Companies House ID Verification: What Startup Founders Need to Know

The ECCTA timeline: what's live vs. what's coming

ECCTA is a multi-year programme of reform. The identity verification requirements are just one piece. Here's a snapshot of the key milestones so you can see at a glance what applies to you today versus what's still on the horizon.

Why does this matter for your cap table? Every time you issue shares, appoint a director, or change your PSC register, you interact with Companies House. If anyone in your cap table structure is unverified, those filings can be rejected. A blocked confirmation statement doesn't just mean a late fee - it can hold up a funding round, delay a share scheme grant, or stall an acquisition.

Who actually needs to verify their identity?

There are three categories of people caught by the new rules, and they phase in at different times.

Directors and PSCs (live now)

Every individual director and every individual PSC of a UK limited company must complete identity verification. This applies regardless of where the person lives - overseas directors are included. If you're a founder who is both a director and a PSC of the same company (which most startup founders are), you need to submit your personal code in both capacities. More on that gotcha below.

LLP members (live now)

Individual members of UK limited liability partnerships follow similar rules. If you're structured as an LLP, the same verification requirements apply to your members as they do to company directors.

Document presenters and agents (coming November 2026)

Anyone who actually files documents at Companies House - whether that's a company secretary, an in-house employee, or an external accountant - will also need to be verified. Third-party agents will need to register as Authorised Corporate Service Providers (ACSPs). This requirement was originally planned for Spring 2026 but has been pushed back to no earlier than November 2026.

How to verify: three routes

Verification is a one-off process. Once complete, you receive a unique Companies House personal code - an 11-character identifier that links to your verified identity. You keep this code and use it for all future filings across every company you're involved with.

Route 1: GOV.UK One Login (free, fastest)

This is the recommended route for most UK-based founders. You'll create a GOV.UK One Login account, then verify using the GOV.UK ID Check app. You'll need a UK biometric passport, a UK photocard driving licence, or a UK biometric residence permit. The app uses facial recognition to match your live photo to the document. The whole process typically takes 10-15 minutes. You can start it here.

Route 2: Post Office (free, in-person)

If you can't use the app - for instance, if your passport chip doesn't scan - you can start the process online and then visit a participating Post Office branch. Bring the same identity document. Staff will check it in person and take a live photo. Results go back to Companies House electronically.

Route 3: Authorised Corporate Service Provider (paid)

An ACSP is typically an accountant, solicitor, or company formation agent who has registered with Companies House to offer verification services. This is the main route for overseas directors who don't hold UK-issued ID, or for anyone who runs into technical problems with the digital service. ACSPs can accept a broader range of identity documents. Fees vary by provider.

Checklist: do I need to act now?

Work through this table to figure out exactly where you stand.

Common gotchas (and how to avoid them)

The rules themselves are not especially complicated. But in practice, several issues are catching founders out. Here are the ones we're seeing most often.

Gotcha #1: Name mismatches between your ID and Companies House

This is the single most common cause of verification failure. Your passport says "William George Jones" but Companies House has "Bill Jones." The system checks for an exact match and rejects anything that doesn't line up.

Fix: Before you verify, check what name Companies House holds for you. If it's a shortened or preferred name, either update your Companies House record first, or use the "preferred name" explanation field during verification. Don't wait until your confirmation statement is due to discover this.

Gotcha #2: Director + PSC = two submissions, not one

If you're both a director and a PSC of the same company (true of most startup founders with >25% ownership), you need to submit your personal code twice. Once as a director - this goes into your confirmation statement. And again as a PSC - this goes through a separate Companies House service within 14 days of the confirmation statement date.

The system does not assume they're the same person unless both records are linked. Missing the PSC submission means you're non-compliant even if your director record is clean.

Gotcha #3: Your deadline is NOT November 2026 - it's your next confirmation statement

Many founders hear "12-month transition" and assume they have until November 2026. In practice, your deadline is the date your company next files its confirmation statement after 18 November 2025. If that's due in May 2026, your deadline is May 2026. One unverified director blocks the entire filing, which can trigger late-filing penalties and, eventually, strike-off proceedings.

Gotcha #4: PSCs who aren't directors have a birth-month deadline

If someone is a PSC but not a director of the same company - for instance, a major investor who holds >25% but doesn't sit on the board - their verification deadline is different. They must submit their personal code within the first 14 days of their birth month as shown on the Companies House register. For example, if Companies House shows their date of birth as March 1990, they had until 14 March 2026 to comply. This is easy to miss, especially for angel investors or institutional shareholders.

Gotcha #5: GOV.UK One Login is not the same as WebFiling

These are two separate systems. If you already have a Companies House WebFiling account, that's not enough - you also need a GOV.UK One Login account to complete identity verification. Use the same email address for both to link them. If you used different emails, you may need to create a new One Login account using your WebFiling email, then verify through that account.

Gotcha #6: International directors and founders without UK-issued ID

The GOV.UK One Login route requires a UK-issued biometric document. If your co-founder or a board member holds only a non-UK passport, they'll likely need to go through an ACSP. Plan ahead - coordinating verification for overseas directors takes time, especially if multiple time zones and international postal addresses are involved.

What happens if you don't comply?

Companies House has been clear that enforcement will start proportionately, but it will escalate. The consequences of non-compliance include:

• Filing rejection - your confirmation statement, director changes, or share allotments won't be accepted if any required person is unverified

• Financial penalties for late filing

• Public annotation on the Companies House register showing you as "Unverified"

• Potential criminal liability under the Companies Act 2006 for individuals who continue to act as a director without verified status

• Strike-off proceedings in persistent cases

For startup founders, the practical risk is more immediate than criminal prosecution. A rejected filing at exactly the wrong moment - mid-funding round, mid-option grant, mid-acquisition - creates unnecessary delay and erodes investor confidence. This is a compliance task that takes 15 minutes but can cause weeks of disruption if left too late.

Beyond identity verification: what else is ECCTA changing?

Identity verification is the most visible change, but ECCTA is reshaping the Companies House landscape in several other ways that founders should keep on their radar.

Companies House now has enhanced powers to query information before accepting a filing. They can ask questions, request evidence, and reject filings that don't meet data quality standards. The days of filing errors sitting on the register unchallenged are ending.

The registered email address requirement (live since March 2024) means Companies House can contact your company directly. They're using these email addresses to send IDV notices and deadline reminders. If your registered email bounces or goes to an inbox nobody checks, you'll miss critical compliance communications.

Filing fees have increased substantially. Incorporation now costs £100 (up from £12 for digital filing), and the annual confirmation statement costs £50. These changes took effect in February 2026.

Looking further ahead, ECCTA will eventually require all accounts to be filed via software (no more paper or browser-form filings), and the option for small companies to file abridged accounts is expected to be removed - though both of these changes are currently under review and will come with at least 21 months' notice.

Your 15-minute action plan

Here's what to do today, in order of priority.

Step 1: Check your confirmation statement date. Log in to Companies House and find your company's next confirmation statement due date. This is your real deadline. If it's in the next 60 days, treat identity verification as urgent.

Step 2: Audit your name on the register. Search for yourself on the Companies House register. Does the name shown match your passport or driving licence exactly? If not, fix it now. File a CH01 (change of director details) to update your name before attempting verification.

Step 3: Verify via GOV.UK One Login. Go to gov.uk/guidance/verifying-your-identity-for-companies-house. Create a GOV.UK One Login account if you don't already have one. Complete the identity check. Save your personal code somewhere secure.

Step 4: Chase your co-founders and board members. Make a list of every director and PSC across all your UK companies. Send them a direct message today asking them to verify if they haven't already. For international directors, connect them with an ACSP now rather than later.

Step 5: Ask your accountant about ACSP status. If your accountant files your confirmation statement and other documents on your behalf, ask whether they're registered (or planning to register) as an ACSP. From November 2026, they won't be able to file without it.

What this means for your cap table

If you're managing equity - issuing shares, granting options, tracking PSC thresholds, or filing SH01 returns - identity verification is now woven into the fabric of your cap table operations. It's no longer enough to track who holds what; you also need to know whether each person's identity is verified and whether their Companies House records are clean.

This is precisely the kind of compliance work that falls between the cracks at early-stage startups. It's not exciting enough for the CEO to own, not technically complex enough to outsource to a lawyer, and not financially material enough for the CFO to prioritise - until it blocks a filing that everyone needed yesterday.

Shareflo is built to sit at this intersection: the place where equity management meets company compliance. As these ECCTA changes continue to roll out, we'll be publishing detailed guides on each one - always written for founders, not accountants.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or tax advice. Laws and regulations change frequently. Always consult a qualified professional for advice specific to your circumstances.

Sources: Companies House outline transition plan (GOV.UK, January 2026), Companies House identity verification rollout announcement (GOV.UK, August 2025), Farrer & Co ECCTA briefing (November 2025), DWF Group filing fees update (February 2026), Bristows ECCTA update (January 2026).