Persons filing at Companies house

Starting from Spring 2026, only company officers and employees whose identities have been verified will be permitted to submit filings at Companies House on behalf of their respective companies. They will not, under current regulations, be allowed to file for another group company where they do not hold the position of officer or employee.

Nevertheless, filings can be made through an authorised corporate service provider (ACSP). ACSPs serve as intermediaries, such as Chalfen, and are overseen by an anti-money laundering supervisory authority, being registered as ACSPs with Companies House.

Company secretaries are required to have their identities verified only if they are filing documents at Companies House (which is likely) or if they fall into one of the mandatory categories (for instance, if they also act as a director). It will be essential for company secretaries to formulate a clear strategy to identify which individuals require identity verification.

Additionally, attention must be paid to how the potentially large volumes of personal data will be collected, managed, and securely stored.

Company secretaries overseeing groups with a centralized company secretarial function must also evaluate how the limitations on who can file at Companies House may affect the ability of other group companies to continue their filing activities.