Companies House Verification Before Confirmation Statement

Companies House identity verification is now an important step for UK company directors before filing a confirmation statement. Under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act, directors must verify their identity and provide their Companies House personal code as part of the confirmation statement process.

Do Directors Need to Verify Before Filing?

Yes. Before a company's confirmation statement can be accepted, all current directors who are subject to the requirement must have completed identity verification.

Each verified director receives a unique Companies House personal code. The code is then provided when the company's confirmation statement is filed.

Companies House will not accept the confirmation statement if the required directors have not completed verification.

What Happens During the Process?

The process generally involves:

1. Completing identity verification with Companies House or an Authorised Corporate Service Provider.

2. Receiving a Companies House personal code.

3. Checking that the director's details match the information held by Companies House.

4. Providing the personal code when filing the confirmation statement.

5. Confirming that the relevant directors have completed identity verification.

The personal code belongs to the individual director, not the company.

Can You File the Confirmation Statement First?

For directors who are required to provide verification details with the confirmation statement, identity verification needs to be completed before the statement can be successfully filed.

This means companies should check their directors' verification status before the confirmation statement date rather than leaving the process until the filing deadline.

What If a Company Has Several Directors?

Every relevant director must complete the required identity verification.

For example, if a company has three directors, each director will need to verify their identity and obtain their own personal code before the company can complete the confirmation statement where the verification requirement applies.

Directors who hold positions in multiple companies can use their personal code for each relevant company.

What About PSC Verification?

People with Significant Control have separate identity verification requirements.

If an individual is both a director and a PSC of the same company, they provide their personal code separately for each role. Their director verification is connected through the confirmation statement, while their PSC verification is handled through the separate PSC process.

Why Companies Should Verify Early

Waiting until the confirmation statement deadline can create unnecessary problems if a director's identity check is delayed or their Companies House information does not match their identity documents.

Companies should therefore review:

• Director names and dates of birth

• Current director appointments

• Companies House personal codes

• PSC information

• Registered office details

• Registered email address

• Confirmation statement filing date

Making sure these details are correct before filing can make the confirmation statement process much smoother.

Fraser Bond Companies House Verification Support

Fraser Bond provides practical UK company administration and corporate compliance support for directors, property companies, overseas investors and international businesses.

Support can include Companies House identity verification administration, personal code assistance, confirmation statement preparation, director compliance, PSC requirements and wider corporate administration.

If your company's confirmation statement is approaching and the directors have not completed identity verification, arranging the process early can help avoid unnecessary filing problems.

Prepare for Your Confirmation Statement

Companies House verification should be treated as part of the company's regular compliance process. Directors should complete their identity verification, obtain their personal codes and make sure the company's records are accurate before the confirmation statement is submitted.

Fraser Bond can assist businesses that need practical support managing Companies House requirements and wider UK corporate compliance.