Major changes to UK company law are being introduced. These changes will affect all new and existing company directors and people with significant control (PSCs), as well as third-party providers acting on their behalf.
The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, has fundamentally changed how Companies House operates. The Act gave Companies House the power to play a far more significant role in tackling economic crime, whilst supporting economic growth and making sure the UK is one of the best places in the world to start and grow a business.
For company directors and third-party providers, these new measures mean new compliance requirements, but also greater trust and transparency, and more accurate information on our registers.
Read on to find out more about what’s changing for you and your clients, so you can advise them to act at the right time and prepare your own business.
Identity verification: act now to avoid the rush
The biggest upcoming change affecting company directors is identity verification, which will become a legal requirement from 18 November 2025. This verification will provide extra assurance about who’s really running and owning UK companies and help protect legitimate businesses from being associated with fraudulent activity.
We are phasing in identity verification over a 12-month transition period, to make sure the right amount of support is available to businesses and individuals affected by this new requirement.
However, companies who want to act early and make sure they’re prepared can verify the identities of their directors and PSCs now.
How to complete identity verification
There are two routes to complete identity verification:
- Verify your identity for Companies House. This free service uses GOV.UK One Login to allow directors and PSCs to complete verification quickly online.
- Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP). Alternatively, directors and PSCs can verify through a third-party provider, such as an accountant, who has registered with Companies House as an ACSP.
Once an individual has successfully verified their identity they will receive a Companies House personal code. They can provide this directly to Companies House themselves or share it with an ACSP to provide it on their behalf.
Becoming an ACSP
If you’re a third-party provider and wish to offer identity verification services for Companies House, you will first need to register as an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP).
This will allow you to tell us you have verified a client’s identity for Companies House using the ‘verify a client’ service on GOV.UK.
In the future, you will also need to be registered as an ACSP to file on behalf of clients, but we will provide plenty of notice before this is introduced.
To become an ACSP, you will need to registered with a UK Anti-Money laundering (AML) supervisory body. To find out more about being an ACSP, including the identity verification standard you will need to meet, please visit our guidance.
Once registered, you may wish to consider how you will promote your services as an ACSP, so that directors and PSCs who would prefer to use an ACSP to verify their identity can find your services.
Verifying your client’s identity early
From 18 November 2025, director and PSCs are legally required to verify their identity. When informing us of a client’s identity you’ve verified, it’s important to ensure you enter their information, such as name and date of birth, accurately. Otherwise, when you later provide their personal code, it will be rejected if their information does not match what we hold in our records.
We encourage directors and PSCs to verify as early as possible, either through GOV.UK One Login or an ACSP. Once done, you’re all set for future filings from 18 November.In Partnership With
Leaving completing identity verification until the last minute could result in:
- delays to important filings
- potential financial penalties
- unnecessary stress during busy periods
Identity verification requirements for limited partnerships, corporate directors of companies, corporate members of limited liability partnerships (LLPs), and officers of corporate PSCs, will be introduced at a later date.
What this means for your business
These changes are creating a more trustworthy business environment that benefits legitimate companies. Customers, suppliers and investors will have greater confidence in the company they are dealing with, potentially making it easier to secure contracts and funding.
The enhanced transparency also helps level the playing field, ensuring all businesses operate under the same robust standards.
Requiring third party providers to register their business as an ACSP will allow us to confidently identify who is filing information on the register and acting on behalf of companies. We’ll also be able to quickly identify when an ACSP may not be acting with a lawful purpose and take action. This will help us effectively protect lawful businesses and the public, whilst allowing legitimate third-party providers to continue providing services for their clients without disruption.
Take action today
These new measures represent the biggest changes to UK company law since 1844, but acting early will ensure your business and clients stay compliant while benefitting from a more trusted and transparent business environment
We are contacting companies through the registered email address to tell them what their directors and PSCs need to do to meet identity verification requirements. If you act as an agent for a company, remind them to look out for our instructions. If you have been put down as a company’s registered email address, make sure your client receives the message.
Don’t delay, register as an ACSP and start verifying your clients’ identities now. Stay up to date on all changes to UK company law by signing up to email updates from Companies House.
