One 2026 fee guide puts a contractor's tax return at £200 to £500 plus VAT, with CIS one thing that may affect it. If you work mostly for contractors, CIS statements, hired scaffold and the refund shape the price.
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 roofers 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 |
If you never pay subcontractors yourself, the CIS returns help in the higher package may be work you do not need.
What drives the price for a roofer
Roofing has no entry of its own in HMRC's index of CIS work. CIS covers the construction, alteration and repair of buildings, and the manual's own example of a mixed contract that is caught includes replacing broken roof tiles. In our reading, almost any roofing job paid for by a builder or roofing contractor is CIS work, though HMRC calls a broken gutter repair on its own normally excluded. A homeowner paying you direct is not a contractor.
| What you have | Why it adds work |
|---|---|
| CIS deductions on most jobs | 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, and every statement is totalled for your return. |
| Hired scaffold and towers | CIS 340 says plant you hire from a third party, such as scaffolding, can be treated as materials when the deduction is worked out. Plant you own cannot. That means keeping hire receipts job by job. |
| Paying a scaffolding firm to erect | Erecting and dismantling scaffolding is construction work, while hire without labour is not. Paying a firm to put scaffold up can make you a CIS contractor, with monthly returns of your own. |
| VAT registration | For VAT-registered businesses, GOV.UK says the domestic reverse charge applies to most standard and reduced rate construction services reported within CIS. It does not apply where the customer tells you in writing it is an end user or intermediary supplier. |
| 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
In our reading, this matters more when most of your work is paid under CIS. 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, and you cannot claim the refund in that return; it is requested separately.
A percentage-of-refund fee grows with your refund, so a roofer with a large refund pays more for the same return. GOV.UK says you do not need an agent to claim a tax refund, that an agent will charge fees for doing it, and to check how much they charge and how and when you pay. Our CIS refund companies comparison lists dated, fixed fees, and claiming a CIS refund without an accountant shows the do-it-yourself route.
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, though the extra personal cost is likely to be minimal if your other tax affairs are straightforward. 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 for one or two contractors, keep every statement and hire receipt, 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 scaffolders or other subcontractors, 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 count how many contractors paid you.
- Pull out hire shop receipts for scaffold and towers, matched to each job.
- Note whether you pay any scaffolders or other subcontractors, 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 roofers can claim, the best MTD software for roofers and the trades section.
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Questions people ask
How much does an accountant charge a roofer 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 roofing work covered by CIS?
HMRC's index of CIS work has no roofing entry, but CIS covers the construction, alteration and repair of buildings, and HMRC's manual uses replacing broken roof tiles as an example of work caught by the scheme. In our reading, roofing paid for by a builder or other contractor is CIS work, though HMRC calls a gutter repair on its own normally excluded. A homeowner paying you direct is not a contractor.
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.
Does hired scaffolding lower my CIS deduction?
It can. CIS 340 says plant you hire from a third party to do the work, such as scaffolding, can be treated as materials when the contractor works out the deduction. Plant you own cannot, though fuel it uses can. GOV.UK says contractors do not take deductions from amounts on your invoice for plant hired for the job, and may ask for evidence such as receipts.
Sources
- CISR14100: The Scheme: construction operations: buildings and structures (HMRC manual, checked 18 October 2026)
- CISR14090: The Scheme: construction operations: building service systems (HMRC manual, checked 18 October 2026)
- CISR14330: The Scheme: construction operations: index of construction operations (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 1.2, 2.3, 3.14, 4.2, C.2 and C.3 (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: Submit your tax return (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)
- VAT domestic reverse charge for building and construction services (GOV.UK, checked 18 October 2026)
- VAT domestic reverse charge technical guide (GOV.UK, checked 18 October 2026)
- Expenses if you're self-employed: Legal and financial costs (GOV.UK, checked 18 October 2026)
- BIM46450: 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.
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