Companies House: Verifying Your Identity
Under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act, anyone setting up, running or filing for a UK company must now verify their identity with Companies House. Here is what the new rules mean for directors, PSCs and anyone filing on a company's behalf — and how to get it done.
Why Companies House now verifies identity
The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency (ECCT) Act 2023 gave Companies House real teeth for the first time. The historic role of the register was simply to record what companies told it — it had no power to check whether the information was true. That is how shell companies with fictitious directors ended up on the public record, and why the UK register was repeatedly criticised for being too easy to abuse.
The new Act changes that. Companies House is moving from a passive registry to an active gatekeeper, and the cornerstone of that shift is identity verification. Before you can form a new company, act as a director, become a person with significant control (PSC), or file documents on a company's behalf, you must prove who you are.
For construction businesses — which often have multiple directors, family members as shareholders, and an accountant doing the filing — this is a change that touches almost every company in the sector.
Who has to verify their identity?
Identity verification applies to:
- ◢New company founders before the company can be incorporated.
- ◢All directors of existing companies, including anyone appointed after the rules took effect.
- ◢Persons with significant control (PSCs) — generally anyone who holds 25% or more of the shares or voting rights, or who otherwise controls the company.
- ◢Anyone filing on behalf of a company — including your accountant or agent — who must be authorised before they can submit documents.
If you are a sole trader with no limited company, these rules do not apply to you. But the moment you incorporate — and many builders do, for tax and liability reasons — every director and PSC must verify.
How to verify your identity
There are two main routes:
1. Verify directly with Companies House
You can verify through the Companies House online service using GOV.UK One Login. You will need:
- ◢Your National Insurance number (or UK passport / driving licence details)
- ◢A smartphone or device with a camera, to complete the identity check
- ◢Access to the email address registered for the account
The process uses photo ID and a live selfie check, similar to opening a bank account online. Most people complete it in under ten minutes.
2. Verify through an Authorised Service Provider
If you have already proved your identity with certain regulated providers — such as a bank, accountant, or anti-money-laundering supervisor — Companies House will accept that verification instead. This is designed to stop people having to prove the same thing twice. Your accountant can confirm whether their verification can be reused.
What happens if you do not verify?
Companies House now has the power to refuse to incorporate a company if the founders have not verified, and to reject filings from unverified directors or agents. More seriously:
- ◢An unverified director can be removed from the register.
- ◢A company may be prevented from filing accounts, confirmation statements or changes to its details.
- ◢Penalties can apply where verification is required and deliberately avoided.
- ◢Agents who file without authorisation risk having their submissions rejected and their access withdrawn.
In short, an unverified director is not just a paperwork problem — it can freeze the company's ability to file at all, which quickly leads to late-filing penalties on accounts and confirmation statements.
What this means for your accountant filing for you
If we file your CT600, confirmation statements or company accounts on your behalf, we must be authorised to act for your company before we can submit. That means:
- ◢Each director and PSC verifies their own identity with Companies House.
- ◢You authorise us as your agent through the online service.
- ◢We link our filing account to your company.
Until that link is in place, we cannot file for you — so it is worth getting verification done early, not the week before your accounts deadline.
Practical steps for construction company directors
- ◢Verify now, not later. Do not wait until a filing is due — verification can take a few days if documents need checking.
- ◢Check every director and PSC. A company with three directors and two family-member shareholders needs all five people verified.
- ◢Authorise your accountant. If we handle your filings, set up the authorisation so we are not blocked at deadline time.
- ◢Keep your details current. If a director leaves, tell Companies House promptly — unverified or stale records now carry real consequences.
How we help
As construction accountants we deal with Companies House every day. We can:
- ◢Talk your directors and PSCs through the verification process
- ◢Confirm who in your business needs to verify
- ◢Set up our authorisation so we can file your accounts and CT600 without delay
- ◢Keep your confirmation statements and director records up to date as people join or leave
If you are not sure whether everyone in your building company has verified, book a free review and we will check your company record and walk you through what is left to do.
This article is for general guidance only and does not constitute formal legal or tax advice. Companies House rules under the ECCT Act are being phased in — always confirm the current position with Companies House or a qualified accountant.