Use our free umbrella CIS take-home pay and tax calculator to understand what you’ll actually take home when working through an umbrella company under the Construction Industry Scheme (CIS). This calculator provides a simple way to estimate your income after CIS tax and umbrella fees, so you can see what your pay might look like before it reaches your bank account. This calculator helps you work out exactly:
Whether you're paid weekly or monthly, and whether you're verified, unverified, or have gross payment status, this tool gives you instant clarity with no guesswork.
Fill in the same fields on your calculator. The right-hand panel shows the pay breakdown.
Important: CIS is applied to the payment after the umbrella fee has been removed:
CIS = rate × (Gross pay − Umbrella fee).
Tip: Set your calculator to Weekly and enter the values above to reproduce this CIS calculation example.
The Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) is a UK tax scheme where contractors deduct money from a subcontractor’s payments and pass it to HMRC. This deduction counts as advance payments toward the subcontractor's tax and National Insurance.
The tax rate depends on your registration status:
| CIS Status | Tax Rate |
|---|---|
| Verified | 20% |
| Unverified | 30% |
| Gross Status | 0% |
Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) and umbrella companies are two different ways contractors can be paid in the UK. Under CIS, self-employed subcontractors working in construction have tax deducted at source by the contractor before payment. In contrast, umbrella companies employ contractors and handle all PAYE tax and National Insurance contributions, offering a more straightforward solution for those working on short-term contracts or across multiple clients. The choice between the two often depends on your work type, admin preferences, and tax status.
This tool is designed for:
Yes. It uses the latest CIS tax rules and applies them based on your selected status and input values.
This is typically the weekly or monthly margin retained by your agency or umbrella company for administrative services.
No — it only shows CIS tax.
Yes — simply take a screenshot of your results. For business use, contact us for a branded calculator version.
This calculator is provided for general guidance only and does not constitute legal, tax or financial advice. For personalised planning tailored to your circumstances (including IR35), please consult a qualified accountant or tax adviser.