By Shamayun Chowdhury, Senior Accountant, Major Accountancy · Published: 5 November 2026 · Last reviewed: November 2026 · Fees shown are those in force from 1 December 2025
This guide starts with the bill, because that is what small firms ask first. If you are a bookkeeper, tax adviser or small practice without a professional body behind you, HMRC AML supervision is not optional, and the fees rose at the end of 2025.
This guide covers the fees, five worked cost examples, who registers with HMRC, the application and HMRC AML login, the annual declaration, and the planned move to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Figures were checked on GOV.UK in November 2026.
- You must apply for the correct AML supervision before carrying on regulated business. Money service businesses and trust or company service providers must wait for HMRC to confirm registration. Other HMRC-supervised businesses may generally trade while their application is processed.
- Year one for a one-person bookkeeping firm with one premises usually costs £740. Year two is normally £400.
- HMRC will not start reviewing an application until the fees are paid, and it can take up to 45 days.
- The annual declaration and fee are due every year. Miss them and HMRC can cancel your registration.
- The FCA is expected to take over accountancy supervision in a few years, but nothing changes yet. HMRC is still your supervisor.
What Is HMRC AML Supervision?
The Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds Regulations 2017 (MLR 2017) require certain businesses to have a supervisor. The supervisor registers the business, checks the people who run it, and then monitors whether it follows the rules on risk assessment, customer due diligence, record keeping and staff training.
Professional bodies such as ICAEW, ACCA, AAT, CIOT and ATT supervise their own members, and the FCA supervises financial firms. HMRC supervises businesses in regulated sectors that have no other supervisor.
So anti money laundering HMRC registration is not a tax registration or a general business licence. It is a statutory supervisory registration under the Money Laundering Regulations 2017. It places your business under HMRC’s AML supervision, and you must keep suitable risk assessments, customer checks, records, policies and controls.
Registration confirms that your business appears on the relevant supervisory register. It does not mean HMRC has endorsed your services or confirmed that your AML controls are fully compliant. Meeting the regulations stays your responsibility.
HMRC Fees for AML Supervision in 2026
HMRC raised its charges from 1 December 2025, after a consultation on the cost of running supervision. The current HMRC fees for AML supervision are set out on GOV.UK’s page on fees for money laundering supervision, last updated in December 2025.
| Fee | Amount | When you pay it | Who pays it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Application fee | £300 | Once, when you apply. Non-refundable | Every new applicant, and anyone reapplying after withdrawal or cancellation |
| Premises fee | £400 per premises | At registration, then every year with the annual declaration | Every registered business, for each premises HMRC’s premises rules require it to register |
| Approval check | £40 per person | When a person is first checked for that business | Relevant BOOMs in accountancy service providers, estate agency businesses, letting agency businesses, high value dealers and art market participants |
| Fit and proper test | £500 per person | When a person is first tested for that business | Money service businesses and trust or company service providers |
| Small business reduction | £500 refund | After HMRC accepts your application or annual declaration and your claim | Businesses with turnover under £5,000 that meet HMRC’s conditions |
The person fees apply to each beneficial owner, officer and manager (BOOM). For a sole trader, that is normally just you. For a company or partnership, you must identify and give details of every relevant beneficial owner, officer and manager HMRC asks for. This can include directors, partners and others who meet the criteria in the regulations, so do not assume only day-to-day managers count.
The two person-based charges are different checks. The £40 approval check applies to accountancy, estate agency, letting agency, high value dealer and art market businesses. The £500 fit and proper test is a fuller test for money service businesses and trust or company service providers.
Adding or removing premises
If you add a premises in the first six months of your registration year, you pay the full £400. Add one in the second six months and you pay half, £200. Removing a premises does not give you a refund for the rest of the year.
When the premises fee can be refunded
The application fee is never refunded. The premises fee can be refunded if HMRC refuses the application for a listed reason, such as your business is outside the scope of the rules, a professional body already supervises you, you applied under the wrong legal entity, a person failed the fit and proper test, required information was missing, or you withdrew before being registered.
Older articles quote a £700 fit and proper test and a £400 application fee. Those were 2025 consultation proposals. HMRC’s consultation outcome set the application fee at £300 and kept the test at £500.
What Will AML Supervision Cost You? Five Worked Examples
These examples show what a small firm typically pays in year one and in a normal later year. They are our own calculations from the published fees, assuming no new people or premises.
| Business | Year 1 | Later years (typical) |
|---|---|---|
| Sole-trader bookkeeper working from home, 1 premises, 1 BOOM | £300 + £400 + £40 = £740 | £400 (premises fee only) |
| Accountancy partnership, 2 offices, 3 partners | £300 + £800 + £120 = £1,220 | £800 |
| Part-time bookkeeper, turnover under £5,000 | £740 paid, £500 refunded = £240 net | A £500 refund may also be available after an accepted annual declaration, subject to HMRC’s turnover conditions and approval |
| Trust or company service provider, 1 office, 2 directors | £300 + £400 + £1,000 = £1,700 | £400 |
| Example 2 firm opens a third office 8 months into its year | — | Extra £200 that year, then £1,200 a year |
- It assumes the full £740 is payable at first and the £500 small business refund is approved.
- HMRC’s fee guidance words the application fee waiver in more than one way, so confirm the amount payable and the reduction with HMRC before relying on this figure.
Approval checks and fit and proper tests are usually charged once per person for each business. If a new partner or director joins later, expect a new £40 or £500 charge for them.
Who Needs to Register for HMRC AML Supervision?
GOV.UK’s guidance on who needs to register lists the sectors HMRC supervises, if no professional body or the FCA already supervises the business. The main ones are:
- Accountancy service providers (ASPs): bookkeepers, payroll and tax advisers, and anyone giving external accountancy, audit or insolvency services by way of business.
- Estate agency businesses and letting agency businesses (letting agents fall in scope where monthly rent is the equivalent of €10,000 or more).
- Money service businesses (MSBs): currency exchange, money transfer and cheque cashing.
- Trust or company service providers (TCSPs): company formation, registered office and nominee director services.
- High value dealers (HVDs) taking cash of €10,000 or more, and art market participants with deals of €10,000 or more.
- Bill payment service providers and telecommunication, digital and IT payment service providers.
“By way of business” matters. A one-off favour for a relative is not a business, but a bookkeeping service you offer to the public usually is, even if it is small and part-time.
When you may not need HMRC AML registration
Not every business that does occasional bookkeeping or financial admin automatically needs its own AML registration. HMRC’s guidance describes specific situations where registration may not be needed, including:
- providing accountancy or tax services on a non-commercial basis
- giving only general tax information that is the same for everyone
- certain payroll-only activities that do not amount to accountancy services
- qualifying virtual assistants who meet HMRC’s specific turnover, activity and supervision conditions
- certain businesses whose customers are all supervised accountancy service providers or banks, where the required contract and AML-control conditions are met
These are narrow exceptions, not a general exemption for small or part-time firms. Read HMRC’s accountancy service provider guidance carefully before deciding your business is outside supervision.
Professional body or HMRC?
| Your situation | Your AML supervisor |
|---|---|
| You are supervised by your professional body (such as ICAEW, ACCA, CIOT, ATT or AAT) for AML purposes in relation to the relevant practice | That professional body (do not register with HMRC as well) |
| Unaffiliated bookkeeper or tax adviser | HMRC |
| TCSP or MSB that is not FCA-authorised for that activity | HMRC |
| Bank, building society or authorised payments firm | The FCA |
The link with your agent services account
If you deal with HMRC for clients, AML supervision sits underneath almost everything else. When you apply for an HMRC agent services account, HMRC asks for your supervisor and your registration number, so you need AML registration in place first. The same goes for older authorisation routes such as the 64-8 form.
How to Register for AML Supervision with HMRC
HMRC’s guidance on how to register or update your money laundering supervision was updated in January 2026. It asks you to prepare before you open the form, because an incomplete application can be rejected and the £300 application fee is not refundable.
- Confirm you are in scope and that no professional body supervises you.
- Apply as the right legal entity. A sole trader, a partnership, a limited company and an LLP are different businesses. Applying under the wrong one is a listed reason for refusal.
- Use the right Government Gateway user ID. A sole proprietor uses a personal ID. A partnership, company or LLP uses an organisation (business) ID.
- Complete a written risk assessment covering money laundering, terrorist financing and proliferation financing, and put your policies, controls and procedures in place.
- List all premises HMRC requires you to include under its premises rules, including a home office where applicable.
- Add every responsible person (BOOM) with their details.
- Pay the fees. HMRC gives you a 14-character payment reference that starts with X.
HMRC starts its review only once the fees have cleared, aims to decide a new application within 45 days, and tells you by email. A refusal letter explains how to ask for a review or appeal.
- Answer “No” to the approval question unless you can show the £40 was paid before.
- Answer “No” to the fit and proper question unless the person has already passed for this business.
- Keep a copy of your risk assessment. HMRC can ask for it at any time.
HMRC AML Login: Managing Your Supervision Account
Once you are registered, your registration is managed through HMRC’s online service. For the HMRC AML login, sign in to HMRC online services with the same Government Gateway user ID you used to apply. Using a different ID is the most common reason people cannot find their registration.
Inside the account you can:
- check the status of an application or registration
- read secure messages from HMRC, including the annual declaration reminder
- submit the annual declaration and get the payment reference
- report changes, such as a new address, a new premises or a new BOOM
- withdraw an application or cancel a registration you no longer need
There is no paper certificate. Your registration number and online record are your proof. Clients and banks can check whether a business is registered through HMRC’s supervised business register.
If the service is down or an error appears, check the help and support page for anti-money laundering before you try again. If you have lost your payment reference, email MLRCIT@hmrc.gov.uk.
Keep your sign-in and email details current, as HMRC is moving more contact online. See our guide to HMRC digital letters.
The Annual Declaration and Renewal
HMRC AML supervision is an annual arrangement. About 30 days before your registration anniversary, HMRC sends a message to your online account asking you to confirm your details.
The process has two stages. First, you submit the annual declaration, confirming or updating your business details, premises and responsible people. Second, you pay the £400 premises fee for each premises, using the reference HMRC gives you.
If you do not submit the declaration or pay, HMRC can cancel your registration.
To get back in, you then need a brand new application, which means paying the £300 application fee and the premises fees again, and you are carrying on regulated business without supervision until you apply again.
If your turnover is under £5,000, pay the full fees first. Then email AMLS.Fees@hmrc.gov.uk with the subject “Turnover Reduction”, your registration number and your turnover. HMRC aims to refund £500 within 30 days of accepting the claim.
Report changes during the year promptly through your online account. That includes a new premises, a new director or partner, or a change in what services you offer.
What Happens If You Trade Without Registering?
Carrying on regulated business without having applied for supervision, or, for money service businesses and trust or company service providers, before HMRC confirms registration, breaches the MLR 2017. HMRC can impose civil penalties, and in serious cases it can be treated as a criminal offence. Exact consequences depend on the facts, so check GOV.UK guidance or take professional advice if you think you have traded unregistered.
Banks and clients also ask for AML registration numbers, and an agent services account application can stall without one. If you have started regulated work without applying, apply straight away and take advice on whether you need to pause that work.
Is AML Supervision Moving From HMRC to the FCA?
Yes, but not yet. On 21 October 2025, HM Treasury announced that the FCA will become the single AML supervisor for the accountancy, legal and trust or company service sectors. That covers both the professional bodies and HMRC’s current role for those businesses, as summarised by the Chartered Institute of Taxation.
The change needs new legislation. The FCA’s reform page, updated in September 2026, says nothing changes immediately. Its current plan is stakeholder work in 2026, legislation and operating model work expected in 2027, a phased transition from around autumn 2028, and completion around 2030. Those dates may change.
The planned FCA takeover is not a transfer of every sector HMRC supervises. It covers legal service providers, accountancy service providers and trust or company service providers. Estate agents, letting agents, money service businesses, high value dealers and other HMRC-supervised sectors should keep following their existing arrangements unless separate changes are announced.
Until the switch happens, HMRC anti money laundering supervision carries on as normal. Keep paying fees, keep your declaration up to date, and expect HMRC to keep checking your controls.
For Small Practices: Where MTDFix Fits
AML fees are one of several fixed costs a small practice carries. If you are weighing up taking on more VAT or MTD work, our guide to MTD for accountants and agents explains how outsourcing parts of it can sit alongside your own AML controls.
HMRC AML Supervision FAQs
What is HMRC AML supervision?
It is HMRC’s registration and monitoring of businesses that must follow the Money Laundering Regulations 2017 but are not supervised by a professional body or the FCA, such as unaffiliated bookkeepers, estate agents and money service businesses.
How much does HMRC AML supervision cost?
From 1 December 2025, a £300 one-off application fee, £400 per premises each year, and, depending on your sector, a £40 approval check or a £500 fit and proper test for each relevant responsible person. A one-person bookkeeping firm with one premises usually pays £740 in year one.
Do I need to register with HMRC for AML if I am a bookkeeper?
Yes, if you offer bookkeeping by way of business and no professional body supervises you for AML. If your professional body does supervise you, you should not register with HMRC as well.
How do I log in to my HMRC AML account?
Sign in to HMRC online services with the Government Gateway user ID you used to apply. Sole traders use a personal ID. Partnerships, companies and LLPs use the business ID.
What is the HMRC AML application fee?
It is £300, paid once when you apply. It is not refunded, even if the application is refused, and you pay it again if you reapply after withdrawing or being cancelled.
Can I get a reduced fee if my turnover is low?
If your turnover is under £5,000, you pay the full fees first and then claim a £500 refund by emailing AMLS.Fees@hmrc.gov.uk with the subject “Turnover Reduction”.
Is HMRC still the AML supervisor in 2026?
Yes. The FCA is due to take over accountancy, legal and trust or company service supervision, but not before around autumn 2028. Until then, HMRC continues as normal.
Final Word on HMRC AML Supervision
HMRC AML supervision is a fixed cost of regulated work without a professional body: £300 once, £400 per premises a year, and a one-off £40 or £500 check per relevant person. Apply before you trade, use the right Gateway ID, and never let the annual declaration lapse. For now, HMRC is still your supervisor.
Written by Shamayun Chowdhury, with every fee and process checked against HMRC guidance on GOV.UK and the FCA’s reform page in November 2026. The worked examples are our own calculations from the published fees. No separate technical reviewer is named. This guide is general information, not advice for your circumstances.