Datalab announcements
Updated 16 March 2026
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HMRC published its HMRC Future Research Strategy report on 7 August 2025. The report, funded by Administrative Data Research (ADR) UK made recommendations on how HMRC should improve access to its data for research purposes, improve the quality of this data, and engage better with external researchers. It contained a commitment by HMRC to retain Datalab as a facility for external researchers to access HMRC data for more complex research focused on tax. You can read ADR UK’s news blog on the report.
If HMRC is successful in its ambition of improving the availability of its data for external research, HMRC expects to face increased demand for expert support for such research. HMRC needs to ensure that this increased demand is met efficiently and sustainably, balancing the needs of both researchers and HMRC.
The contracts that researchers and their sponsoring institutions sign with HMRC in order to access HMRC data in Datalab are a critical enabler of HMRC and researchers working well together. They are required to ensure that both sides not only meet the legal conditions for access to the data but also understand their respective responsibilities. In addition, the contracts set expectations and enable both researchers and HMRC to prioritise and plan the work they will be doing together.
As part of HMRC’s ongoing efforts to ensure the long-term sustainability of Datalab, in late 2025 and early 2026, HMRC conducted a consultation and review of Datalab contracts, with the objective of ensuring that they provide clear and robust expectations for HMRC and Datalab users. The review took into account the other improvements to researchers’ access to HMRC data recommended in the HMRC Future Research Strategy report. It also took into account how well the current contracts introduced in January 2024 have served their purpose, as well as views expressed by institutions and researchers ahead of their introduction, and continuing feedback from users since then.
Following the conclusion of the consultation, HMRC intends to implement revised contracts effective from 1 April 2026. Further communications have now been sent out to existing Datalab researchers and their institutions.