Report to the FCA through RegData

Once authorised, you register on RegData — the FCA's online reporting system — and submit regulatory returns. For limited-permission firms this is usually once a year. The core return is the Key Data report (data item CCR007); if you hold credit broking permission you'll also submit the relevant ancillary credit firm return (CCR009). Miss the deadline and there's a £250 administrative fee, and persistent non-compliance can ultimately cost you your authorisation — so it's worth diarising.

Pay your annual FCA fee

The FCA is funded by the firms it regulates, so you'll pay an annual fee based on the income from your consumer-credit activities. The FCA's fee year runs April to March, and you receive and pay invoices through its online invoicing system. You report the income figure that determines the fee — and because "consumer-credit income" is a common area of confusion, it's worth getting that figure right. Our FCA fees guide has the full breakdown of the annual fee and the levies that come with it.

Tell the FCA about material changes

You must notify the FCA of significant changes to your business, using the Connect system. Common examples include a change of control, a change of address, adding or removing an approved person, or applying to change your permissions. If in doubt about whether something is notifiable, it's better to ask than to assume.

Keep following the rules

Holding a permission means ongoing compliance with the Consumer Credit Sourcebook (CONC) and the Consumer Duty — presenting finance fairly, advertising within the financial promotions rules, supporting vulnerable customers, handling complaints properly, and maintaining the senior-management arrangements you set up at authorisation.

How heavy is this in practice? For a limited-permission firm, it's proportionate: an annual return, an annual fee, a few notifications if things change, and good ongoing conduct. The policies in a well-built application pack are designed to make staying compliant straightforward, not burdensome.

If you're still at the earlier stages, our step-by-step guide to getting authorised covers the whole journey up to this point.