Companies House Updates: What do they mean?
Companies House have confirmed a shift in their timescales for implementing the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, announcing that the introduction of ID verification for those filing documents will now be postponed until November 2026. The changes were introduced and followed a 12-month plan to phase in ID verification to promote corporate transparency and strengthening safeguards against economic crime. The first stage of modernising the UK’s corporate registry was implemented in November 2025 and required directors and people with significant control to verify their identity online.
With the second step of the verification plan, Companies House now requires mandatory filing identity verification for individuals filing documents on behalf of companies. Additionally, third party agents filing documents on behalf of companies must now become authorised corporate service providers. The second requirement is a huge change third-party previously undertook filings, which could be completed just with the Company filing code.
Companies House has postponed the second stage of mandatory verification from Spring 2026 to November 2026 so that it can prioritise the completion of the identity verification transition process for directors and persons with significant control.
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