As we’ve been flagging in our social media posts over the last few months, big changes are coming to the way Companies House operates. From November this year, proving who you are will no longer be optional. Under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, identity verification will be a legal requirement for anyone involved in running or owning a UK company.
This applies to all company directors and anyone who is a person with significant control (PSC) – essentially, someone who owns or controls more than 25% of the company, can appoint or remove directors, or otherwise has significant influence over how the business is run.
Identity verification has been available on a voluntary basis since 8 April 2025, either through GOV.UK One Login or by using an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) such as Black Fox Group. From 18 November 2025, it becomes mandatory.
What this means for directors:
- New directors will need to verify when incorporating a company or when being appointed to an existing one.
- Existing directors will have 12 months from 18 November 2025 to complete verification, usually alongside their company’s next confirmation statement.
What this means for PSCs:
- Existing PSCs must verify within the first 14 days before their birthday each year. In practice, this means if your birthday is 19 December, you must verify by 14 December.
- New PSCs (appointed after 18 November 2025) will have 14 days from the date they register with Companies House.
- If you are both a PSC and a director of the same company, your 14-day deadline will run from your company’s confirmation statement date.
An Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) is a firm that has been approved by Companies House to carry out identity verification on your behalf. This means you don’t have to deal with the verification process yourself – an ACSP can securely check your ID, confirm it to Companies House and make sure all deadlines are met. Black Fox Group is an ACSP, so we can handle the whole process for you, whether you are a director, a PSC, or both.
Once verified, you’ll receive a personal code. This code must be provided to Companies House for every role you hold across different companies.
Failing to verify on time can result in fines, disqualification as a director and even your company being struck off the register.
For many companies, different directors and PSCs will have different deadlines for completing their verification, which makes keeping track tricky. Our advice is simple – get verified now. That way you avoid any confusion, prevent last-minute scrambles and know you’re compliant well before the rules take effect.
We have the necessary software in place to handle the identification process for you quickly, efficiently and securely for you. Contact us to find out more.