10 long-form guides · 132 min total

CONSTRUCTION ACCOUNTANCY GUIDES.

Ten in-depth guides covering the construction-finance topics that catch out generalist accountants. Each guide is hand-written for UK construction firms and cross-references the service area it sits closest to. Read in the order below or jump straight to the topic that hurts.

Jump toRevenue recognition & FRS 102 CIS at scale VAT Domestic Reverse Charge Property development & SPV structuring Capital allowances & niche reliefs Strategic finance & restructuring Cloud accounting architecture Payroll, IR35 & employment status Sub-sector operations Cash flow engineering & treasury

Topic 01

REVENUE RECOGNITION & FRS 102

How long-term construction contracts are recognised under UK GAAP. Section 23 mechanics, percentage-of-completion, retentions, variations, onerous contracts, and the year-end reconciliation auditors actually look at.

Main guide

FRS 102 Revenue Recognition

Construction contracts span accounting periods, which is why Section 23 of FRS 102 carves out specific rules for them. The mechanics are not trivial; the exposure for getting them wrong is material.

14 min Updated 8 May 2026Read

Topic 02

CIS AT SCALE

Beyond the monthly CIS300. Defending gross payment status, deemed contractor obligations, mixed contracts, intermediary chains, liquidation recoveries, and the penalty appeal process.

Main guide

CIS Compliance & Disputes

CIS at scale becomes a compliance system in its own right. The complications stack up across deemed contractor status, intermediary chains, mixed supply-and-fit contracts, and the GPS compliance test that drives margin.

14 min Updated 8 May 2026Read

Topic 03

VAT DOMESTIC REVERSE CHARGE

Applying the DRC correctly across end-user certificates, scaffolding rules, the 5% disregard, design-and-build, and Xero/QuickBooks reconciliation.

Main guide

VAT Domestic Reverse Charge

The DRC moves VAT accounting from supplier to customer for in-scope construction services. The mechanics are simple in principle, fraught in practice, particularly around end-users, mixed contracts, and design-and-build.

13 min Updated 8 May 2026Read

Topic 04

PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT & SPV STRUCTURING

How developers structure SPVs, mitigate SDLT on linked transactions, treat option agreements and overages, and navigate CIL, Section 106, and the Balfour matrix.

Main guide

Property Development & SPVs

Multi-million-pound property development is structured around tax: the SPV split, the SDLT mitigation on acquisition, the JV structure for capital, and the eventual CGT versus income tax position on disposal.

14 min Updated 8 May 2026Read

Topic 05

CAPITAL ALLOWANCES & NICHE RELIEFS

Maximising AIA, full expensing, the structures-and-buildings allowance, Land Remediation Relief, and R&D for construction tech.

Main guide

Capital Allowances & Reliefs

Capital allowances and niche reliefs in construction are routinely under-claimed. The combined effect of Land Remediation Relief, the Structures and Buildings Allowance, integral features, and R&D credits can shift the tax position by tens of percent.

13 min Updated 8 May 2026Read

Topic 06

STRATEGIC FINANCE & RESTRUCTURING

M&A diligence, group structuring, refinancing, distressed contracts, and the corporate finance moves that show up in larger construction firms.

Main guide

Strategic Finance & M&A

Strategic transactions in construction (sale, MBO, MVL, EOT) hinge on the financial story the business can credibly tell. Preparing for the transaction starts 18 to 24 months before the event.

14 min Updated 8 May 2026Read

Topic 07

CLOUD ACCOUNTING ARCHITECTURE

Enterprise-grade Xero/QuickBooks/Sage builds for construction: project costing, app stack, retentions, integrations with site-management software.

Main guide

Cloud Accounting Architecture

Cloud accounting at enterprise construction scale is an architectural decision, not just software choice. The integrations and the data model determine whether finance reports on real activity or on lagging summaries.

12 min Updated 8 May 2026Read

Topic 08

PAYROLL, IR35 & EMPLOYMENT STATUS

Employed vs subcontracted, the off-payroll working rules in construction, agency chain liability, and the 21-22 lessons HMRC took into the 2026 reforms.

Main guide

Payroll & IR35

Payroll for substantial construction firms layers IR35, the CITB levy, holiday pay, AWR, MSC legislation, and travel allowances on top of ordinary PAYE. Each is its own compliance pressure point.

13 min Updated 8 May 2026Read

Topic 09

SUB-SECTOR OPERATIONS

Where construction firms differ by sub-sector — civils, M&E, fit-out, housebuilding, infrastructure — and how the financial operations map to each.

Main guide

Sub-Sector Operations

Different construction sub-sectors run different operational accounting. Margin analysis in housebuilding is structured differently from civil engineering, which is structured differently from M&E or demolition.

12 min Updated 8 May 2026Read

Topic 10

CASH FLOW ENGINEERING & TREASURY

Working-capital management for construction: retention recovery, supplier finance, project draw schedules, and the treasury moves that protect margin during downturns.

Main guide

Cash Flow & Treasury

Construction cash flow is volatile by structure: lumpy receipts, mandatory advance spend on labour and materials, retentions held back for years. Engineering it for stability is a treasury discipline.

13 min Updated 8 May 2026Read

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REAL CIS & CONSTRUCTION EXPERTISE.

Every guide above is one of our matching network’s working knowledge areas. If your firm is dealing with the issues these guides cover, the specialists handle them day in, day out.