HMRC hikes fees 33% for AML supervision at accountancy firms

Sara White, Editor, Business & Accountancy Daily. Croner-i

Accountancy firms will have to pay significantly higher fees to HMRC for anti-money laundering (AML) supervision from this December.

This is the first change in fees for six years and will see substantial increases for firms, including accountants and law firms, with the premises fee shooting up. But there is not much notice as the new fees come into effect from 1 December, just a few weeks away.

AML supervision fees are rising across the board, HMRC said, stressing that prices had not increased since 2019 and need to take into account inflation and additional supervisory costs.

The big rise affecting all accountancy firms will be the 33% rise in the annual premises fee.

The premises fee will increase from £300 to £400, which HMRC said was ‘broadly in line with inflation since May 2019’. The premises registration fee is an approximation for the size of the business and the cost of its supervision. 

94% of HMRC-supervised businesses that operate from a single premises will face an increase in their annual fees of £100 (from £300 to £400), with small businesses facing an increase of £20 (from £180 to £200). 

The fit and proper test fee will increase from £150 to £500, albeit somewhat lower than HMRC’s original proposal for a £700 charge. This test only affects trust providers and money service businesses such as forex exchange bureaus. It is a one-off charge and HMRC does not charge for retesting, although it has ramped up this activity in the last three years due to concerns about abuse of the system.

HMRC is also reintroducing the one-off application fee for all businesses set at £300. This has to be paid the first time a business applies to register for AML supervision, as well as if a registration has lapsed and is again required.

However, it is worth noting that this will be refunded to businesses eligible for the small business fee (SBF), although HMRC acknowledged low levels of awareness of this fee rebate as many small accountancy firms – falling under the accountancy service provider (ASP) category – are not aware of this reduction for the smallest firms.

HMRC is also increasing the sanctions administration charge from the current £1,500 to £2,000. This is a charge the act of imposing financial penalties on non-compliant businesses and is a fixed fee.

The sanctions administration fee for failing to notify HMRC of key changes to a business in line with regulations 21, 26 or 57 or failing to provide information in line with a request made under regulation 66 will remain at £350 (or the value of the financial penalty if less than £350).

The approvals fee will stay at £40; this affects all beneficial owners, officers and managers (BOOMs) in supervised sectors who are subject to an approvals check.

The decision to increase fees is part of the government’s push to strengthen HMRC’s approach to AML supervision as it takes a ‘robust approach to tackling non-compliance with the regulations’.

On the new fit and proper test fees, HMRC said: ‘It is important that the fee is increased to more accurately reflect the costs of conducting tests and retests and to ensure the costs of supervisory effort is more closely aligned to the fees paid by relevant sectors.’

The revised fees take effect from 1 December 2025.

HMRC policy paper, AML supervision fees, released 12 Nov 2025