In their recent publication, Companies House provided further clarifications as to the timeline of the changes under the Economic Crime and Transparency Act 2023 (the ECCT Act 2023). One of the significant changes is the requirement for any individuals or organisations that undertake anti-money laundering activities, such as company formation agents, solicitors, accountants and chartered secretaries/governance professionals, to register as an Authorised Corporate Service Providers (ACSP), this has process has been delayed by Companies House, with the date soon to be confirmed.
Third-party providers who intend to file documents on behalf of clients and also carry out identity verification checks (IDV) on behalf of clients for Companies House will need to register as an ACSP [1].
Below is the step-by-step summary of the upcoming registration process for ACSP:
IDV using Companies House gov.uk One Login service
There are three ways that users can prove their identity [4]:
Which option depends on the type of device, if you have photo ID, and what type of ID it is. Once IDV is completed, it is automatically saved to their gov.uk One Login account. Users who sign up for the first time will be required to insert their email address and choose a preferred way of receiving security codes (SMS or authenticator app via mobile app, pc or tablet).
The timeline of changes in 2025-2026
If you have any questions about upcoming changes, we have a dedicated Company Secretarial team at Greenwoods that can assist with any Company Secretarial queries you may have. Please reach out to us cosec@greenwoods.co.uk to see if we can assist.
[1]Authorised Corporate Service Providers – Changes to UK company law
[2]Anti-money laundering registration – GOV.UK
[3]Companies House to join GOV.UK One Login – GOV.UK
[4]Using your GOV.UK One Login: Proving your identity with GOV.UK One Login – GOV.UK
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