Free CIS software
Yes, there is free CIS software: HMRC's own CIS online service. It verifies subbies and files your monthly CIS300, nil returns included. If you need to verify more than 50 subbies, GOV.UK says you'll need commercial CIS software. Statements to your subbies and your payment records are still yours to make.
What HMRC's free CIS online service does
Contractors sign in with their HMRC business tax account, with CIS added to it. The service lets you:
- verify a subbie before you pay them
- file the monthly CIS300 return
- tell HMRC you paid no subbies in a month
- amend a return you filed through the service
What CIS rules leave to you
You must give every subbie you took a deduction from a written statement within 14 days of the end of the tax month. It can go by email if you both agree and they can save and print it. GOV.UK's page for the online service lists filing returns and verifying subbies, and doesn't mention statements.
On or before each payment, you must record the gross amount, the cost of materials and the deduction, and keep your CIS records for at least 3 years after the end of the tax year.
See CIS payment and deduction statements for what a statement must show.
What CIS software adds
- the deduction and net worked out when you record a payment, with VAT and materials taken off first
- the CIS300 built from the payments you recorded that month, or a nil return when there were none
- payment and deduction statements made from each payment and emailed to your subbies
- a copy of every filed return with HMRC's receipt
- what you owe HMRC for each month
Moving from HMRC's CIS online service to software
Pick one way to file and stick with it. HMRC warns that filing through its service and software at the same time may overwrite returns, and its service can't amend a return that software sent.
CIS software prices compared
Prices as shown on each supplier's website on 13 October 2026, excluding VAT unless the row says otherwise. Check the supplier's page before you buy.
| Software | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 0s and 1s | £9 a month for 1 firm, £19 a month for up to 3 firms | Any number of subbies. No per-return or nil-return fees. 30-day free trial. |
| Payroo CIS | £5 a month for 1 to 2 subbies, £10 for 3 to 5, £15 for 6 to 9, £25 for 10 to 15, £30 for 16 to 20 | Counted by subbies on each month's CIS300. Verification included. |
| HardHatAdmin | £10 a month for up to 5 subbies, £20 a month for any number | Its FAQ gives these prices including VAT. Free for the first 60 days. Plans also cover accounts, VAT and payroll. |
| CIS Manager | £20 a month for up to 20 subbies paid, then £1 for each extra subbie | Charged on submitted and accepted returns. First month free. |
| Xero | £18 a month (Ignite) plus £5 a month to submit CIS returns | Accounting software. New customers get 90% off the plan for 6 months; the offer does not cover add-ons. |
| eFileReady | £2.50 a subbie on each return, at least £90 a month; £30 for each nil return | Set-up fee of £3 a subbie, up to £500. |
| Moneysoft Payroll Manager | £95 a year for one contractor and up to 20 employees or subbies; £190 a year for any number of contractors, up to 100 each | Windows 11 software you install. CIS verification and the monthly return are part of Payroll Manager; no separate CIS charge is listed. Free trial. |
| FreeAgent | £19 a month (sole traders) to £33 a month (limited companies); free with a qualifying NatWest, RBS, Ulster Bank or Mettle business account | Accounting software. Its CIS page says the CIS300 is exported as a PDF or CSV for filing elsewhere. |
Some cost less than 0s and 1s: Payroo for 1 or 2 subbies, HardHatAdmin for up to 5 (its £10 includes VAT), and Moneysoft's yearly Windows licence for up to 20.
HMRC lists recognised CIS software on GOV.UK: Find software suppliers for the Construction Industry Scheme.