Can Non-U.S. Citizens Get U.S. Whistleblower Rewards? Yes — Here’s How
You don’t need to be American: how foreign nationals claim 10–30% rewards under the SEC, CFTC, IRS and qui tam programs.
Read the guide →Key takeaways
- In December 2025 HMRC launched a new U.S.-style "Strengthened Reward Scheme" paying informants 15–30% of the tax recovered in serious cases with at least £1.5 million at stake.
- HMRC has quietly paid discretionary rewards since 2005 — about £509,000 in total in FY2022/23, figures only disclosed through Freedom of Information requests.
- The Competition and Markets Authority pays up to £250,000 for inside information about illegal cartels (cap raised from £100,000 in June 2023).
- The UK's financial regulators — the FCA and PRA — pay no rewards; they rejected financial incentives in a 2014 review.
- UK residents are among the top foreign sources of tips to the U.S. SEC — if your case has a U.S. connection, the uncapped U.S. programs may pay far more.
For decades the UK's official position was that whistleblowers should be protected, not paid. That changed in the November 2025 Budget: the Chancellor announced, and HMRC then launched, a reward scheme explicitly modeled on the U.S. and Canadian approach. The UK is now the most significant new whistleblower-reward jurisdiction in the world — though its older, smaller schemes are still worth understanding, and for many UK whistleblowers the U.S. programs remain the bigger prize.
The new HMRC Strengthened Reward Scheme (December 2025)
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Reward | 15–30% of the additional tax HMRC recovers as a result of your information |
| Case size | Serious cases — at least £1.5 million of tax at stake |
| Targets | Serious non-compliance by large businesses and wealthy individuals, offshore structures and avoidance schemes |
| Launched | December 2025, following the announcement in the 26 November 2025 Budget |
| How to report | Through HMRC's fraud-reporting channel — gov.uk/report-tax-fraud |
Two things to know before you rely on it. First, it is brand new: there is no payout track record yet, and published criteria leave HMRC significant discretion. Second, it supplements rather than replaces HMRC's older discretionary power — smaller cases fall back to the legacy scheme below.
HMRC's legacy discretionary rewards (since 2005)
Under section 26 of the Commissioners for Revenue and Customs Act 2005, HMRC has long had the power to pay informants at its discretion — no fixed percentage, no published criteria, no right to payment. The scale is modest but real and growing: roughly £509,000 paid across FY2022/23, up about 75% over five years — figures that only became public through Freedom of Information requests. If your case is below the new scheme's £1.5 million threshold, this discretionary route is what exists.
CMA cartel informant rewards: up to £250,000
Since 2008, the UK's competition authority has paid for inside information about illegal cartels — price fixing, bid rigging, market sharing. The cap was raised from £100,000 to £250,000 in June 2023. Payments are discretionary and scaled to the value of the information; the CMA publishes its policy and reporting channel at gov.uk. Note that cartel participants are generally steered to the leniency programme rather than rewards — the informant reward is aimed at employees and other insiders who weren't running the cartel.
Who doesn't pay: the FCA and PRA
There is no UK equivalent of the SEC's program. In a 2014 note to Parliament, the FCA and Bank of England concluded there was no empirical evidence that financial incentives improve whistleblowing, and proposed not to introduce them — a position that still stands for financial-services misconduct. Ironically, that is exactly the kind of case the U.S. SEC pays for.
The U.S. option for UK whistleblowers
The United Kingdom was among the top foreign sources of tips to the U.S. SEC in FY2024, and UK-based whistleblowers have collected U.S. awards. If the company involved has U.S.-traded shares, raises money from U.S. investors, moves money through U.S. banks, or defrauds U.S. government programs, you may qualify for 10–30% of an uncapped U.S. recovery — see how non-U.S. citizens claim U.S. rewards. For financial-services misconduct the FCA won't pay for, this is often the only paying route.
Frequently asked questions
How much can I get under HMRC's new reward scheme?
Between 15% and 30% of the additional tax HMRC recovers because of your information, for cases involving at least £1.5 million of tax. On a £10 million recovery that is £1.5–3 million — by far the largest reward potential the UK has ever offered. The scheme launched in December 2025, so no actual payouts have been publicly reported yet.
Do FCA whistleblowers get paid in the UK?
No. The FCA and PRA operate confidential whistleblowing channels and expect firms to have internal arrangements, but they concluded in 2014 that they would not pay financial incentives. If the misconduct also violates U.S. securities law — common for dual-listed banks and firms with U.S. operations — the U.S. SEC program pays 10–30% and accepts UK filers.
What happened before December 2025 — did HMRC ever pay informants?
Yes, quietly. HMRC has had a discretionary power to reward informants since 2005 and paid about £509,000 in FY2022/23 — up roughly 75% over five years. There was no formula and no published criteria; totals surfaced only via Freedom of Information requests. The new scheme adds published percentages for large cases on top of that discretionary power.
My case involves a company listed in both London and New York. Where should I report?
That dual listing is a classic U.S. hook: a UK company with U.S.-traded shares or ADRs is subject to U.S. securities law, so the SEC program — uncapped, 10–30%, anonymous filing through counsel — is usually the stronger option, potentially alongside UK channels. Sequencing matters (reporting through the wrong channel first can affect eligibility), so speak to a whistleblower attorney before filing anything. Consultations are free — see our guide for foreign filers.
Last updated: July 5, 2026. AntiFraud.com links only to official and nonprofit help channels — never paid "recovery services" — read our methodology.