N=8 counterterms and E7(7) current conservation

We examine conservation of the E-7(7) Noether-Gaillard-Zumino current in the presence of N=8 supergravity counterterms using the momentum space helicity formalism, which significantly simplifies the calculations. The main result is that the 4-point counterterms at any loop order L are forbidden by the E-7(7) current conservation identity. We also clarify the relation between linearized and full non-linear superinvariants as candidate counterterms. This enables us to show that all n-point counterterms at L = 7, 8 are forbidden since they provide a non-linear completions of the 4-point ones. This supports and exemplifies our general proof in arXiv:1103.4115 of perturbative UV finiteness of N=8 supergravity.