Finance Legislation
Laws governing financial services, banking regulation, insurance, investment, and securities trading.
The Occupational Pension Schemes (Collective Money Purchase Schemes) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2025 enact several technical changes to existing pension legislation, primarily by correcting errors in previous amendments related to collective money purchase schemes and by updating terminology, such as defining 'actuarial valuation' consistently throughout related instruments; these regulations also remove certain information disclosure requirements deemed no longer necessary and apply to England, Wales, and Scotland, coming into force on 4th December 2025.
The Immigration and Nationality (Fees) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2025
The Immigration and Nationality (Fees) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2025, made under powers in the Immigration Act 2014 and with Treasury consent, amend the 2018 Regulations governing immigration and nationality fees, effective from 11th November 2025 across the UK. These amendments specifically remove certain fee exceptions relating to Afghan citizens, introduce new fee exemptions for certain stateless persons and applicants under the UK/European Applicant Transfer Scheme, alter fees for sponsor licence services including fee increases for priority processing, and establish a fee exemption for the review of previously fee-exempted nationality applications.
The Hovercraft (Fees) Regulations 2025
The Secretary of State for Transport, using powers under the Hovercraft (General) Order 1972 and with Treasury approval, enacted The Hovercraft (Fees) Regulations 2025, which simultaneously establish a specific fee of £153 for issuing a hovercraft certificate of registration and consequentially remove a previously included, erroneous fee entry from The Merchant Shipping (Fees) Regulations 2018, with these regulations applying across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
The Non-Domestic Rating (Definition of Qualifying Retail, Hospitality or Leisure Hereditament) Regulations 2025
The Non-Domestic Rating (Definition of Qualifying Retail, Hospitality or Leisure Hereditament) Regulations 2025, enacted by the Treasury under the Local Government Finance Act 1988, sets out the precise criteria for classifying hereditaments in England and Wales as 'qualifying retail, hospitality or leisure hereditaments' starting April 1st, 2026, enabling them to benefit from a potentially lower business rates multiplier; this classification depends on the property being used wholly or mainly for specified public-facing retail, hospitality, cultural, or recreational purposes while explicitly excluding those used primarily for financial, medical, professional services, or large-scale storage and distribution.
The Designation of Special Tax Sites (Anglesey Freeport) Regulations 2025
These Regulations, made by the Treasury under powers granted by the Finance Act 2021, officially designate specific map-defined areas within the Anglesey Freeport as 'special tax sites' effective from November 21, 2025.
The designation makes qualifying capital expenditure by companies on plant, machinery, and non-residential structures within these sites eligible for enhanced capital allowances under key provisions of the Capital Allowances Act 2001.
The Designation of Special Tax Sites (Flintshire and Wrexham Investment Zone) Regulations 2025
These Regulations, enacted by the Treasury under powers from the Finance Act 2021, officially designate specific areas in Flintshire and Wrexham as 'special tax sites' effective from November 21st, 2025, based on their location within or connection to the designated investment zone; this formal designation qualifies expenditure on plant, machinery, structures, and buildings within these sites for enhanced capital allowances under the Capital Allowances Act 2001.
The Public Offers and Admissions to Trading (Amendment and Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Regulations 2025
These Regulations, made by the Treasury under powers in the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, make technical amendments and transitional provisions concerning the Public Offers and Admissions to Trading Regulations 2024.
Specifically, they substitute a new provision for FCA investigation powers concerning entities subject to the 2024 Regulations, establish temporary arrangements for existing authorised persons applying to conduct the newly regulated activity of operating an electronic system for public offers, and introduce consequential amendments across various pieces of legislation, including primary and subordinate legislation and numerous UK sanctions regulations, to align them with the new framework.
The Income-related Benefits (Subsidy to Authorities) Amendment Order 2025
This Order, made by the Secretary of State with the consent of the Treasury, amends the Income-related Benefits (Subsidy to Authorities) Order 1998 to revise how housing benefit subsidy is calculated and paid to local authorities in England, Wales, and Scotland.
Key changes include updating the Housing Benefit Assurance Process deadline, allowing local authorities flexibility in limiting deductions for historic overpayments, substituting the schedules detailing administration subsidy sums for the 2024-2025 relevant year, adjusting incentive payments for verification schemes, and setting specific deduction figures for Welsh authorities for the 2025/2026 relevant year.