Companies House has recently started emailing all company directors about the upcoming changes for Companies House filing following the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (ECCTA) coming into force. The email has caused a bit of confusion with directors so we have put together this brief summary of the key points covered in that email.
Registered Office and Email Address
• Every company must maintain an ‘appropriate’ registered office address at all times. Certain addresses, such as PO Boxes, are not permitted.
• Companies must also provide a registered email address to Companies House.
• These requirements have been in effect since March 2024 and should already be in place if your confirmation statement has been filed within the last 12 months.
Financial Penalties
• From October 2024, Companies House will introduce new financial penalties for non-compliance, such as failing to file your confirmation statement on time.
• Additional penalties will be introduced as further regulations take effect.
• More details on penalties can be found here: Companies House approach to financial penalties - GOV.UK
Identity Verification
• Anyone who owns, controls, or manages a company in the UK will soon be required to verify their identity.
• All company officers and persons with significant control (PSC) must ensure their details are correct on Companies House records.
• Identity verification can be completed via GOV.UK One Login or through an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP).
• Black Fox is in the process of applying to become an ACSP and will be able to carry out identity verification on your behalf in due course.
Required Documents for Verification
To complete identity verification, we will need one of the following:
• Option 1: Passport, photocard driving licence, and a bank statement/mortgage statement/utility bill/council tax statement in your name.
• Option 2: Both a passport and a photocard driving licence.
At present, identity verification is voluntary, but it will become mandatory in the near future. The only immediate action you should take is to check that your PSC details on Companies House are correct.
Authorised Corporate Service Providers (ACSPs)
This requirement applies only to third-party agents (such as Black Fox) and does not impact you or your company director. To conduct identity verification checks, we must be registered as an ACSP, as noted above.
Changes to Filing Accounts
You normally would not need to take any action regarding the upcoming changes to account filing as your accountants would deal with the filing of accounts.
There is little you need to do at this stage. However, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch at info@blackadvisory.com.