For many accountancy practices, statutory compliance has traditionally centred on preparing accounts, filing confirmation statements and dealing with HMRC regimes. But since late 2025, Companies House identity verification has become a gatekeeper for almost all company filings — and firms that don’t understand how it works in the real world are discovering the hard way that it can disrupt deadlines, delay confirmations and stall appointments.
Unlike older compliance tasks that were internal or periodic, Companies House identity verification now directly affects whether a filing will be accepted at source. A single unverified director or person with significant control (PSC) can block confirmation statements, resignations, changes to officers and other core submissions, making this requirement a practical priority, not just a theoretical one.
How Identity Verification Works and Where Firms Get Tripped Up
At its core, Companies House identity verification is a process that links an individual’s verified identity to their corporate filings. Directors and PSCs must prove who they are before they can be recorded on the register, and — crucially — before crucial statutory documents can be filed.
On paper, the process seems straightforward: the individual uses the GOV.UK One Login system (or an authorised corporate service provider if they cannot use One Login) to verify their identity and receive a unique personal code. That code must then be included with filings such as confirmation statements or appointment forms.
However, in practice, accountancy teams frequently encounter thorny issues:
Mismatched Records
Directors’ identities on Companies House don’t always match their identity documents. A middle name recorded differently, a change in surname, or a missing initial can cause an otherwise valid verification attempt to fail. This sounds like a small detail, but it’s the most common reason that Companies House identity verification stalls.
Overseas Clients
Many firms work with directors based outside the UK. These individuals may not have UK biometric passports or driving licences that the automated GOV.UK system accepts, forcing practices to use an authorised corporate service provider route — a process that can take days or weeks if not anticipated early.
LastMinute Verification Attempts
Perhaps the most widespread practice mistake is waiting until the deadline to verify identities. When a confirmation statement is due or a director is being appointed, and one person hasn’t verified yet, the whole submission is blocked. This creates urgent firefighting that could have been avoided with earlier planning.
For accountants, the consequence isn’t just regulatory risk — it’s disruption to workflow, lost time, and frustrated clients.
Embedding Identity Verification Into Everyday Practice
From a practical standpoint, Companies House identity verification needs to be treated as part of the onboarding and ongoing compliance process, not as a separate task that gets bumped until late in the cycle.
Here’s how forwardthinking practices are doing it in the real world:
- Early Verification During Onboarding
As soon as a new client engagement begins — even before services are started — the firm checks whether the directors and PSCs are verified. If not, the firm circulates clear instructions and initiates the verification process immediately. This avoids lastminute rushes when annual filings are due.
- Verification Status Tracking
Instead of relying on memory or adhoc notes, firms now maintain a simple internal register of verification status for every client’s directors and PSCs. This acts as a trigger for compliance teams and ensures that no upcoming filings are blocked at the point of submission.
- Using Authorised Corporate Service Providers (ACSPs) When Needed
For certain clients — particularly overseas directors or those without suitable ID — verification via GOV.UK One Login can fail repeatedly. Practices that proactively plan for ACSP support save days of delay by having documentation certified and verified through the authorised route.
In these ways, Companies House identity verification becomes just another step in statutory compliance rather than a disruptive hurdle. Learn More : Companies House Identity Verification: Who, When, How & Personal Code
Common RealWorld Problems and How Firms Solve Them
Several scenarios illustrate why this shift matters:
Scenario: Late Client Response
A director is overseas and doesn’t respond promptly to a request to use GOV.UK One Login. Confirmation statement deadlines loom. The solution is to brief clients up front, explain the system, and offer ACSP support early in the onboarding process — a strategy that prevents blocked filings.
Scenario: Mismatched Personal Details
A director’s passport name doesn’t exactly match their Companies House entry. Simple but critical, this mismatch causes verification failure. Firms now include a mandatory “record check” before initiating verification: a quick comparison of Companies House records against client ID that catches mismatches early.
Scenario: Multiple Directorships
One individual serves as director across several client companies. Without a clear record of which codes are linked to which companies, accountants previously ended up repeating verification or manually crosschecking codes. Now, verification codes are logged centrally and linked to all relevant entities in internal systems.
These are real practice issues, not abstract theory — and they show how deeply Companies House identity verification has to be integrated into compliance workflows.
A Shift in Compliance Mindset
The important shift here is mindset: compliance used to be about doing statutory tasks correctly. Now, it’s about managing processes that govern whether statutory tasks can be done at all.
In other words, it’s no longer enough to prepare a confirmation statement or a director appointment. You must ensure that the people listed on those filings are verified first.
For accountants and corporate administrators, this change requires procedural updates:
- Identity verification becomes a prerequisite step in every relevant statutory submission, not a postscript.
- Verification status is reviewed alongside annual accounts, bookkeeping checks, and tax deadlines.
- Client onboarding includes clear guidance on identity verification from day one.
Treating Companies House identity verification as an embedded compliance requirement, rather than a separate addon task, is now a mark of a wellrun firm.
Conclusion
Companies House identity verification is not just another item on a compliance checklist. It now dictates whether statutory filings will be accepted or blocked, and it interacts with client onboarding, director changes and confirmation statement timetables in a way that firms can no longer ignore.
Firms that integrate verification early, track status meticulously, and support clients through the process find that what was once a disruptive compliance hurdle becomes a routine, manageable step in their workflow.
For accountants today, mastering Companies House identity verification is as essential as knowing how to prepare accounts or submit returns. It ensures not just compliance, but smooth statutory processes, predictable workflows and stronger client relationships in an evertightening regulatory environment.
