Getting verified: Do changes to UK company law affect you?

The UK government has recently passed into law the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, writes Rhys Evans, Member Relations Officer at Co-operatives UK. There are over four million companies in the UK, and efforts have been made recently to crack down on financial crime and fraud, and to deter those wishing to use companies for illegal purposes.

A recently published report claimed that a joint operation between multiple departments of the UK government led to the removal of over 11,500 companies from the register.

This new legislation provides Companies House with greater powers as a registrar in these areas and implements requirements for those involved in UK companies to prove that they are who they claim to be. 

Getting verified: What you need to know

From 18 November 2025, Companies House will require that the identities of any individuals running, owning, or controlling a Company be verified. This includes:

• New Directors or Persons with Significant Control (PSCs)
• Existing Directors or Persons with Significant Control (PSCs)
• Members of Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs) 

This list is likely to be expanded later, but these are Companies House’s main concerns in this initial rollout. 

We can confirm that these new requirements do not apply to officers or directors of organisations that are societies in legal form. If you are in a role listed above in a UK company, it will now be mandatory to complete Identity Verification (IDV) once these requirements come into force.  

When do I need to do this? 

For new incorporations, it will become a mandatory part of the process of application for company registration that IDV checks must have been completed for new Directors or PSCs. 

For existing Directors or PSCs, Companies House have set an initial period of 12 months to comply with these new requirements, but depending on your company you may in fact have less time than this. Verification must have been completed in order to interact with Companies House on behalf of your company – for example before submitting a confirmation statement. We advise checking now when your company’s next confirmation statements are due to allow you to plan accordingly. 

How can I verify my identity? 

There are two ways to verify your identity. 

The first is directly with Companies House through the GOV.UK One service. You’ll need to create a log in and use accepted photo ID and facial recognition technology to complete the process. 

Alternatively, you can use the services of an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP), also known as a Companies House Authorised Agent. These are organisations who have been authorised by Companies House to complete IDV checks on behalf of individuals. 

You will only need to verify your identity once, even if involved with multiple companies. Those verified will receive a personal code, which will need to be included along with certain submissions for a company (e.g. confirmation statements), but can be used across all appointments for the same individual. The register will display on a company’s listing those whose identities have been verified. 

How we can help you

Co-operatives UK is looking to assist its members wherever possible with the challenges that these new legislative requirements will certainly bring – and is in the process of applying to be a Companies House Authorised Agent. 

Once accepted, we can assist our members by completing company director and PSC identity verifications. If your co‑op would like us to handle that process, please email us at [email protected] to register your interest and we will contact you as soon as the ACSP registration is complete. 

If you’re unsure of where you or your company stand in light of these new changes, would like to register your interest in the ACSP service, or would like to know more about what we will offer our members as an ACSP, email us at [email protected].