Your digital tax software can pull information that HMRC already holds about your employment and, if applicable, your Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) deductions. This means the data is brought in automatically rather than you having to enter it manually.
This article covers two separate processes — pulling employment data and pulling CIS data. Read the section that applies to you.
Please make sure your account is connected to HMRC, see how to do this here.
HMRC holds the employment information submitted by your employer, including your earnings, tax paid, and any benefits you have received. Pulling this data into your software means it is available for your accounting firm to use when preparing your tax return, without you needing to find and share the figures manually.
Employment data is typically pulled once a year, after the end of the tax year when your employer has submitted their final figures to HMRC. Your accounting firm will let you know when they need you to do this.
This step is not required for Making Tax Digital quarterly updates. It is used when preparing your annual tax return.
Once pulled, you will be able to see the details HMRC holds for each of your employers, including:
Taxable pay and total tax deducted
Student loan deductions (if applicable)
Benefits in kind — such as a company car, medical insurance, expenses, and other items provided by your employer
The figures shown are pulled directly from HMRC and reflect what your employer has reported. If anything looks incorrect, speak to your accounting firm.
There are two ways to do this — both pull exactly the same information. Use whichever feels more straightforward.
Option 1 — Via Data Connections
Go to Profile & Settings and select Data Connections.
Select 3rd Party Accounts.
Click the dropdown arrow on the Agent Services Account card and select Pull data from HMRC.
Wait a few seconds for the data to load. Once it appears, click View next to each employer to see the full details.
Option 2 — Via Tax Submission
Go to Tax Submission from the left-hand menu.
Select the relevant tax year.
Select the Gear icon and tick the boxes under Employment Pay & Deductions and Expenses.
Return to the MTD Submission Overview, click the dropdown in the Non-Business section and select View.
Click Pull data from HMRC and wait a few seconds for the data to load.
Click View next to each employer to see the full details.
You can pull your employment data as many times as needed. If your employer submits updated information to HMRC, simply pull again to get the latest figures.
This section is for clients who work as subcontractors under the Construction Industry Scheme (CIS). If this does not apply to you, you can skip this section.
If you work as a CIS subcontractor, your contractors submit details of payments and deductions made to you directly to HMRC each month. Your software can pull this information through so it is ready for your tax return without you needing to track it manually.
CIS data can be pulled on a monthly basis, once your contractor has submitted their CIS return to HMRC for that month. Your accounting firm will advise you on when to pull the data as part of your regular process.
Once pulled, you will see an overall summary of your CIS deductions for the tax year, including:
Total cost of materials
Total deduction amount
Total gross amount paid
Below this, you will see a breakdown per contractor, showing the figures each contractor has submitted to HMRC for the periods they have covered. You can click View next to each contractor to see their full submission details.
Before pulling CIS data for the first time, CIS will need to be enabled on your account. This is a one-time setup that your accounting firm can do on your behalf. Alternatively, you can enable it yourself using the instructions below
Enabling CIS and Pulling CIS Data:
Go to Tax Submission and select the relevant tax year.
To enable CIS, select the gear icon and expand the Self-Employed section.
Toggle CIS Deductions and select Save.
Return to the MTD Submission Overview, expand the Self-Employed business section.
Find the CIS Deductions line and click View.
Click Pull data from HMRC and wait a few seconds for the data to load.
Review your overall CIS summary and click View next to each contractor for a detailed breakdown.
If a contractor has not yet submitted their CIS return to HMRC for a given month, their figures will not appear when you pull. Pull again once they have submitted and the data will be updated.
If your data does not appear after pulling, wait a moment and try refreshing the page. HMRC can sometimes take a few seconds to respond. If the issue continues, contact your accounting firm and they can investigate on your behalf.
If you notice any figures that do not look right, speak to your accounting firm before making any changes. The data is pulled directly from HMRC and any corrections will need to be made at source.