FCA Regulatory Reporting Requirements: A Complete Guide for Firms

What Is FCA Regulatory Reporting?

FCA regulatory reporting is the process by which authorised firms submit periodic financial, prudential and conduct data to the Financial Conduct Authority. These submissions enable the FCA to monitor firms' financial health, assess conduct risks and fulfil its statutory objectives of consumer protection, market integrity and competition.

In short: every FCA-regulated firm must submit the periodic returns that match its permissions, on the dates set in the FCA Handbook, mainly SUP 16 and DISP. Returns go through RegData, the FCA's reporting platform, which fully replaced the older Gabriel system in May 2021. Since 28 November 2025, firms reach RegData through a single My FCA sign-in. A return not received in full by its due date costs a £250 administrative fee, and repeated lateness draws supervisory attention.

Who Must Submit Regulatory Returns?

Every FCA-authorised firm is required to submit regulatory returns. The specific returns applicable to a firm depend on its regulatory permissions, firm category and the nature of its regulated activities. Key categories include:

• Payment institutions (PIs): An authorised payment institution submits the annual capital adequacy return (FSA056). A small payment institution submits an annual transactions return (FSA057). Both also submit fraud statistics, an annual operational and security risk assessment and an annual payment services complaints return. See our guides to the UK authorised payment institution licence and the UK small payment institution registration.
• Electronic money institutions (EMIs): Authorised and small EMIs submit the annual EMI and SEMI questionnaire (FIN060). Small EMIs also report outstanding e-money at 31 December (FSA065). See our guide to the UK electronic money institution licence.
• Safeguarding institutions: Since CASS 15 came into force on 7 May 2026, payment and e-money firms that safeguard submit a monthly safeguarding return within 15 business days of each month end (SUP 16.14A).
• Banks and building societies: Submit extensive prudential returns covering capital adequacy (CRR/CRD), liquidity, large exposures, leverage ratios and recovery planning.
• Investment firms: Submit returns under the Investment Firms Prudential Regime (IFPR) covering own funds, K-factor requirements and concentration risk.
• Consumer credit firms: Submit complaints returns and financial and product data under SUP 16.12. See our guide to FCA consumer credit authorisation.

Key Regulatory Returns

The most common regulatory returns include:

The table below covers the returns most firms ask about. Each firm should confirm its own list in RegData.

Retail Mediation Activities Return (RMAR). Required for firms conducting insurance mediation, home finance mediation or investment advisory activities. Covers capital resources, professional indemnity insurance, revenue, complaints and training and competence.

Common Reporting (COREP). Prudential returns for banks and building societies covering own funds, capital requirements, large exposures and leverage, submitted on fixed remittance dates. Investment firms report under the MIFIDPRU rules instead.

Financial Reporting (FINREP). Financial statements for banks and significant investment firms, including balance sheet, profit and loss, asset quality and off-balance sheet items.

Payment and e-money returns. Authorised payment institutions file FSA056, small payment institutions file FSA057, and EMIs file FIN060, together with fraud statistics, complaints data and, for firms that safeguard, the monthly safeguarding return.

Complaints returns. Most firms report complaints twice a year under DISP 1.10. Payment and e-money firms report payment services complaints once a year under DISP 1.10B. From 2027 a single complaints return replaces five existing returns, with fixed six-month calendar periods. The first period runs from 1 January to 30 June 2027 (PS25/19).

Controllers report. An annual report on the firm's controllers, due within four months of the accounting reference date (SUP 16.4.5R). It is separate from the advance notice a buyer must give before acquiring control.

Submission Deadlines

The FCA sets specific submission deadlines for each return type, usually a number of business days after the firm's accounting reference date (ARD) or the end of the reporting period. The due dates for the main returns are in the table above. Firms should confirm their own schedule in RegData, as it depends on firm category and permissions, and should keep their accounting reference date and contact details current so the schedule is right.

Common Reporting Errors

The FCA has identified several recurring errors in regulatory reporting:

• Late submissions: If a complete return is not received by its due date, the firm must pay a £250 administrative fee (SUP 16.3.14R). The FCA may also treat late reporting as a breach and take further action.
• Inaccurate data: Errors in financial figures, transaction volumes or capital calculations. Common causes include manual data entry errors, formula mistakes in spreadsheets and failure to reconcile reporting data with underlying records.
• Incorrect firm reference data: Firms that fail to update their firm reference data (e.g., accounting reference date, contact details, controllers) on the FCA Register, leading to misaligned reporting schedules.
• Misclassification: Submitting data in the wrong return or using incorrect activity classifications, particularly where firms have multiple permissions.
• Nil returns not submitted: Firms that have no activity to report but fail to submit a nil return, which the FCA still requires.

Practical Compliance Strategies

Implement a regulatory reporting calendar. Maintain a centralised calendar of all regulatory return deadlines, including internal preparation milestones. Build in buffer time before the FCA deadline to allow for data validation and senior management review.

Establish data collection processes. Identify the source data for each return and establish clear processes for collecting, validating and reconciling data. Where possible, automate data extraction from core systems to reduce manual error.

Implement a four-eyes review. All regulatory returns should be reviewed by a second qualified individual before submission. The reviewer should check data accuracy, completeness, consistency with prior periods and compliance with reporting instructions.

Senior management sign-off. The FCA expects senior management to take responsibility for the accuracy of regulatory reporting. Implement a formal sign-off process where the senior manager responsible for the area approves each submission, for example the finance director for capital returns and the director responsible for safeguarding for the safeguarding return.

Maintain audit trails. Retain all working papers, data sources, calculations and sign-off records for each regulatory return. The FCA may request these during supervisory visits or s166 skilled person reviews.

Monitor for regulatory change. The FCA periodically amends reporting requirements, introduces new returns or changes submission deadlines. Firms should monitor FCA Policy Statements and Dear CEO letters for reporting-related changes and update their processes accordingly.

Consequences of Non-Compliance

The FCA takes regulatory reporting seriously. Consequences of non-compliance include:

• A £250 administrative fee for each return not received in full by its due date (SUP 16.3.14R)
• Supervisory intervention including requests for information, supervisory meetings and enhanced monitoring
• Enforcement action for persistent or serious reporting failures, particularly where inaccurate data has misled the FCA's assessment of the firm
• Variation or cancellation of permissions in extreme cases where the FCA concludes the firm cannot meet its minimum regulatory obligations

Regulatory Outlook

Three changes are already scheduled:

The FCA also continues to remove returns it no longer needs, and is working with the Bank of England on its Transforming Data Collection programme. Firms that submit accurate, timely returns give supervisors less reason to ask questions.

Regulatory Counsel maps each firm's reporting obligations, builds the reporting calendar and reviews returns before submission. Contact us for a written proposal.