Companies House (UK)
What is it?
Companies House is the executive agency of the British Government that maintains the register of companies, employs the company registrars and is responsible for incorporating all forms of companies in the United Kingdom.
They:
- Review and accept incorporations of new companies in the UK.
- Hold a record of all changes to company information for all companies and their officers in the United Kingdom
- Hold a record of information such as charges held on limited companies (eg Loans or Mortgages)
- Review and accept annual confirmation statements for all companies in the UK and issue fines for late filing of such.
- Accept and record filing of annual accounts for all companies in the UK and issue fines for late filing of such.
Further information can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/companies-house/about#our-responsibilities
How does this affect me?
If you are a director, PSC, shareholder with over 25% shareholding, partner or member of a company you have statutory obligations. These are overseen by Companies House and are best explained in detail on the gov.uk website.
For limited companies, you can find information here: https://www.gov.uk/running-a-limited-company
A BIG NOTE: You may decide to engage a third party to complete some of the tasks, however, you should be aware that, as an officer of the company, it is your sole (or joint with other officers) responsibility to ensure that the company complies with all regulations and requirements.
Incorporation, ID Verification & AML for Limited Companies
It’s a lot to think about, but, whether it is a property investment company with a single rental property or a carpet traders with multiple warehouses and shops, you are now running or about to run a company.
Incorporation
When you initially apply to set up a limited company must provide full details of officers, shareholders, share allocations, addresses and intended trades. In addition, you must provide a registered email address for the company and agree to act lawfully.
All information must be kept updated by yourselves as officers of the company either in electronic or paper format. You must also inform Companies House of any changes to any of the information held within pre-defined timescales.
On acceptance of your incorporation, you will receive (amongst other things), the Certificate of Incorporation with the Registered Company Number. This number is unique to your limited company.
Additionally, you may receive (or can request):
- Memorandum of Association (a list of the subscribers and shareholders for a company)
- IN01 (copy of the information used to form your limited company)
- The Companies House Authentication code for your company. Please keep a note of this. It will be used for filing changes, confirmation statements and accounts. Your accountant will request this code to file on your behalf.
Anti Money Laundering (AML)
When you apply to incorporate a company, either through an accountant, solicitor or 3rd party service provider, they will be required by law to complete Anti Money Laundering checks on all directors, pscs and shareholders with a shareholding over 25%. You will be asked for, amongst other things, proof of ID and address.
For Accountants, the law gives guidance on how to meet their obligations for money laundering supervision, including customer due diligence, record keeping and reporting suspicious activity. Further information on the guidance we use can be found here:
ID Verification
Identity verification is a new legal requirement. It will help to deter people intending to use companies for illegal purposes. It is not the same as AML checks, although some of the information required may be the same.
From October 2025 this is a mandatory requirement for officers of EXISTING and NEW companies. At Calculated, we are beginning the process of requesting that you complete this ID Verification. Look out for an email from us.
By law, you will need to verify your identity to confirm you are who you claim to be.
This will:
- reduce the risk of fraud
- improve transparency, trust and accuracy of information on the Companies House register
You’ll need to verify your identity if you are:
- a director
- the equivalent of a director – this includes members, general partners and managing officers
- a Person with Significant Control (PSC) : https://www.gov.uk/guidance/people-with-significant-control-pscs. Shareholders with a shareholding over 25% are automatically a PSC.
- someone who files for a company – for example, a company secretary
In most cases, you’ll only need to verify your identity once.
How to verify your identity
Online directly with Companies House (free)
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/verify-your-identity-for-companies-house
You can verify online if you have the identity documents or information required. It is very similar to a passport or driving licence application process.
This route uses GOV.UK One Login to verify your identity and is free of charge.
You’ll need one of the following types of photo ID:
- biometric passport from any country
- UK photo driving licence (full or provisional)
- UK biometric residence permit (BRP)
- UK biometric residence card (BRC)
- UK Frontier Worker permit (FWP)
GOV.UK One Login will ask you some simple questions to find the best way for you to verify your identity online. Depending on your answers, you’ll then be guided to verify using a GOV.UK mobile phone app (this is easy to download) or in your web browser.
If you do not have any of these types of ID but live in the UK, you may be able to verify with bank or building society details instead. You’ll need to use the ‘Verify your identity for Companies House’ service to find out if you can verify this way.
You’ll also need:
- your current address, and the year you moved in
- to sign in to or create a GOV.UK One Login
Your verified identity will be connected to your GOV.UK One Login which can be used to access a variety of UK government services.
An email address can only be used once to verify an identity.
Here to help
If you are uncertain about the process and would like assistance from our team at Calculated, get in touch and we can arrange a “run through” to explain how it works.
What happens next?
Personal Authentication Code
When you have successfully verified, you’ll get a unique identifier known as a Companies House personal code. The code is personal to you, not your company or a company you work for.
From autumn 2025, you’ll need it for various reasons. For example:
- when you file your confirmation statement
- if you are appointed as a director
- if you become a person with significant control (PSC)
If you are currently a director or a PSC, you’ll need to use your Companies House personal code to connect your verified identity to our records.
This is a legal requirement and will ensure that Companies House know the correct identity is linked to any roles you hold.
Sharing your authentication code with your accountant.
You will need to share this code with your accountant to file on your behalf, or for your company. Keep this information secure, as you would with other unique codes such as your Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR) for HMRC.
- Directors
If you’re currently a director, from autumn 2025 you’ll need to provide your personal code as part of your company’s next confirmation statement filing.
If you become a director after autumn 2025, you’ll need to provide it as part of your appointment filing or when you incorporate a company.
- People with significant control (PSCs)
You’ll need to provide your personal code to Companies House for your role as a PSC. This requirement will come into force from autumn 2025.
Directors
If you continue to act as a director without verifying after it becomes a legal requirement, you will be committing an offence and could be disqualified. The company (or entity) and all directors may also be committing an offence.
People with significant control (PSCs)
If you are (or were) a PSC without verifying after it becomes a legal requirement, you will be committing an offence.
Annual Commitments
Confirmation Statements
Every company, including dormant and non trading companies, must file a confirmation statement at least once every year.
This confirms the information held at Companies House about your company is up to date.
You must file a confirmation statement even if there have not been any changes to your company during the review period.
You will also need to state that the intended future activities of the company are lawful and provide a valid email address as the company registered email address. The email address will NOT be published on the public register.
You will need the Company Authentication Code to file your confirmation statement.
The cost to file your confirmation statement is currently £34.
Your accountant may include filing the confirmation statement as part of your annual engagement.
At Calculated, we will contact your within 2 weeks of your confirmation statement becoming due and will provide you with a snapshot of your current filing.
It is your responsibility to check this information and confirm before the due date that the information is correct, or, provide details of changes.
Some changes can be made through the confirmation statement filing process, others require a separate filing which can take time.
Companies House may and will issue a financial penalty and your company may be struck off the Companies House register if you do not file your confirmation statement.
Filing Annual Accounts and Company Tax Return
After the end of its financial year, your private limited company must prepare:
- full (‘statutory’) annual accounts
- a company tax return
Even if you have not traded.
You need your accounts and tax return to meet deadlines for filing with Companies House and HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).
You can be fined and your company struck off the register if you do not send Companies House your accounts on time.
As with all regulations, you can engage a third party to produce and file your accounts, but it is your responsibility to ensure that they are reviewed, correct, signed and filed on time.
Know your deadlines. If you plan to be away working or on holiday, inform your accountant in good time to ensure that you can work together to ensure you do not face penalties or strike off.
Record Keeping
Company and accounting records
- You must use a business bank account for your Limited Company.
- You must also keep records about the company itself, including details of:
- directors, shareholders and company secretaries
- the results of any shareholder votes and resolutions
- promises for the company to repay loans at a specific date in the future (‘debentures’) and who they must be paid back to
- promises the company makes for payments if something goes wrong and it’s the company’s fault (‘indemnities’)
- transactions when someone buys shares in the company
- loans or mortgages secured against the company’s assets
- You must also keep a register of ‘people with significant control’ (PSC). Your PSC register must include details of anyone who:
- has more than 25% shares or voting rights in your company
- can appoint or remove a majority of directors
- can influence or control your company or trust
- You still need to keep a record if there are no people with significant control.
- You must tell Companies House if you keep the records somewhere other than the company’s registered office address.
- Financial and accounting records including:
- Monies received and spent by the company, including grants and payments from coronavirus (COVID-19) support schemes.
- details of assets owned by the company
- debts the company owes or is owed
- stock the company owns at the end of the financial year
- the stocktakings you used to work out the stock figure
- all goods bought and sold
- who you bought and sold them to and from (unless you run a retail business)
- You must also keep any other financial records, information and calculations you need to prepare and file your annual accounts and Company Tax Return. This includes records of:
- Details of assets owned by the company.
- all money spent by the company, for example receipts, petty cash books, orders and delivery notes
- all money received by the company, for example invoices, contracts, sales books and till rolls
- any other relevant documents, for example bank statements and correspondence
You can be fined £3,000 by HMRC or disqualified as a company director if you do not keep accounting records.
How long to keep records
- You must keep records for 6 years from the end of the last company financial year they relate to, or longer if:
- They show a transaction that covers more than one of the company’s accounting periods
- the company has bought something that it expects to last more than 6 years, like equipment or machinery
- you sent your Company Tax Return late
- HMRC has started a compliance check into your Company Tax Return
- If your records are lost, stolen or destroyed
