HMRC has published its latest list of businesses penalised for breaching money laundering regulations, with estate agents accounting for nearly half of all fines issued.

The update, covering the period between April 1st and September 30th 2025, shows that 369 penalties were issued across all supervised sectors, with a total value of £1,881,237. Of these, 170 penalties were handed to estate agency businesses, amounting to £835,842.

According to HMRC, the majority of penalties issued relate to businesses trading while unregistered for anti-money laundering (AML) supervision. In total, 332 of the fines published were issued for operating without the required registration.

Sector under scrutiny

Estate agents were the largest single group penalised in the latest enforcement action. HMRC also issued 134 penalties to accountancy service providers, totalling £513,930, alongside fines for money service businesses and other regulated sectors.

HMRC noted that some businesses received reduced penalties after voluntarily approaching the department to disclose breaches, reinforcing the importance of early engagement and self-reporting.

Estate agency businesses are legally required to register for AML supervision and maintain appropriate systems and controls to prevent money laundering and terrorist financing. HMRC supervises both estate agency businesses (EABs) and letting agency businesses (LABs) through its Economic Crime Supervision teams.

An HMRC spokesperson said: “Anti-money laundering supervision is a vital line of defence for businesses against criminal exploitation. We are committed to helping businesses protect themselves and we take action against the minority who fail to fulfil their legal obligations, as these penalties clearly show.”