Guides for UK tradespeople
Practical guides on running your business. Cash flow, late payments, and the stuff no one explains properly.
All guides
How to claim a CIS tax refund
Why most CIS subcontractors are owed money back, how the refund is worked out, how your expenses raise it, and how to claim it through Self Assessment.
Read guide→Updated July 2026 · 7 min readSelf-employed tax explained: what a sole trader pays
How Income Tax and National Insurance work for a UK sole trader, the rates and bands, why expenses cut your bill, and how much to set aside so it is never a shock.
Read guide→Updated July 2026 · 7 min readThe VAT domestic reverse charge for construction, explained
What the domestic reverse charge is, when it applies to your construction invoices, the end user rule that trips everyone up, and the exact wording HMRC wants on the invoice.
Read guide→Updated July 2026 · 8 min readWhy UK tradespeople get paid late, and how to stop it
The five reasons UK trades get paid late, the fix for each, and the legal escalation path for when prevention fails.
Read guide→Updated May 2026 · 12 min readHow to write payment terms that actually get you paid
The four clauses that get UK tradespeople paid on time: deposit, payment timeframe, late payment interest, and a stop-work clause. With sample wording and where the clauses need to live.
Read guide→Updated May 2026 · 8 min readWhat to do when an invoice goes unpaid
The chase sequence that gets UK tradespeople paid: the friendly nudge, the follow-up, the formal demand, and the legal escalation path with sample wording.
Read guide→Updated May 2026 · 10 min readHow to chase a friend or referral for payment
How to chase a friend, family member, or word-of-mouth referral for an unpaid invoice without losing the relationship. How to separate the work from the relationship, the first message to send, and when to treat them like any other customer.
Read guide→Updated May 2026 · 9 min readHow to send a letter before action for an unpaid invoice
What a letter before action must contain, when to send one, and the detail that changes everything: whether the customer is an individual or a limited company. With the statutory interest you can claim.
Read guide→Updated June 2026 · 9 min readLess admin.
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