Pie Tax Partners with ContractWise for Construction Industry Making Tax Digital Compliance

Tax Queen

Tax Expert @ Pie

3 min read

If you work in construction under the Construction Industry Scheme, whether as a sole trader, subcontractor, or multi-site contractor, Making Tax Digital (MTD) becomes mandatory for you from April 2026. To help you get ready, Pie Tax has partnered with ContractWise, specialists in CIS compliance, to bring construction-specific MTD support directly into the app. Here's what's changing and what you need to do about it.

Understanding the April 2026 Deadline

From April 2026, if you operate under CIS, you'll need to keep digital records and file your returns using HMRC-recognised MTD software, whatever the size of your operation. Paper-based record-keeping will no longer be enough.

This is more than a box-ticking change. You'll need to build digital receipt capture, expense categorisation, and real-time tax calculations into how you already work day to day, which can feel like a big shift if you're used to doing things on paper or in a spreadsheet. If you want the full picture of what's expected and when, our guide on Making Tax Digital for sole traders and self-employed breaks the requirements down step by step. HMRC has also been writing directly to affected sole traders and landlords, so it's worth checking what those letters say and what to do if you haven't had one.

Construction cranes and buildings for Construction Industry

Building Compliance Confidence: Pie Tax Teams Up with ContractWise

At Pie Tax, we want you to feel in control of your money, and that includes helping your business focus on growth rather than worrying about HMRC. That's why we're proud to work with ContractWise, experts in CIS compliance who take the hassle and risk out of managing subcontractors.

Who Are ContractWise?

Too often, construction firms worry about HMRC reclassifying subcontractors as employees, which can lead to unexpected fines, penalties, and financial strain. ContractWise tackles this head-on. They start with a free workforce audit, then draw up robust, legally compliant contracts that clearly separate businesses from subcontractors. If HMRC launches a status investigation, responsibility rests with ContractWise, not the business owner. If you're new to CIS altogether, our guide to the Construction Industry Scheme is a good place to start.

Their approach protects firms not just from reclassification, but from costly employment tribunal claims too. With their team tracking every CIS update as it happens, clients can relax knowing they're always a step ahead. If you're owed money back under CIS, it's also worth reading up on how CIS tax refunds work.

CIS rules can feel complicated, but ContractWise makes them straightforward. They handle the legislation, reduce the risk, and free you up to focus on what matters, building and growing your business.

Sleek desk setup featuring a laptop, notebook, and orange hardhat for construction industry making tax digital compliance

Tailored Technology for Construction Realities

Pie Tax has customised its mobile-first platform to fit how construction businesses actually operate. You get mobile receipt capture for on-site costs, automated mileage tracking across multiple jobs, and intelligent categorisation of construction-related deductions.

You can snap a photo of a receipt for fuel, tools, or materials while you're still on site, and the app extracts the key details and files them under HMRC-compliant categories automatically. That means less admin for you, and fewer deductible expenses slipping through the cracks. Once you're set up, you can see exactly how to file your MTD quarterly update in the Pie app.

Worker in a hard hat, respirator, and overalls holding a spray tool, with a coworker on stilts beside him at a construction site.

Seamless Integration with Existing Tools

Pie Tax also connects with the project management software, banking apps, and payroll systems you're probably already using, so MTD compliance becomes part of your existing workflow rather than one more thing bolted on.

The app reconciles subcontractor payments, project expenses, and personal costs automatically, giving you year-round visibility of your tax position so there are fewer surprises when a filing deadline lands.

Tackling Construction-Specific MTD Challenges

Generic tax software often struggles with the way construction actually works, variable income, multiple projects running at once, and subcontractors to manage. This partnership was built with those realities in mind.

Project-based expense allocation keeps your deductions accurate and gives you an HMRC-compliant audit trail. CIS deductions are integrated with your personal tax assessment, so you get one clear view of what you owe and what you're entitled to. If you also let property to tenants alongside contracting work, our guide to Making Tax Digital for sole traders and landlords covers how the two interact.

Smiling bearded man in a hard hat using a power drill at a construction site

Industry Perspectives on MTD Readiness

Across the construction sector, there's growing appetite for MTD tools built around how contractors actually work, rather than generic accounting software adapted after the fact. Accountants who work with CIS contractors regularly point to tailored, sector-specific platforms as a way to cut preparation time and reduce errors compared with one-size-fits-all software. Early users have welcomed the mobile-first approach and construction-focused expense categories in particular.

Driving Digital Transformation in Construction

This partnership points to a wider shift already under way in the industry. Getting MTD right now lays the groundwork for broader digital adoption further down the line, from automated invoicing to advanced project tracking.

By combining Pie Tax's technology with ContractWise's industry expertise, this partnership sets a template for how specialist collaborations can speed up digital transformation in sectors that have traditionally run on paper.

Summary

MTD partnership supports construction workers nationwide

Pie Tax and ContractWise are helping the UK construction workforce prepare for the April 2026 MTD deadline. By pairing user-friendly mobile software with expert CIS support, the partnership helps you stay compliant and tax efficient without the admin headache.

This isn't just about solving an immediate regulatory requirement. It's about giving you Making Tax Digital software that improves compliance, cuts admin, and strengthens your business for the long run. Get started with Pie Tax for free to see how it works for your business.

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