Set up an email template for CIS payment and deduction statements

This article explains how to set up a default email template when sending a payment and deduction statement to subcontractors.

Please note:

  • The payment and deduction email template will only be available if you’ve set up CIS and selected that you’re a CIS contractor in FreeAgent.
     
  • You’ll need level 5 access or above to FreeAgent to set up email templates.

Select 'Settings' from the drop-down menu under your business name.

Settings highlighted in drop-down menu below business name

Select 'Email Templates'.

Email Templates highlighted in settings area

Select the 'CIS Payment and Deduction Statement' tab.

CIS Payment and Deduction Statement tab highlighted in Email Templates area

Build your content

Use the 'Email tags' listed on the right to build the content for the 'From', 'To' and 'Content' boxes.

Email tags section highlighted

Where the statement email should be sent from

Select the email address you would like the statement email to be sent from in the ‘From’ drop-down menu. The From email can be sent from any user who has been set up in FreeAgent, as long as their email address is verified.

If you would like a copy of the statement email to be sent to the sender, select the ‘Email a copy to Sender’ tick box.

From and Email a copy to sender options highlighted

Where the statement email should be sent to

Enter either the ‘[contact_email]’, ‘[contact_billing_email]’ or ‘[billing_or_contact_email]’ tag in the ‘To’ field.

This will insert the email address of the subcontractor based on their contact or billing details in FreeAgent. The default setting is the ‘[contact_email]’ address tag.

Please note that if you put ‘[contact_billing_email]', '[contact_email]’ in the ‘To’ field, the email will be sent to the email address entered in the '[contact_billing_email]' field and the '[contact_email]' field. If the contact has both a '[contact_billing_email]' and a '[contact_email]', it will be sent to both email addresses.

If you want to send the email to one address or the other, use the '[billing_or_contact_email]' tag. This will send the email to the '[contact_billing_email]' if there is one, and only send to the '[contact_email]' if there isn't a '[contact_billing_email]'.

To field highlighted

What the subject line should be

By default, the email ‘Subject’ field includes the ‘[reference]’ tag, which means it will include the payment and deduction statement reference. You can change this if you wish.

Subject field highlighted

What the content should be

The main body of the email is captured in the ‘Content’ section.

Default sample text is provided but you can edit or replace this text and use the email tags to customise the email for each subcontractor.

Content box highlighted

Once you're happy with the payment and deduction statement email, select ‘Save template' at the bottom of the screen.

You can then send a CIS payment and deduction statement to a subcontractor using the email template.

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