KiQiCulatorsCIS tax refund calculator 2026/27
Contractors take 20% (or 30%) off your labour. See your real tax bill and whether HMRC owes you a refund.
Your business
Other income, student loan and more
Your tax bill
When to pay HMRC
Sole trader or limited company, side by side
The same profit through your own limited company, with the best salary and the rest as dividends.
Try other KiQiCulators
Leave my job?
Compare your job with working as a sole trader (with or without CIS) or through your own limited company, and see the day rate you need to earn the same.
Two directors
Two directors in one company, such as a couple: compare small salaries plus dividends with bigger salaries, and see the money left for the family and the total tax paid.
Sole trader or Ltd?
The same work two ways: sole trader against your own Ltd company, with running costs, use of home, CIS, rent and savings, the total tax each way and the point where a company starts to pay.
Payslip and salary
See what you take home after income tax, National Insurance, student loan and pension. Compare two salaries side by side.
P60 and tax refund
Put in the figures from your P60 or last payslip and see if HMRC owes you a refund or you still owe tax, with Gift Aid, mileage, uniform and work costs added in.
Self-employed
Your income tax, Class 4 National Insurance and the dates to pay HMRC, with payments on account worked out for you.
Company director
Work out the best mix of salary and dividends for 2026/27, with corporation tax, dividend tax and the dates to pay.
Compare
Put the same money through three ways of working and see which leaves you the most.
How it is worked out
- Contractors deduct CIS from the labour part of your invoices, not from materials.
- The deductions count towards your income tax and Class 4 National Insurance.
- Claiming all your expenses lowers your profit, which is usually what creates a refund.
Questions people ask
How much CIS refund will I get?
It is the CIS taken off during the year minus your actual tax and National Insurance on your profit. The calculator shows it above.
What CIS rate applies to me?
20% if you are registered for CIS, 30% if you are not, and 0% if you have gross payment status.
When can I claim my CIS refund?
After the tax year ends on 5 April, by filing your Self Assessment tax return. Filing early in the summer gets the refund sooner.
Want the real numbers?
These are estimates. Talk to a KiQi accountant about your own situation and the best way to pay yourself.
Estimates only, for UK taxpayers in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, using the rates for the tax year you pick at the top. Nothing you type leaves your browser. Not financial advice.