Generally speaking, you have to pay a fee if you are processing personal data as a controller. But there are some exemptions. You don’t need to pay a fee if you are processing personal data only for one (or more) of the following purposes:
- Staff administration.
- Advertising, marketing and public relations.
- Accounts and records.
- Not-for-profit purposes.
- Personal, family or household affairs.
- Maintaining a public register.
- Judicial functions.
- Processing personal information without an automated system such as a computer.
- Since 1 April 2019, members of the House of Lords, elected representatives and prospective representatives are also exempt.
By working through our registration self-assessment, you will be able to tell whether you need to pay the data protection fee. But even if you are exempt from paying a fee, you still need to comply with your other data protection obligations.