You may already have received either a letter or an email from Companies House regarding these upcoming changes.
From 18th November 2025, Companies House is introducing new rules that affect every UK company and LLP. These changes are part of the government’s Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act, which is designed to make the UK a safer, more transparent place to do business.
At EBA, we know that regulatory changes can feel overwhelming. The good news is that we’ll handle all of this for you. Our team will be contacting every client in due course with clear instructions on what’s required and when.
In this post, we’ll explain:
- What’s changing at Companies House
- Why these changes are being made
- What you’ll need to do (and when)
- How EBA will make the process simple for you
What’s changing?
The key change is that, from 18th November, all company directors and Persons with Significant Control (PSCs) must verify their identity at Companies House before any documents can be filed for the company.
This means:
- Directors must have their identity verified and linked to the company they serve.
- PSCs (individuals who ultimately own or control more than 25% of the company or have significant voting rights) must also be registered and verified.
Without this in place, Companies House will not allow us to submit filings such as accounts, confirmation statements, or changes to company details.
Why are these changes being introduced?
The UK government wants to crack down on fraud, money laundering, and the misuse of UK companies for criminal activity. For years, concerns have been raised that company information could be submitted too easily to Companies House, without enough checks on accuracy or on the people behind a business.
The new requirements aim to:
- Increase transparency – so it’s clearer who really owns and controls UK companies.
- Improve accuracy – so the public record at Companies House is more reliable.
- Strengthen security – by preventing companies being hijacked or misused without proper oversight.
In short, the government is saying: “If you’re running a company in the UK, we need to know who you are.”
What does this mean in practice?
For you, as a company director or shareholder, it means that before EBA can file your company accounts, confirmation statement, or other statutory documents, all directors and PSCs must first have confirmed their identities at Companies House.
This is a one-off process: once you’re verified, you won’t need to do it again.
The timing is important. As long as all directors and PSCs are registered before the first filing deadline that falls after 18 November 2025, your company will remain compliant.
Example: how the timing works
Let’s take an example to make this clearer.
Imagine your company has a financial year-end of 31 August 2025. Your company accounts will therefore be due at Companies House in May 2026 (nine months later). Your company’s confirmation statement, however, is due to be filed in March 2026.
In this case, although your accounts are due later, the confirmation statement comes first.
That means that all directors and PSCs for this company must have confirmed their identities at Companies House by March 2026. If they are not registered by then, EBA will not be able to file the confirmation statement, which would put the company in breach of its legal obligations.
So, the “earlier” of the two filing deadlines is the one that sets the timetable for getting directors and PSCs registered.
What happens if you don’t register in time?
If directors and PSCs don’t confirm their identities in time, Companies House will reject the filing of documents (including accounts and confirmation statements). This could have serious consequences including late filing penalties for company accounts, criminal offences for failing to file confirmation statements and a risk of the company being struck off the Companies House register. There could also be reputational damage, because all of this is visible on the public record.
That’s why it’s important to get everything in place in good time.
How EBA will manage the process
We don’t want our clients worrying about deadlines or technical requirements. That’s why EBA will take responsibility for managing this transition for you.
Here’s how we’ll do it:
- Planning: we are already mapping out all client filing deadlines after 18 November 2025.
- Prioritising: we’ll contact clients in the order needed, starting with those whose filings fall soonest after the rule change.
- Guidance: we’ll send you step-by-step instructions on how to verify your identity.
- Support: if you have any difficulties, our team will be on hand to assist.
- Monitoring: we’ll track which directors and PSCs are verified so nothing gets missed.
By the time your company’s first filing date comes around, everything will already be in place.
What you need to do now
At this stage, you don’t need to take any action.
We will:
- Contact you directly when it’s time to do the identity verification.
- Provide you with the instructions and support you’ll need.
- Give you plenty of notice so there’s no last-minute rush.
For now, the key thing is simply to be aware that change is coming – and to know that EBA will guide you through it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does every director and PSC need to do this, or just one?
Every director and every PSC must do it. This is not something that can be done collectively.
Will this affect dormant companies?
Yes, even dormant companies must file confirmation statements and accounts, and therefore their directors and PSCs must also go through this process.
What about corporate PSCs (where the PSC is another company)?
Where a PSC is a company, the directors of that company may also need to go through verification. We will confirm the exact process for you if this applies.
How long does verification take?
Companies House says the process should be straightforward, provided ID documents are in order.
Can EBA register me on my behalf?
No, Companies House requires each individual to complete their own verification. But we’ll make the process as easy as possible by guiding you step by step.
In Summary
From 18 November 2025, Companies House will require all directors and PSCs to have verified their identities before filings can be made. This is part of a government drive to improve transparency and security in UK companies. The deadline for doing this depends on when your first filing is due after 18 November 2025 (confirmation statement or accounts, whichever is sooner). EBA will contact you in due course with full instructions and support. For now, no action is required – just rest assured that we’ve got it covered.
At EBA, we understand that your time is better spent running your business than worrying about regulatory changes. That’s why we’ll take care of the details, so you stay compliant without the stress.
If you have any immediate questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team.
Otherwise, look out for our instructions in the coming months!
