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Companies House: Presenter verification deadline changed

Author: ICAEW Insights

Published: 13 Aug 2026

Requirements for those submitting information to Companies House have been deferred by a year.

Key takeaways

  • UK Companies House reform: those submitting information to Companies House – ‘presenters’ – will need to verify their identity.
  • Timeline for UK Companies House presenter verification: Requirements for UK presenter ID verification and third-party agent ACSP registration will come into effect no earlier than November 2027.

As part of Companies House reforms, introduced via the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act, those submitting information to Companies House – described as ‘presenters’ in the legislation – will be required to have their identity verified, or be registered as an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) in order to file any statutory documents.

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The government has now updated the timeline for implementation of this change. Originally, it was due to be introduced “no sooner than November 2026”. This has been moved back by 12 months, no sooner than November 2027.

By the date of this implementation, Companies House should be able to:

  • make identity verification compulsory for presenters that want to file any document; and
  • ensure third party agents filing on behalf of companies are registered as an ACSP.

Companies House will give at least six months’ notice to presenters and third-party agents before any requirements come into effect.

This timeline extension will give Companies House more time to implement the large-scale and complex changes necessary to deliver the reforms across all statutory filing services. Companies House will continue to engage with stakeholders during this process.

Support on the 2026 Code

ICAEW has recorded a webinar outlining the changes to the 2026 update to the code Code of Ethics, the latest iteration of PCRT and the relationship between the two.

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