Part III Professional Practice, Conduct and Discipline of Solicitors
Accounts rules F2and fees
37AF1F3Accounts and anti-money laundering fees
1
F5An annual accounts fee (the “accounts fee”) and an annual anti-money laundering fee (the “anti-money laundering fee”) are to be paid by each —
a
solicitor who is required by paragraph 1 of Schedule 3 (as read with section 43(7)) to pay an annual contribution on behalf of the Guarantee Fund,
b
incorporated practice that is required by that paragraph of that Schedule to pay an annual corporate contribution on that behalf.
2
F6The accounts fee and the anti-money laundering fee are also to be paid by each—
a
registered European lawyer or registered foreign lawyer who is required by virtue of paragraph 1A or 1B of that Schedule to pay an annual contribution on that behalf,
b
multi-national practice to which the accounts rules apply by virtue of an enactment.
3
The accounts fee is to be set by the Council for the purpose of funding the exercise of their function of securing compliance (by the categories specified in subsections (1) and (2)) with the accounts rules.
F43A
The anti-money laundering fee is to be set by the Council for the purpose of funding the exercise of their functions of—
i
complying with the Oversight of Professional Body Anti-Money Laundering and Counter Terrorist Financing Supervision Regulations 2017, and
ii
securing compliance (by the categories specified in subsections (1) and (2)) with the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds (Information on the Payer) Regulations 2017.
4
F7The accounts fee and the anti-money laundering fee are to be—
a
set—
i
no later than 30 September each year in respect of the 12 month period beginning with 1 November that year, or
ii
by reference to such other dates as the Council may fix,
b
paid to the Council by such date as they may fix.
5
The accounts fee F8and the anti-money laundering fee may be set—
a
so as to involve different amounts (including nil) for different—
i
categories (as specified in subsections (1) and (2)),
ii
circumstances (by reference to all relevant factors),
b
in the case of incorporated practices, by particular reference to the number of solicitors that they have as directors, members or employees.
6
The Council may take such steps as they consider necessary for recovering the accounts fee F9and the anti-money laundering fee due in accordance with this section.
Words in s. 35 cross-heading inserted (18.1.2018) by The Oversight of Professional Body Anti-Money Laundering and Counter Terrorist Financing Supervision Regulations 2017 (S.I. 2017/1301), regs. 1(1), 28(2)