2nd Companies House Identity Verification Update

Identity verification is an important part of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act (ECCTA). Under the act, anyone who’s submitting information to the public register, including those presenting information on behalf of a company, will be required to verify their identity.

New mandatory identity verification requirements are being introduced under the Economic Crime & Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (ECCTA) for all new and existing directors, PSCs, and those delivering documents to Companies House on behalf of other entities. These measures are designed to make it harder to appoint fictitious directors or beneficial owners and prevent fraudulent appointments.

Companies House has now issued its intended implementation timetable for much of the rest of the ECCTA that is not yet in force; this includes the new identity verification regime.

Identity verification of new and existing directors, persons of significant control (PSCs), and those delivering documents to Companies House will commence in Spring 2025 and is expected to be completed by the end of 2026.

In consideration of this timeline confirmation, there are updated template letters to both directors and PSCs regarding the identity verification regime. It is essential that information regarding the regime and its timetable is disseminated from companies to their directors and PSCs as soon as possible. How each company intends to manage the process and what action a company’s directors and PSCs should be taking in preparation is a matter for each company. However, these updated letters will be a useful starting point for this conversation and have been designed for company secretaries and administrators to use for this purpose.

New forms are available for all clients wishing to utilise our registration services.