- Compliance stage
- £79was £75
- Enforcement stage
- £247was £235
- Sale or disposal stage
- £116was £110
- Extra 7.5% applies above
- £1,900was £1,500
The standard scale
This scale applies to council tax, business rates, parking and traffic penalties, magistrates’ court fines, child maintenance and county court warrants. In the regulations it is “enforcement other than under a High Court writ”.
| Stage | What triggers it | Fixed fee | Plus, on debts over £1,900 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compliance | The enforcement firm receives the instruction. This stage covers the Notice of Enforcement and everything up to a visit. | £79 | Nothing |
| Enforcement | An agent first attends the premises. | £247 | 7.5% of the amount over £1,900 |
| Sale or disposal | An agent first attends to take goods away for sale, or starts preparing a sale on the premises. | £116 | 7.5% of the amount over £1,900 |
Each fee is charged once per stage, not once per letter or per visit. A stage fee is payable in full once that stage has started, even if the debt is paid before the stage is finished.
What the fees come to in practice: firms told the Enforcement Conduct Board that in January to June 2025 the average enforcement fee collected on a case paid in full was £201. It was £184 on this scale and £569 under High Court writs. Those figures are from before the 1 May 2026 increase.
Worked examples
| Debt | Compliance | Enforcement | Sale | Total after a visit | Total if goods are sold | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Example A | £1,000 | £79 | £247 | £116 | £1,326 | £1,442 |
| Example B | £3,500 | £79 | £367 | £236 | £3,946 | £4,182 |
The High Court scale
Where a High Court writ of control is being enforced, there are four stages and the figures are higher.
| Stage | What triggers it | Fixed fee | Plus, on debts over £1,200 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compliance | The officer receives the instruction and sends the Notice of Enforcement. | £79 | Nothing |
| First enforcement stage | A first attendance that ends in payment in full, or a repayment arrangement or controlled goods agreement. | £200 | 7.5% of the amount over £1,200 |
| Second enforcement stage | No payment or agreement is reached, or an agreement is made and then broken. | £520 | Nothing |
| Sale or disposal | Attendance to remove goods for sale. | £550 | 7.5% of the amount over £1,200 |
A £1,000 judgment that goes through every High Court stage therefore carries £1,349 in fixed fees before VAT.
Changed on 1 May 2026
Where nobody is in on a High Court officer’s first visit, the case cannot move to the second enforcement stage until the person has been given another opportunity to pay in full or to enter a repayment arrangement or controlled goods agreement. Where payment is made in full, or an arrangement is made and kept, only the first enforcement stage fee can be recovered.
What else can be added
- Storage of goods that have been removed, where the cost was reasonably and actually incurred.
- A locksmith, where reasonable force was lawfully used to enter, including the cost of securing the property afterwards.
- Court fees for applications the agent made that were granted.
- Auction costs. The auctioneer’s commission, up to 15% of what the goods fetch at an auction house or 7.5% for an online auction, plus out-of-pocket expenses and reasonable advertising.
- Exceptional costs, but only if a court orders it on an application made with the creditor’s consent.
VAT
The fees are exclusive of VAT. Where the creditor is VAT registered, which includes councils, the agent “may not recover VAT on the fees” from the debtor. Where the creditor is not VAT registered, a sum equivalent to VAT can be added. In practice that mostly arises with High Court enforcement for private individuals.
Rather talk it through with someone? Request a call
More than one debt with the same firm
Where a firm holds several enforcement powers against the same person and they can reasonably be dealt with together:
- the compliance fee can be charged for each one,
- the fixed enforcement and sale fees “may be recovered only once regardless of the number of enforcement powers”, and
- the percentage is worked out on the combined total.
So three council tax liability orders with one firm mean three compliance fees but a single £247 enforcement fee, provided they can be enforced on the same occasion.
Vulnerable people
The enforcement stage fee, and any costs linked to that stage, are not recoverable from a vulnerable person unless the agent first gave them “an adequate opportunity to get assistance and advice” before removing goods. Bailiffs and vulnerable people
How payments are divided
Where goods are sold for less than the amount owed, the auctioneer’s costs come out first, then the compliance fee, and the remainder is shared between the debt and the outstanding fees in proportion.
Old scale or new scale?
The 2026 regulations say that nothing in them “affects any enforcement action taken prior to the coming into force of these Regulations”. The House of Commons Library summarises the position as the new figures applying to enforcement action commencing on or after 1 May 2026, with existing cases continuing under the previous fee structure.
A statement showing £75 and £235 is therefore consistent with a case that began before that date.
Challenging a fee
An agent must be able to say which stage each fee relates to. Any dispute about the amount recoverable “is to be determined by the court”, and fee complaints can also go through the firm, the creditor and the Enforcement Conduct Board. How to complain about a bailiff
Common questions
Do bailiff fees have to be paid?
Fees that were charged in line with the regulations are added to the debt and are recoverable in the same way as the debt. Fees charged outside the regulations are not recoverable, and a dispute about the amount can be decided by the court.
Can bailiffs charge for a visit when nobody was in?
Yes. The enforcement stage starts with “the first attendance at the premises”. The £247 fee does not depend on anyone answering the door.
Can a bailiff charge for every visit?
No. The enforcement stage fee is a single fee covering all activity from the first attendance until the sale stage begins.
Is the compliance fee charged if the debt is paid straight away?
Yes. The £79 compliance fee is due once the enforcement firm has received the instruction, and a stage fee is payable in full once the stage has begun.
Want to talk it through with someone?
Tell us where things are up to and one of our team will call to talk it through. A debt adviser then explains the options. There is no obligation to go any further.
Speak to someone now on 0161 660 0876
We do not charge for speaking to you. If you choose a debt solution, you are referred to one of our trusted debt solution providers, and we receive a fee if you enter into an agreement with one of them. A debt solution may have fees, which are explained before anything is agreed.
Free debt advice is available
These organisations give free, impartial debt advice and are independent of Bailiff Support Team. Nobody has to use a paid or commercial service to get help with their debts, and using one of the free services does not reduce the options available. Their advisers can also ask an enforcement firm to extend a notice period or apply for Breathing Space where it fits.
- MoneyHelperGovernment-backed. Finds a free debt adviser nearby or online.
- StepChange Debt CharityFree debt advice online and by phone.
- Citizens AdviceDetailed help with bailiffs, online and in person.
- National DebtlineFree advice and sample letters, run by the Money Advice Trust.
Sources
- Taking Control of Goods (Fees) Regulations 2014, Schedule (fee tables)
- Taking Control of Goods (Fees) Regulations 2014 (as amended)
- Taking Control of Goods (Fees) Regulations 2014, regulation 11 (more than one enforcement power)
- Taking Control of Goods (Fees) Regulations 2014, regulation 12 (vulnerable debtors)
- Taking Control of Goods (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/366)
- Enforcement Conduct Board: Insight Report 2026 (data for January to June 2025)
- House of Commons Library: Enforcement agents and High Court enforcement officers (SN04103, April 2026)