Companies House Compliance Advisory

Confirmation Statements and Identity Verification

This note explains certain statutory obligations placed upon UK companies and their officers in relation to filings at Companies House.

These obligations arise primarily under the Companies Act 2006 and the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023.

Directors should be aware that failure to comply with these obligations may constitute a criminal offence and may result in financial penalties, regulatory enforcement action, or the company being struck off the register.

1. Confirmation Statements

Every company registered in the United Kingdom must file a Confirmation Statement (Form CS01) with Companies House at least once every 12 months.

The confirmation statement confirms that the information held on the public register is accurate, including (but not limited to):

• company officers (directors and secretary where applicable)
• registered office address
• share capital and shareholders
• persons with significant control (PSC)
• Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes.

The confirmation statement must be delivered to Companies House within 14 days of the end of the company’s review period.

Consequences of Non-Compliance

Failure to file a confirmation statement may result in:

• the company being shown as overdue on the public register
• criminal offences being committed by the directors
• financial penalties imposed by the courts
• compulsory strike-off proceedings initiated by Companies House.

If a company is struck off the register:

• the company ceases to exist as a legal entity
• company bank accounts may be frozen or closed
• company assets may become the property of the Crown as bona vacantia.

2. Director and PSC Identity Verification

Recent legislative reforms have introduced mandatory identity verification requirements for individuals associated with UK companies.

Identity verification requirements apply to:

• company directors
• persons with significant control (PSCs)
• individuals delivering documents to Companies House (unless acting through an authorised intermediary).

Verification may be carried out directly with Companies House or via an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP).

Consequences of Failure to Verify Identity

Where identity verification requirements are not satisfied:

• an individual may be prohibited from acting as a director
• the company and the individual may commit criminal offences
• Companies House may reject filings
• the public register may be annotated to show non-compliance
• regulatory enforcement action may be taken.

Persistent or serious breaches may also contribute to director disqualification proceedings under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986.

3. Responsibility of Company Directors

The responsibility for ensuring compliance with statutory filing requirements rests with the company and its officers, including the directors.

While professional advisers may assist with the preparation and submission of filings, legal responsibility for compliance remains with the company and its directors at all times.

Directors must therefore ensure that:

• statutory information is complete and accurate
• confirmation statements are filed on time
• identity verification requirements are satisfied when required.

4. Information Provided to Us

Where we assist with Companies House filings, we rely entirely on information and confirmations provided by you.

You are responsible for ensuring that:

• all information provided is complete and accurate, and
• it is supplied to us in sufficient time to allow filings to be made before statutory deadlines.

We cannot accept responsibility for:

• late filings resulting from delays in receiving information,
• inaccuracies in information supplied to us, or
• compliance failures arising from identity verification not being completed by the relevant individuals.

5. Our Ability to Act

In certain circumstances we may not be able to submit filings to Companies House where statutory requirements have not been satisfied, including where mandatory identity verification has not been completed.

In such cases the company and its officers remain responsible for ensuring compliance with filing obligations.

6. Companies House Correspondence

If you receive any correspondence from Companies House, including:

• identity verification requests
• filing reminders
• compliance warnings
• strike-off notices

you should forward the correspondence to us promptly so that we can advise on the appropriate course of action.

Failure to act promptly may result in statutory deadlines being missed.

Important Notice

Companies House is moving from a passive registry model to a more active regulatory role. Compliance requirements and enforcement activity are therefore expected to increase significantly over the coming years.

Directors should ensure that company information held on the public register remains accurate and up to date at all times.