Identity verification is almost here

Helen Mather, Partner

Directors and People with Significant Control can verify their identity at Companies House from 8 April 2025

From 8 April 2025 directors and persons with significant control can voluntarily decide to verify their identity with Companies House. In the future, it will be a legal requirement to do so and you therefore might decide to get ahead and verify your identity before it is mandatory.

In most cases you will only have to verify your identity once and it therefore seems sensible to tick it off your to do list sooner rather than later to ensure that you don’t suffer any adverse consequences of missing the deadline (such as committing a criminal offence or becoming unable to act as a director).

The requirements are part of The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (ECCTA) and are intended to reduce instances of people using UK companies for illegal or fraudulent purposes or hiding who owns a company.

Directors and persons with significant control of companies (as well as other persons including members of LLPs and persons who file documents at Companies House for a company e.g. a company secretary or adviser) will have to verify their identity and prove they are who they say they are.

When will identity verification be a legal requirement?

From autumn 2025 you will have to have your identity verified:

• to enable you/your company to file a confirmation statement
• if you are or become appointed as a director
• if you are or become a person with significant control (PSC)

There will also be requirements that those filing documents at Companies House will also have to have their identity verified and its anticipated this will become a legal requirement at a slightly later date in 2026.

What if you don’t verify your identity?

If you do not verify your identity when it is a legal requirement to do so it will have various serious implications and consequences including:

• You will be committing an offence and may have to pay a financial penalty or fine
• If you continue to act as a director you will be committing an offence and could be disqualified
• The company and all other directors may also be committing an offence.
• If you are (or were) a PSC without verifying after it becomes a legal requirement, you will be committing an offence
• You will not be able to file anything at Companies House
• You will not be able to incorporate a company

How can you verify your identity?

There are a few ways you can verify your identity:

1. Online: from 8 April 2025 you can verify your identity using GOV.UK One Login and there are options to do this via a mobile app or web browser. This is free of charge and can be done using various forms of ID including your biometric passport or UK photo driving licence. If you cannot verify your identity online then you may be able to do so in person at the post office as an alternative.
2. Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP): a ACSP (e.g. an accountant or solicitor that has registered as ACSP) can instead verify your identity on your behalf. The ACSP must see certain ID and other documents and confirm various details with you in order to be able to do this and they may charge a fee for their services.

What happens next?

Once your identity has been verified Companies House will give you a unique identification code called a “Companies House personal code”. The code will be unique to you as an individual.  You should keep the code safe and secure to avoid someone using it to impersonate you.

Kuits can guide you through the identity verification legal obligations and processes. If you would like to know more, please contact a member of the Corporate team on 0161 832 3434.