly, consumables or plant you hired for the job. If you supply only your labour, there is little to take off first. CIS 340's labour-only example is £200 of work, £40 deducted and £160 paid.
Should I pay a fixed fee or a share of my CIS refund?
A fixed fee in pounds is easier to compare. A percentage fee grows with your refund, so the bigger the refund, the more you pay for the same return. GOV.UK says to check how much an agent charges and how and when you pay, so ask for the fee in pounds before you sign.
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
- Construction Industry Scheme: a guide for contractors and subcontractors (CIS 340), sections 2.2, 2.3, 3.11 to 3.14, Appendix B and Appendix D (GOV.UK, checked 18 October 2026)
- CISR14330: The Scheme: construction operations: index of construction operations (HMRC manual, 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)
- What you must do as a CIS contractor (GOV.UK, checked 18 October 2026)
- Income Tax rates and Personal Allowances (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)
- Use Making Tax Digital for Income Tax: Send quarterly updates (GOV.UK, checked 18 October 2026)
- Check when you must use the VAT domestic reverse charge for building and construction services (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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