meta_id 3291209

On July 2, 2026, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) published Policy Statement PS26/14, finalising fees and levies for the 2026/27 financial year. The FCA received nine responses to its March 2026 consultation (CP26/11) on draft fee rates and has now confirmed the final rules with minor rate adjustments based on updated tariff data. The FCA's annual funding requirement for 2026/27 is £788.9 million, comprising baseline ongoing regulatory activities costs and exceptional projects. After applying £72.4 million in retained financial penalty revenues from 2025/26, total fees payable by regulated firms will be £716.5 million, representing a 0.7 percent increase from 2025/26. Key changes include: minimum and flat-rate fees increasing one percent in line with ongoing regulatory activities budget growth; continued staged increases to consumer credit and A-block minimum fees; and application fees rounded to the nearest £10. The Financial Ombudsman Service compulsory jurisdiction levy increases from £70 million to £86 million for 2026/27, reflecting increased budget requirements for service reforms and financial reserves. The FCA also confirmed final rates for levies collected on behalf of government departments, including Money and Pensions Service levies, debt advice levies for England and devolved authorities, pensions guidance levies, and the illegal money lending levy. Additionally, the FCA clarified that direct debit is its preferred payment method for periodic fees and levies, though alternative methods remain available. Firms can calculate individual fees using the FCA's online fees calculator based on final rates in Appendix 1 of the policy statement. Firms paying on account must remit fees in two instalments: the first by the last working day in March 2026, with the remaining balance due by the last working day in August 2026. The FCA will publish its response to feedback on cryptoasset application fees separately in the September 2026 Handbook Notice.