Business March 18, 2025

An overview of changes to Companies House identity verification standard (and what it means for ACSPs)

profile picture Matt Prendergast 3 min read
Companies house identity verification

As an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP), you’ll be aware of the upcoming changes to the Companies House identity verification standard.

In 2025, anyone setting up, running, owning or controlling a company in the UK, namely directors and persons with significant control (PSCs), will be required to verify their identity to prove who they are.

These changes come as part of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 and aim to prevent anyone seeking to use Companies House for fraudulent activities. Failing to comply with mandatory identity verification requirements could result in fines and restrictions on company activities.

From 18th March 2025, directors and PSCs can voluntarily verify their identity directly with Companies House via GOV.UK One Login free of charge. Alternatively, they can choose to verify their identity via an ACSP like yourself.

You will need to register to conduct identity verification on behalf of clients, and from 8th April, you can inform Companies House you have verified someone’s identity. You must already be registered with an Anti-Money Laundering (AML) supervisory body.

Key dates:

  • 18th March 2025: Voluntary identity verification – directors and PSCs involved in UK companies can voluntarily verify their identity.
  • 8th April 2025: ACSPs can inform Companies House they have verified someone’s identity.
  • By Autumn 2025: Mandatory identity verification – for directors and PSCs involved in UK companies, it will be mandatory to verify identity when they are appointed. For existing directors and PSCs, there will be a 12 month period for them to complete identity verification.

 

How to verify someone’s identity for Companies House

When you verify someone’s identity for Companies House, you must meet the identity verification standard to comply with your legal responsibilities as an ACSP. You will be required to ask for information about the person and to get evidence to verify their identity in the form of documentation. One option to achieve this is to use identification document validation technology (IDVT) such as that provided by Yoti.

Our fast and secure identity verification service, with built-in anti-spoofing technology, allows your clients to remotely prove who they are with just an ID document and a selfie. You can opt to use our automated process which will take clients just 5 seconds to complete, or layer in our 24/7 verification experts for cases that require higher assurance.

Get in touch to find out more about our IDVT and how you can meet the Companies House identity verification standard.

Keep reading

Articles July 3, 2025

How accurate can facial age estimation get?

Facial age estimation using machine learning has advanced significantly in recent years. But, a common and fair question still arises: How accurate can it really be? Can a system look at your face and accurately guess your age, especially when humans often get it wrong? The short answer is that it’s very accurate – but not perfect. We explain why.   The myth of 100% accuracy It’s important to set realistic expectations. No facial age estimation model can achieve 100% accuracy across all ages.  Human aging is highly individual and shaped by many external factors, especially as we get

#age assurance#business
Matt Prendergast Matt Prendergast
6 min read
Synthetic identity fraud is committed by the theft of a real piece of persoanl information such as an SSN, and combined with false information to make up an entirely synthetic identity that often bypasses traditional checks
Articles July 2, 2025

What is synthetic identity fraud? How it works and how to prevent it

What is synthetic identity fraud? Synthetic identities are fake identities, built by combining real and made-up information, earning them the nickname “Frankenstein IDs” due to their pieced-together nature. Synthetic identity fraud is different to traditional identity fraud as it doesn’t involve an obvious, immediate consumer victim. These fake profiles are designed to mimic real customers, often slipping past traditional fraud detection systems because they don’t raise typical red flags. As a result, the primary victims of synthetic identity fraud are businesses and lenders, who bear the financial losses.   How synthetic identities are created and used

#fraud detection#business
Sofi Summers Sofi Summers
8 min read
Woman presenting a 2d image trying to perform a presentation attack
Articles June 19, 2025

Why early detection is critical in stopping deepfake attacks

Digital identity and age verification are becoming integral parts of customer onboarding and access management, allowing customers to get up and running on your platform fast. However as customer verification tools become more advanced, so too are fraudsters seeking to spoof systems by impersonating someone, appearing older than they really are or passing as a real person when they’re not. Deepfake attacks, which can mimic a person’s face, voice or mannerisms, pose a serious threat to any business using biometric customer verification. In this blog, we explore why detecting deepfakes early is essential for maintaining trust, security and regulatory

#deepfake attacks#business
Elly Heath Elly Heath
6 min read