Companies House ID Verification — Every Director Must Act by November 2026

What Is Changing

Companies House is introducing mandatory identity verification for every person involved in running or controlling a UK company. This is the biggest reform to the UK's company registration system in decades, driven by the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023.

From 18 November 2025, identity verification became available on a voluntary basis. All existing directors, persons with significant control (PSCs), and anyone who files documents with Companies House must complete verification within the 12-month transition period — meaning the hard deadline is November 2026.

This affects an estimated 6 to 7 million people across the UK. If you are a director of a limited company, this includes you.

Who Must Verify

The requirement applies to:

• All company directors — including dormant companies
• Persons with significant control (PSCs) — anyone who holds more than 25% of shares, voting rights, or has the right to appoint/remove the board
• Company secretaries — if your company has appointed one
• Anyone who files with Companies House — accountants, solicitors, or other agents who file on behalf of companies
• New appointments — from the enforcement date, identity verification will be required before a new director or PSC can be registered

For a typical owner-director who is the sole shareholder, you are likely both a director and a PSC, but you only need to verify once. The verified identity applies across all your roles and all your companies.

How to Verify Your Identity

There are two routes:

Option 1: GOV.UK One Login (direct verification)

This is the self-service route. You verify your identity through the GOV.UK One Login system, which uses a combination of:

• Photo ID (passport or driving licence)
• Biometric checks (facial recognition matched against your ID photo)
• Security questions based on your credit record

The process takes approximately 10 to 15 minutes and can be completed entirely online. Once verified, your identity status is linked to your Companies House personal record.

Not everyone will be able to verify through this route. If you do not have a UK passport or driving licence, if the biometric check fails, or if you have thin credit history, you will need to use Option 2.

Option 2: Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP)

Authorised Corporate Service Providers — primarily accountants, solicitors, and company formation agents — can verify your identity on your behalf. They carry out anti-money-laundering checks as part of their existing professional obligations, and Companies House will accept their verification.

Your accountant may already be registered (or in the process of registering) as an ACSP. If they are, they can verify your identity as part of their normal service to you. There may be a charge for this.

ACSPs themselves must be registered with Companies House and subject to anti-money-laundering supervision by a recognised body (such as ICAEW, ACCA, or the Solicitors Regulation Authority).

What Happens If You Do Not Verify

After the transition period ends, unverified directors and PSCs will face consequences:

• Filing rejected. You will not be able to file any documents with Companies House — including confirmation statements, accounts, and changes to your company's records.
• Marked on the public register. Your entry on the Companies House register will show that you have not verified your identity, which is visible to anyone searching your company.
• Potential removal. In extreme cases, Companies House has indicated it may take enforcement action against directors who persistently refuse to verify.
• New appointments blocked. If you are being appointed as a director of a new company, the appointment cannot be registered until you verify.

For a sole director, inability to file means your company cannot submit its confirmation statement or annual accounts, triggering late filing penalties from Companies House and potentially leading to the company being struck off the register.

Fee Increases Alongside ID Verification

Companies House is also raising its fees significantly as part of these reforms:

The confirmation statement increase is particularly notable — from £13 to £50 per year. Every limited company must file a confirmation statement at least annually, so this is effectively a fourfold increase in the annual cost of maintaining a company on the register.

These fee increases fund the expanded verification and enforcement capabilities that Companies House is building.

iXBRL Filing Mandate from April 2027

While not directly part of the identity verification changes, Companies House has also confirmed that iXBRL (inline eXtensible Business Reporting Language) filing of annual accounts will become mandatory from April 2027.

Currently, small companies can file simple PDF or HTML accounts. From April 2027, all accounts must be filed in iXBRL format, which embeds machine-readable tags within the accounts document. This allows Companies House and other users to extract and analyse financial data automatically.

In practice, this means you will need accounting software or an accountant that can produce iXBRL-formatted accounts. Most professional accounting software already supports this format, but companies that currently prepare accounts using spreadsheets or basic templates will need to adapt.

What to Do Now

1. Verify your identity as soon as possible. Do not wait until November 2026. The GOV.UK One Login verification process is available now. Early verification avoids a last-minute rush and gives you time to resolve any issues with the process.

2. Check your PSC register. Make sure your company's PSC register is accurate and up to date. All PSCs need to verify, so if your register is incorrect, fix it before the verification deadline.

3. Verify across all companies. If you are a director of multiple companies, you only need to verify once. Your verified identity applies across all your appointments. However, check that your details (name, date of birth, correspondence address) are consistent across all companies — discrepancies can cause problems.

4. Talk to your accountant about ACSP status. If you prefer your accountant to handle the verification, ask whether they are registered (or plan to register) as an Authorised Corporate Service Provider. Not all accountants will offer this service.

5. Budget for higher fees. Factor the increased confirmation statement fee (£50 versus £13) into your annual running costs. If you have multiple dormant or holding companies, the cumulative increase may prompt a review of whether all those companies are still needed.

6. Prepare for iXBRL. If your accountant currently files your accounts, check that they can handle the iXBRL requirement from April 2027. If you file your own accounts, investigate software options now.

Key Dates

• 18 November 2025 — voluntary identity verification opens
• November 2026 — transition period ends, verification mandatory for all existing directors and PSCs
• April 2027 — iXBRL filing of annual accounts becomes mandatory
• Ongoing — new director and PSC appointments require verification at the point of registration

Frequently Asked Questions

I am the sole director and only shareholder — do I need to verify twice?

No. You verify your identity once, and that verification covers all your roles — director, PSC, and filer. The verification is linked to you as an individual, not to a specific role or company.

What if I cannot verify through GOV.UK One Login?

If the online self-service route does not work for you — for example, if you do not have a UK passport or driving licence, or if the biometric checks fail — you can verify through an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP). This is typically your accountant or solicitor. They will carry out identity checks using their existing anti-money-laundering procedures.

Does this affect dormant companies?

Yes. Directors of dormant companies must verify their identity on the same timeline as directors of active companies. If you have a dormant company that you no longer need, it may be worth considering whether to close it rather than maintaining it solely to comply with the new requirements and paying the increased confirmation statement fee.

Will my home address be more visible on the register?

No — in fact, the reforms improve privacy. Companies House is introducing a more robust system for protecting residential addresses. Directors can use a registered office address as their service address, and the reforms include stronger measures to prevent misuse of personal address data on the public register.

AccountsOS automatically syncs your Companies House filing deadlines and sends reminders when action is needed. Connect your company in settings to track confirmation statements, accounts deadlines, and the new verification requirements in one place.