Payment of MLR fee

Fee has not been debited from my bank account.

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I renewed my MLR registration a week ago and opted to pay by BACS. The application is showing as pending. My bank details are on my registration. No money has been debited from my bank account. I have checked on the "gov.uk mlr fees" to ascertain how to pay but I find it confusing. At one point it tells me that I need my 14 digit reference number but mine has15. At another point it refers to my 8 digit payment number but I do not have one.

The level of the fee is scandalously high. I dread my application being rejected and having to complete a new registration with the cost of the additionasl "joining fee".

When I look at my registration on the Government Gateway it says that I must pay within 28 days. Time is still on my side but that situation will not last for ever.

Any thoughts or suggestions pleas?

Replies (12)

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By carnmores
02nd Nov 2019 12:13

I just paid £300 you havennt been tricked on a mirror site have you?

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Replying to carnmores:
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By GamekeeperTurnedPoacher
05th Nov 2019 15:17

No! I was being stupid and into the bargain couldn't remember how I had paid last time. Sorted now thanks to help from another member.

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By Tim Vane
03rd Nov 2019 13:09

Yes sounds like you’ve been ripped off. Ask your bank to retrieve the payment then use the HMRC site.

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Replying to Tim Vane:
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By GamekeeperTurnedPoacher
05th Nov 2019 15:18

No! I was being stupid. Sorted now thanks to another member.

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By carnmores
03rd Nov 2019 15:39

And change all your passwords.

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Replying to carnmores:
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By GamekeeperTurnedPoacher
05th Nov 2019 15:21

Thanks! Please see my reply to your first response.

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Jennie Gillam
By Jennie Gillam
05th Nov 2019 11:51

You need to action the payment at your end, BACS is not the same as Direct Debit. HMRC don't take the money automatically, you need to physically pay them.

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Replying to Jennie Gillam:
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By GamekeeperTurnedPoacher
05th Nov 2019 15:14

Thanks Jennie,
Had myself in a fankle. Couldn't remember how I had paid last time. My old memory!!! Your response pushed me in the right direction. I've paid and so I am legal now.

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Replying to GamekeeperTurnedPoacher:
By Charlie Carne
05th Nov 2019 16:20

Actually, direct debit does use BACS. The point in my earlier post was that payments we make online these days use the Faster Payment service and are NOT conducted via BACS. BACS is used for direct debit and direct credit, and takes three days. To set up BACS for direct credit is very expensive and complicated, and most banks don't offer it as a standard service. Hence it tends to be used by large companies to pay regular payees (eg large payrolls). Likewise, direct debit was usually prohibitively expensive for the initiator of the payment (the payee in this case) until the advent of cheap, simplified gateways like GoCardless.

Prior to the introduction of Faster Payments in around 2009, most small companies still didn't use BACS for internet or telephone banking. It might have been APACS (I don't fully recall), but no small company that I have ever worked with has ever used BACS to make direct credit payments.

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By Charlie Carne
05th Nov 2019 12:24

I doubt that you paid by BACS (unless it was via direct debit), as that is normally a complex (and usually very expensive) service to set up for the sender. I've never had a client use BACS to send payments in all my years of practice (despite many of them thinking that they do!). However, if you really did use BACS, then it will take three days to process, unlike the Faster Payment Service which is almost instant and offered by all banks via internet or telephone banking.

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By Malcolm McFarlin
08th Nov 2019 16:57

I paid my renewal MLR fee on 02/09/19 and the decision is still pending. I wouldn't expect a decision too quickly. I paid by bacs -faster payments and the money was debited from my account on the same day. I have a receipt from HMRC which is recorded as bacs payment details. I'm not aware that you can MLR fees by direct debit since it is renewable and reviewable by HMRC annually.

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Replying to Malcolm McFarlin:
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By GamekeeperTurnedPoacher
08th Nov 2019 17:09

Thanks Malcolm,
With help from other members I sorted it out a few days ago. Awaiting the review now.
Best wishes

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