An indicative guide to the FCA’s 2027 reporting populations
The FCA’s operational incident reporting and material third-party reporting rules begin on 18 March 2027, but they do not cover identical populations. This simple tool asks what kind of firm you represent and shows the corresponding indications from the FCA’s published scope list. It is an educational starting point, not a definitive legal determination.
How to interpret the result
An entity with a Part 4A permission generally appears in the operational incident reporting population. The FCA also lists payment service providers, UK recognised investment exchanges, registered trade repositories and registered credit rating agencies. The material-third-party rules are narrower: for example, authorised payment and electronic-money institutions are listed, while an ordinary FCA-authorised firm is not necessarily in that population.
The tool deliberately returns manual review required where category alone is insufficient. Firms with complex permissions, groups and overlapping regulation must check PS26/2, FG26/3 and FG26/4 with appropriate compliance expertise.
What to do after checking
Document which entity is in scope, identify the right reporting owners, compare incident thresholds with current escalation workflows and, if the material-register obligations apply, map the supplier data against the FCA’s published templates. Existing reporting duties continue before the new regime is live.
Do not supply confidential client, incident or supplier details to this checker. No form responses are transmitted by the tool itself.
Frequently asked questions
Will this tool determine our legal obligations?
No. It is a guide to categories named by the FCA, not advice about a firm’s actual permissions and obligations.
Why are there two different answers?
The operational incident reporting population is wider than the material-third-party reporting population.
Can rules change before March 2027?
The official policy is published, but firms should still check current FCA guidance and implementation communications.
Primary sources and further reading
- FCA, Reporting operational incidents (18 March 2026)
- FCA, Reporting material third party arrangements (18 March 2026)
- FCA, PS26/2 Operational incident and third party reporting (18 March 2026)
Select your organisation category
Classification is indicative and does not resolve firm permissions, prudential designations or legal advice.