As a result of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act there are mandatory requirements coming into place this Autumn at Companies House. These will require action from every single company director and person with significant control (PSC) of a company.

Background

The main purpose of the Act is to enhance the integrity of the UK’s company registration system. At the heart of these changes is the implementation of an identity (ID) verification process for every director and PSC. In addition, accountants filing accounts on behalf of their clients will have to go through a similar process to be able to do so.

When are the changes coming in?

• Since 8 April 2025 it has been possible to carry out identity verification on a voluntary basis – but now we have a clear deadline date.
• From 18 November 2025, identity verification will become a compulsory part of incorporation and any changes to existing companies.
• 18 November 2025 will also see the start of a 12-month transition phase to verify the identity of all existing directors and PSCs. This will be a pre-requisite to the Confirmation Statement process – as each company’s Confirmation Statement becomes due for filing over that 12-month period, the directors and PSCs must have verified their identity in order for the confirmation statement to be filed.
• From Spring 2026, third-party agents filing on behalf of companies will also be required to be registered.

What does ID verification involve?

Perhaps, as to be expected from such a Government initiative, there is an extremely formalised process which we optimistically hope will operate effectively given the hard-deadlines encoded into the Companies House regime.

Simplistically, ID can be verified directly through Companies House free of charge or through an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) for a fee.

You will need to provide your name, date of birth, home address and email address, as well as ID documents. The check will then either involve:

• a Digital Identity Validation Technology (IDVT) check, which carries out biometric tests on the ID document you provide – in this case, only one ID document is required, or
• Verification of two documents from approved lists by a person trained in detecting false documents

Authorisation code

Once your identity has been verified, generally on the same day you apply, you will be emailed your Companies House personal code. This is an 11-character code that will be used to connect your verified identity to your Companies House records. This is the only way that you will be notified of the code, so you will need to make sure that the email address supplied is correct.

You will need to share this code with us in order that we can file any submissions to Companies House on your behalf.

The public register will show:

• your name
• the name of the ACSP that verified your ID
• the names of money-laundering supervisory bodies the ACSP is registered with
• the date the ID check was completed

How to verify your ID

• The primary route for this task is through the free Companies House process here, which you should commence now.
• However, we can provide you with an alternative paid route through our long-standing Company Secretarial provider here.
• Once you have received the code, please email it to support@hivebusiness.co.uk.

If you have any questions in the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact us.