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The Assurance Desk

Do you have to pay the ICO fee?

Check the exemption first, then the right fee band, before paying a letter or invoice.

You generally pay the ICO data protection fee if you use personal data as a controller, unless an exemption applies. The annual bands are £52, £78 and £3,763. Paying by direct debit reduces the fee by £5.

Checked 7 October 2026

Contents
  1. Does an ICO letter mean you have to pay?
  2. What are the current ICO fee bands?
  3. Who is exempt from the ICO fee?
  4. What should you have ready for the fee check?
  5. What to do
  6. Common questions
  7. Sources

Does an ICO letter mean you have to pay?

No. The ICO says its letters remind organisations to check whether they need to pay. Use that check before deciding that the letter is a bill you owe.

Pay the ICO directly if a fee is due. The ICO says payment agencies have no official standing or connection to it. You can use an agency, but it is not the regulator.

What are the current ICO fee bands?

Check the bands in order. For the first two bands, the test uses turnover or staff numbers. You do not have to meet both limits. Only move to the next band if the earlier one does not apply.

These are the standard size bands. Being a public authority, a charity or a small occupational pension scheme can affect the result. Use the ICO’s fee check for the rules that apply to your organisation.

The fee is renewed each year unless registration is no longer needed. Direct debit reduces the amount by £5.

Annual ICO fee before the direct debit reduction
BandWhich size test applies?Annual fee
Tier 1Turnover no more than £632,000 OR no more than 10 staff£52
Tier 2If tier 1 does not apply: turnover no more than £36 million OR no more than 250 staff£78
Tier 3Neither tier 1 nor tier 2 applies£3,763

Who is exempt from the ICO fee?

Some uses of personal data are exempt. Examples include using it only for staff administration, your own advertising and marketing, or accounts and records. The word “only” matters. List all the ways your organisation uses personal data before relying on an exemption.

An exemption from the fee does not remove your other data protection duties. The fee check answers whether you need to pay, rather than whether every part of your use of data meets the law.

Check the fee in this order

  1. Check what you do with data List the uses, rather than just the software you own.
  2. Check the exemptions Find out whether your uses qualify.
  3. Find the right band If a fee is due, check size and any special rules.
  4. Keep the other duties A fee exemption does not remove them.
An exemption and a fee band answer different questions.

What should you have ready for the fee check?

Have your annual turnover, staff numbers and a list of how you use personal information. Also note whether you are a public authority, charity or small occupational pension scheme. These are the details behind the ICO’s fee decision.

What to do

  1. List every purpose for which your organisation uses personal data.
  2. Check the ICO exemptions before choosing a fee band.
  3. Use turnover or staff numbers as the band requires, and check any special rules.
  4. If a fee is due, pay the ICO directly and arrange the annual renewal.

Common questions

Do we need to meet both size limits for tier 1?

No. The test is turnover up to £632,000 or no more than 10 staff.

Does direct debit make it cheaper?

Yes. It reduces the fee by £5.

Are we free of data protection duties if we are exempt?

No. The exemption concerns the fee. Your other data protection duties still apply.

Where next

Sources

  1. ICO, Registration FAQs, checked 7 October 2026
  2. ICO, Exemptions, checked 7 October 2026

This is an independent editorial guide, not legal advice.