Director status
An unverified individual is barred from acting as a director, and decisions taken on the company's behalf in that period can be challenged retrospectively.
Companies House filings
Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) identity verification
The new regime
What this means for you as a director
Every UK company director and Person with Significant Control (PSC) now has to have their identity verified, either through the GOV.UK portal directly or through a registered firm like ours. Until that verification is in place, Companies House will reject filings the company tries to make, including its annual accounts.
The change comes from the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act (ECCTA). Companies House has moved from being a register that accepted whatever was filed to one that checks who is filing, and can reject filings and pursue penalties where the verification is not in place.
The main change is mandatory director identity verification. Every active company director and Person with Significant Control (PSC) must have their identity legally verified. You can no longer simply fill out a form to appoint a director.
As a regulated Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP), Blue Jay Accountants is regulated by CIMA and authorised by Companies House to conduct director identity verification and submit Companies House filings on your behalf, so the verification and filing chain runs under one fee rather than through a set of separate logins.
What happens without it
If a director's identity is not verified
The verification rule is enforced, not encouraged. Where it is missing, three things follow in practice, and they apply whether the omission was deliberate or simply overlooked during the transition.
Rejected filings
Companies House rejects confirmation statements and new incorporations where the associated directors have not been verified. The filing window stays open and any late-filing consequences run from there.
Statutory penalties
Acting as a director without verification, or submitting false statements to the registrar, is now a statutory offence and carries civil penalties. The practical risk is that a one-off mistake at incorporation creates an enforcement record that follows the company.
Companies House Identity Verification
Under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act, every UK company director and Person with Significant Control must complete identity verification with Companies House. As a regulated Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP), we conduct the identity checks securely and submit the verification directly to Companies House on your behalf, so the company is ready for the new rules from the outset.
Why it makes sense to handle identity verification with your accounts
You can verify through the government's portal directly, but it runs as a separate process from your accounts.
Because we already manage your year-end statutory accounts and tax affairs, appointing us as your ACSP means identity checks, Confirmation Statements, and annual filings run as one coordinated cycle. Your Companies House record stays in step with your financial record without you managing two separate processes.
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Director and PSC verification Secure, encrypted identity checks for all current and newly appointed company officers.
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Authorised filing Direct submission of your Confirmation Statements (CS01) and structural changes.
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Registered office checks Your public addresses checked against the new 'Appropriate Address' rule and updated where they no longer qualify.
Covers the whole of the UK
Our ACSP status lets us verify directors and PSCs and represent limited companies across the UK, from clients local to Sheffield and Mansfield to companies operating anywhere in the United Kingdom. Your identity verification under the new Companies House regime is handled through the same compliance process as your company filings.
See the onboarding steps
Common questions
What does ACSP stand for?
Can my current accountant act as my ACSP?
What happens if a director's identity is not verified?
Can I verify my identity directly with Companies House myself?
Is ACSP verification a one-off process or ongoing?
Frequently asked questions
What does ACSP stand for?
ACSP stands for Authorised Corporate Service Provider. It is the new Companies House status for firms authorised to carry out director and PSC identity verification and to submit corporate filings on behalf of UK companies. Blue Jay Accountants holds ACSP status and is regulated by CIMA, whose anti-money-laundering supervision applies the Money Laundering Regulations stringently.
Can my current accountant act as my ACSP?
Only if they hold ACSP status with Companies House and are supervised for anti-money laundering, either by their professional body (such as CIMA, ICAEW, or ACCA) or directly by HMRC. Identity verification under the new rules can only be carried out by registered ACSPs or directly through the Companies House portal.
What happens if a director's identity is not verified?
Failure to verify identity under the ECCTA is a direct breach of corporate law. An unverified individual will be legally barred from acting as a director, Companies House will reject their corporate filings (including annual accounts), and the company will face financial and civil penalties.
Can I verify my identity directly with Companies House myself?
Yes. Companies House offers a direct verification route via GOV.UK. The practical advantage of using an ACSP is that we handle the verification alongside your existing compliance obligations, so your identity checks, annual filings, and statutory accounts are all coordinated under one firm. This reduces the risk of something falling through the cracks during the transition to the new rules.
Is ACSP verification a one-off process or ongoing?
Identity verification itself is a one-off check per individual. Your company's ongoing obligations under ECCTA, however, are continuous: annual confirmation statements, registered office compliance, and PSC registers all need keeping up to date. As your ACSP, we monitor these requirements throughout the year alongside your statutory accounts and Corporation Tax filings.
Want your ACSP verification handled with the rest of your compliance?
A short call with a Chartered Management Accountant is enough to check the directors and PSCs on the register, plan the verification order, and bring it alongside your statutory accounts and Corporation Tax filings.
Book an ACSP review
Locations
Sheffield and Mansfield
Authorised Corporate Service Provider for UK limited companies in South Yorkshire, the East Midlands and across the UK, with the work run through secure cloud records and scheduled calls.