All businesses that process personal data are required to pay an annual data protection charge to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) unless a relevant exemption applies. It is a legal requirement to pay the charge, and failure to do so could result in a fine, but it also makes good business sense as it could have an impact on business reputation.
There are three levels of charge payable:
In order to determine if payment is necessary, a self-assessment tool is available on the ICO website. It is also important to make sure you are paying the correct level of charge - the charge assessment tool will indicate the level required to pay.
