UK company directors - verify your identity at Companies House now!
All directors of UK companies must verify their identity with Companies House. This mandatory new process, brought in under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act, is designed to enhance corporate transparency and combat financial crime by ensuring that the people responsible for UK companies are genuinely who they say they are.
Why is Companies House identity verification mandatory, and what happens if you fail to verify your identity?
Companies House is moving from being a simple record keeper to a fully verified public register. The new requirement for directors to verify their identity is a significant step in the Companies House transformation to tackle fraud and money laundering.
Failure to verify your identity with Companies House will immediately impact your ability to fulfil your legal duties. If you, as a director, do not complete the identity verification process, you will be prohibited from key activities:
Filing Restrictions: you will be unable to make any subsequent filings for your existing company without a personal code. The personal code is only provided upon successfully verifying your identity.
Company Formation: you cannot be appointed as a director, or start a new company or other legal entity.
Professional Services: you will be unable to register as an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) (also known as a Companies House authorised agent) to file on behalf of clients.
Risk of non-compliance
It is essential to comply with the identity verification requirements by the deadline. If you fail to do so:
Financial Penalty: you and your company may have to pay a financial penalty or fine.
Legal Offence: you may be considered to be committing a legal offence.
How to verify your identity for Companies House
The process for director ID verification is straightforward, free of charge and usually takes minutes. Companies House offers two main routes:
Directly with Companies House: using the GOV.UK One Login service.
Through an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP): this could be your accountant or solicitor.
The easiest way for most directors to complete the identity check is using the GOV.UK ID Check app with a valid biometric passport - find out more here.
Once verified, you will receive a unique, permanent Companies House personal code (also known as a unique identifier). Keep this code secure! You will need to use it to link your verified identity to every company role you hold and to make filings in the future.
Heather Stark