Identity verification is an important part of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act (ECCTA). Under the act, anyone who’s submitting information to the public register, including those presenting information on behalf of a company, will be required to verify their identity.
When the legislation commences, third-party providers will not be able to submit information for their clients unless they are registered as an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP)
If you are a third-party provider, who presents information directly to Companies House on behalf of clients, you will be required to become an ACSP by Spring 2026.
However, if you plan to carry out identity verification checks on clients, you’ll need to be registered as an ACSP from Autumn 2025.
To register as an ACSP, you’ll need to be supervised within the UK by one of the relevant Anti-Money Laundering (AML) supervisory bodies.
From Autumn 2025, identity verification will start to become a requirement for Directors and People with Significant Control (PSCs).
Clients who engage directly with Companies House through their own accounts will need to provide us with the following information every time they file:
someone filing on behalf of their own company will need to provide their identity verification credentials
an agent will need to provide their ACSP credentials
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