Cost of a licence
The cost of the licence application will be £190.
The licence application fee is tax deductible. This means that where an employee in the private security industry pays their own licence application fee they will be able to claim tax relief against their taxable income. There will also be no tax or National Insurance liability where an employer pays the fee on behalf of its employees. For a standard rate tax payer, tax relief is worth £41.80.
The SIA is required to be self-financing from licence fee income. This will therefore drive the cost of a licence.
So where does the money from licence fees go?
Licensing services
The costs of actually issuing licences, the systems, necessary processes, administration, as well as the cost of the criminality checks.
Enforcement and compliance
The cost of enforcing licensing, mostly the cost of compliance officers.
Communications
The cost of raising awareness about licensing and making sure that everyone within the industry knows what to do, how to get a licence etc.
Infrastructure
The cost of maintaining buildings and staff.
Research & Development
The money spent on researching the industry to better support it.
Who Pays the Licence Fee?
If you’re applying for a licence as an individual then you will have to incur the cost of the licence fee. If you work for a company supplying security services then your employers may provide funds for the licence if they wish to do so.
Can I get the licence fee refunded if I don’t succeed in my licence application?
No. The application fee covers the cost of processing the application and is chargeable regardless of the decision that is reached at the end of the process.