What is CIS?

The Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) is a set of tax rules for workers in construction. The company you work for deducts 20% tax from your pay and sends it to HMRC, making sure its tracked under your name. The remaining 80% is then paid to you as normal.

This might sound unfair but it actually means you take home more pay than Umbrella and PAYE workers because you don't pay National Insurance (NI) payments up front. 🚀

Claiming Expenses

CIS workers claim all their work related expenses (like fuel, tools and uniforms) at the end of the year, meaning most workers get a tax rebate each April. 💪


You can claim for

  • Fuel costs for work-related travel.
  • Mileage claims for using your personal vehicle for work.
  • Public transport costs for getting to and from job sites (buses, trains, etc.).
  • Tolls, parking fees, and congestion charges.

  • Meals or food expenses (if you are working away from home for long hours or multiple days).
  • Accommodation costs (if you are required to stay overnight near a job site).

  • Protective gear like hard hats, safety boots, and hi-vis jackets.
  • Work uniforms, if required by the job.
  • Workwear cleaning costs.

  • Qualifications, courses and traning fees.

  • Phone bills
  • Printing, postage, and stationery.
  • Accounting fees or costs associated with managing your finances.

  • Replacement tools.
  • Tool and equipment repair and maintenance costs.
  • Equipment hire (e.g. power tools).

  • Construction materials used in your work (e.g., bricks, cement, wood).
  • Consumables like nails, screws, adhesives, and paints.

  • Business insurance.
  • Bank charges for business accounts.
  • Advertising, like business cards or flyers.

At Raven, we legally maximise your expenses and have partnered with Shoeboxed™ allowing you to track expenses daily and make sure never miss a claim.

The app is available on both Android and iOS.


With CIS you have more control over your income and expenses. Raven is here to help you understand your pay, not hide it from you.

What is happening to Umbrella Payroll?

CIS and Umbrella are different ways of getting paid. If you get paid by Umbrella and don't fully understand your pay, things will become much simpler with CIS.


With CIS

✅   You are self-employed with control over your own income and expenses.
✅   You only pay 20% tax upfront.
✅   You can legally claim back unlimited work-related expenses at the end of the year.
✅   Millions of people in the UK are paid by CIS each week.
✅   It has been the best option for construction workers since 1971, so the rules don't change.

With Umbrella

❌   You are an employee without any control over your income.
❌   You pay Tax, National Insurance (NI), and umbrella fees up front.
❌   You are often limited to a certain amount of expense claims.
❌   High expense claims can be treated as tax avoidance.
❌   The rules keep changing because some umbrellas are considered high-risk by HMRC.

Many industries are moving away from Umbrella payroll because it puts workers at risk of problems with unpaid tax.

Say Hello 👋 to your new team.


We are Raven and over the last 30 years we have helped thousands of CIS workers with their income and expenses.

Our standard fee is just £25 and includes everything you need to get paid and manage your finances properly.