UK company law: key changes for Directors & PSCs

The UK government has introduced the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act (ECCTA) to strengthen corporate accountability and tackle economic crime. These reforms will affect all UK companies, and the rules differ for directors and persons with significant control (PSC).

Mandatory identity verification for directors and PSCs

Companies House has announced that from 18 November 2025, it will become a legal requirement for company directors and persons of significant control to verify their identity at Companies House.  The rules for directors and persons with significant control differ. 

In the case of directors, this means:

• All existing directors must be verified before the annual confirmation statement can be filed.
• There is a 12-month transition phase to complete verification, but it must be completed before the confirmation statement can be filed.
• Anyone appointed as a new director on or after 18 November 2025 will need to verify their identity at the time of appointment.  This will also apply to new companies being incorporated.

For PSCs this means:

• Verification must be completed within the first fourteen days of the individual’s birth month.  So, someone born in December must complete by 14 December, irrespective of when in December they were born.
• If PSC verification has not been completed because of the birth month requirement, then it must be completed within fourteen days of filing a confirmation statement.
• Any new PSCs appointed after 18 November must verify and provide their code to Companies House within fourteen days of being added to the register.

Whilst director verification can be done now, the mechanism for PSC verification will not be available until 18 November.

How to prepare for these changes:

• Check when your confirmation statement is due.  Make sure you have a list of all directors and PSCs that need verification.
• If your confirmation statement is due on or soon after 18 November 2025, make these verifications a priority.

Get in touch

If you have concerns or require assistance, please do not hesitate to get in touch. We can review your current setup and provide tailored support with identity verification and digital filing requirements.

Contact us today