Companies House has updated its transition plan for the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (ECCTA 2023), which received Royal Assent on 26 October 2023. The update outlines implementation dates for (1) the suppression of a home address where used as a registered office, (2) a service for registering Authorised Corporate Service Providers (ACSPs), and (3) allowing individuals to voluntarily verify their identity.

Companies House has announced that its service for registering authorised corporate service providers (ACSPs) will launch on 18 March 2025, following a brief delay. The service forms part of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act (2023) implementation plan and will enable trust and company service providers and other professional service providers registered for anti money laundering supervision in the UK to become ACSPs. These providers will then be authorised to conduct verification services for their clients and submit verification details to the registrars.

Companies House has announced that mandatory identity verification requirements under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 will commence from 18 November 2025. New directors must verify their identity for incorporation or appointment, while existing directors need to verify at their next confirmation statement. People with significant control (PSCs) must verify within a 12-month transition period. The requirements affect 6-7m individuals who must complete verification by November 2026. Companies House will implement verification through GOV.UK One Login or Authorised Corporate Service Providers, with acting as an unverified director becoming an offence once requirements commence.

Companies House has announced new and enhanced powers, under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, which aims to improve the quality and reliability of data and tackle misuse of the companies register. These changes follow a government focus to reduce fraud, money laundering and other forms of economic crime. The powers will be rolled out in phases to minimise disruption for legitimate businesses.

Companies House has announced that, from 18 November 2025, companies will no longer be required to hold statutory registers for directors, directors' residential addresses, secretaries and people with significant control (PSC). However, companies must continue to register this information with Companies House. Additionally, companies will no longer need to provide directors' business occupations when registering their appointments with Companies House. The option to hold officer information on the central register will also be removed. Companies must still hold a register of shareholders at their registered office or single alternative inspection location (SAIL). Those that previously held their register of members at Companies House will now need to create and maintain their own register, hold it at their registered office or SAIL address, include a statement about their previous use of the central register and make it available for public viewing.

Law360: Companies House said 26 September 2024 that it has introduced new penalties for businesses that misuse the national register as part of the latest stage in implementing the UK's sweeping anti-fraud reforms to tackle economic crime.

The Companies Act 2006 (CA 2006) requires that various filings must be made, on behalf of a company, with the Registrar of Companies at Companies House. It is important that care is taken in the preparation of those filings to ensure that they are timely, complete and accurate, as well as compliant with the relevant statutory requirements. The role and powers of the Registrar of Companies The Registrar maintains the Register of Companies incorporated in England and Wales, which is a public record. Upon the incorporation of a company and throughout its lifecycle, information relating to its directors, people with significant control (PSCs), registered office address and other key details relating to its structure and constitution must be filed with the Registrar at Companies House, in order that it may be entered into the Register. The rules governing the filing of documents are made by the Registrar in accordance with the powers given to them by CA 2006, s 1117. CA 2006, s 1081A sets out the objectives of

Companies House has announced that it has resolved a security issue affecting its WebFiling service, discovered on 13 March 2026, which potentially allowed logged-in users to access and modify elements of other companies' details without consent. The service was closed at 1:30 pm on 13 March 2026 and restored at 9 am on 16 March 2026 following an investigation and independent testing. The investigation revealed that the issue, introduced caused during an October 2025 system update, may have exposed non-public company data, including dates of birth, residential addresses and email addresses. However, Companies House confirmed that passwords and identity verification data remained secure. The incident has been reported to the Information Commissioner's Office and the National Cyber Security Centre. Companies House has also asked companies to review their registered details and filing history to ensure they are correct, and stated that it will email each company's registered address with guidance on verification procedures.

Companies House has launched a new voluntary identity verification service, enabling individuals to verify their identities directly through GOV.UK One Login or via an Authorised Corporate Service Provider. The identity verification process aims to improve the quality and reliability of data on the companies register, providing greater assurance about who is setting up, running, owning, and controlling companies in the UK. The service will become mandatory from autumn 2025. The Chief Executive Officer of Companies House, Louise Smyth, stated that verification requirements for existing directors will be integrated into the annual confirmation statement update process to reduce administrative burdens.

The new free data download contains information on every live company and other registered entity on the Companies House register, including some information that is not available for free from the Companies House WebCheck service

Companies House has launched a new registration service, allowing third-party corporate service providers, such as accountants, legal professionals, and company formation agents to apply to register as an authorised corporate service provider (ACSP). This service is part of the changes under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (ECCTA 2023). To become an ACSP, businesses must be registered with one of the UK's 25 anti-money laundering supervisory bodies, and the registration process must be completed by a senior member of the business, such as a director.

Companies House has published guidance setting out how it will enforce compliance with new mandatory identity verification requirements for company directors, people with significant control, and authorised agents under the Companies Act 2006. The body will use a graduated approach—informing, guiding, and then sanctioning non-compliant individuals or companies—through prosecution, referral to the Insolvency Service or financial penalties. Serious or repeated breaches may result in criminal conviction, disqualification or removal from the register. The approach will be reviewed and adjusted over time to ensure effectiveness and proportionality.