Finance Legislation
Laws governing financial services, banking regulation, insurance, investment, and securities trading.
The Order specified the higher and lower revaluation percentages for defined benefits under the final salary method for occupational pension schemes for revaluation periods concluded by 31st December 2025.
The Occupational Pensions (Revaluation) Order 2025, made by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, establishes the specific higher and lower revaluation percentages applicable to occupational pension schemes that revalue accrued benefits using the final salary method, covering revaluation periods from 1st January 1986 up to and including 31st December 2025, and applies to England, Wales, and Scotland starting 1st January 2026.
The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment) Order 2025
The Order amended the Regulated Activities Order to replace existing investment firm exemption criteria with options based on FCA-defined ancillary activity rules or annual thresholds, while also executing consequential updates following the revocation of an EU delegated regulation.
The Treasury enacted this Order using powers under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 to amend the Regulated Activities Order 2001, primarily by revising the exclusion criteria for firms dealing in commodity derivatives, emission allowances, and derivatives from the definition of an "investment firm." The amendment introduces the option for exclusion based on activities being ancillary to the firm's main business (assessed on a group basis) or falling below an annually determined threshold set by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), with the FCA granted rule-making powers to specify these conditions.
The Order also makes consequential amendments necessitated by the revocation of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2017/592, establishing commencement dates across late 2025 and early 2027.
The Treasury amended the Customs Tariff (Establishment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 to update the reference version of the UK Tariff and adjusted specific import duty rates for basmati rice and preserved fruit products.
These Regulations amend the 2020 EU Exit Customs Tariff Regulations by updating the official version of the United Kingdom Tariff document, effective 15th December 2025.
The amendment specifically increases the import duty rate for specific codes of husked basmati rice from 0% to £25 per 1000kg and rectifies a previous error by restoring the 14% duty rate for jams, fruit jellies, and related products under heading code 2007 99 93.
The Regulations extended the expiry date of pre-existing transitional arrangements enabling Gibraltar and UK financial services firms to operate across borders by 12 months, postponing the 2025 deadline to December 16th, 2026.
The Financial Services (Gibraltar) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2025, enacted by HM Treasury, exercise powers derived from earlier 2019 legislation to formally postpone the expiry date of existing transitional arrangements from 2025 to 2026 for specified categories of Gibraltar-based financial services firms operating in the UK, and vice versa.
These Regulations apply across England and Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, and accompany an explanatory note confirming no significant impact assessment was required due to the minor, administrative nature of the extension.
The instrument amended the Customs Tariff (Preferential Trade Arrangements) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 to substitute the Republic of Korea Origin Reference Document to version 1.3, effective from 31st December 2025.
These Regulations, made by the Treasury with the recommendation of the Secretary of State under powers granted by the Taxation (Cross-border Trade) Act 2018, amend existing 2020 regulations to update the Republic of Korea Free Trade Agreement documentation.
Specifically, the amendment replaces the reference in Schedule 1 to the applicable origin reference document with version 1.3, dated 31st October 2025, to give effect to an exchange of notes between the UK and South Korea concerning the extension of cumulation of origin and direct transport provisions related to the European Union, and they come into force on 31st December 2025, extending across the whole of the UK.
The Regulations mandated amendments to existing reporting rules, established substantive new disclosures on supplier payment performance for large companies, and set a periodic review schedule for these new requirements.
These Regulations, made under powers provided by the Companies Act 2006, amend the Large and Medium-sized Companies and Groups (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 to introduce new requirements for large companies to report specific details regarding their B2B payment practices and performance within their Directors’ Reports, effective for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2026.
This Order amended the 2025 Order by adjusting rules regarding credit broking exclusions for deferred payment agreements and providing transitional arrangements for existing regulated permissions.
The Treasury issues this Order to amend the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities etc.) (Amendment) Order 2025, which primarily addresses the regulation of deferred payment credit agreements, often termed "buy-now-pay-later" (BNPL) agreements.
Key amendments include excluding domestic premises suppliers from certain credit broking regulations related to these agreements and establishing transitional provisions to ensure that existing Part 4A permissions remain valid for the activities as they stand after the Order’s changes take effect on the regulatory commencement date.
The Commissioners of HMRC enacted regulations amending the 2022 Levy Regulations to assign HMRC as the responsible authority for repaying overpaid Economic Crime (Anti-Money Laundering) Levy amounts transferred under specific collection provisions.
These Regulations, made by the Commissioners of His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC), amend the Economic Crime (Anti-Money Laundering) Levy Regulations 2022, specifically addressing the procedure for repaying levy amounts that have been overpaid.
The amendment clarifies that if the responsibility for collecting unpaid levy amounts is transferred from the Financial Conduct Authority or the Gambling Commission to the HMRC Commissioners, then HMRC Commissioners become the appropriate authority responsible for issuing any repayment of amounts subsequently found to have been overpaid.