What does ECCTA stand for?

The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 — the UK law reforming Companies House, which received Royal Assent in October 2023.

Who must verify their identity under ECCTA?

According to GOV.UK, directors, people with significant control (PSCs) and those who file documents at Companies House — directly or through an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP). It is being introduced in phases.

Does ECCTA make the Companies House register fully reliable?

It improves reliability, but not overnight. During the phased rollout, older records may still hold unverified data, and verification confirms identity, not solvency or honesty. Keep cross-checking with other signals.

An Authorised Corporate Service Provider — a third-party agent (e.g. an accountant or formation agent) that must register with Companies House and be supervised under anti-money-laundering rules to file on clients' behalf and carry out identity verification.

Can I still use a PO box as a registered office?

According to GOV.UK, no — a registered office must be an “appropriate address” where documents come to the attention of a person acting for the company; a PO box alone is no longer sufficient.

Where can I find the official ECCTA timeline?

On GOV.UK. Companies House publishes and updates a transition plan for the ECCTA changes — always check it for the current position rather than relying on a fixed date.

Companies House reform (ECCTA): identity verification and what it means for checking a UK company

Published: 2026-07-22

The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (ECCTA) is the biggest reform of Companies House in its history. In short, it turns Companies House from a passive filing library into an active gatekeeper: it introduces identity verification for directors and people with significant control (PSCs), gives Companies House power to query, reject and remove information, and adds new rules on registered addresses and lawful purpose. For anyone checking a UK company, the practical effect is a register that is becoming steadily more reliable — but during a phased, multi-year rollout, older records may still contain unverified data. This is general information, not legal advice; always check the current timeline and rules on GOV.UK.

What is ECCTA and why was it introduced?

The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 received Royal Assent in October 2023. According to GOV.UK, its aim is to tackle the abuse of UK corporate structures — shell companies, false filings and fraudulent identities used to launder money or hide who really controls a business.

Historically, Companies House operated largely as a passive recipient of filings: it accepted the information submitted to it and did not verify most of it. That made the UK register cheap, fast and open — but also easy to abuse, because almost anyone could register a company under almost any name. ECCTA is the response: it gives Companies House a statutory role in checking the integrity of the register, backed by new powers and identity verification.

What changes for companies (and their directors)?

ECCTA introduces several concrete changes, phased in over time. The headline is identity verification: directors, people with significant control (PSCs) and those who file documents at Companies House must verify who they are, either directly with Companies House or through an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP). The aim is that a named director must be a real, identified person.

Alongside identity verification, according to GOV.UK the reform brings: a requirement for an “appropriate” registered office address (a PO box alone is no longer enough), a registered email address for the company, and a statement confirming the company is being formed for a lawful purpose. Companies House also gains stronger powers to query, reject, annotate and remove information, and to share data with law enforcement. Third-party agents who file on behalf of clients must register as ACSPs and be supervised under anti-money-laundering rules.

Companies House: before ECCTA vs. after (source: GOV.UK)
Area	Before ECCTA	After ECCTA
Director identity	not verified	identity verification required
Data checks	largely accepted as filed	power to query, reject, remove
Registered office	PO box allowed	must be an “appropriate” address
Filing agents	unregulated for filing	must register as ACSPs (AML-supervised)

What does the reform mean when you verify a UK counterparty?

For someone doing due diligence on a UK company, ECCTA is good news over time: as identity verification takes hold, it becomes harder to register a company under a fake name, and the register becomes more trustworthy. But two practical cautions apply during the transition.

First, legacy data: records created before verification may still contain unverified directors or PSCs. A company's age matters — an entity incorporated years ago has not necessarily had its officers verified yet. Second, verification confirms identity, not honesty: knowing a director is a real, identified person does not tell you the business is solvent or trustworthy. So keep doing what good verifiers already do — cross-check the register against other signals: a real website and trading address, a working phone number, consistent and up-to-date accounts, and a VAT check with HMRC. Treat the register as a strong source, strengthened by ECCTA, but not the only one.

What happens if a company does not comply?

According to GOV.UK, Companies House gains a wider range of enforcement tools under ECCTA. It can query and reject information that looks incorrect or inconsistent, annotate the register to flag concerns, and remove certain material. Failure to meet the new duties can lead to financial penalties, and directors who do not complete identity verification when required may be unable to act. In serious cases, non-compliance can contribute to a company being struck off the register.

For you as a counterparty, these enforcement signals are useful reading. An annotation on the register, a rejected filing, or an overdue verification are exactly the kinds of flags worth noticing before you commit — they are early indicators that something about the company may not add up. As always, check the current detail on GOV.UK, since enforcement powers are being switched on in phases.

What does ECCTA NOT change about checking a UK company?

It is just as useful to know what stays the same. Companies House remains free to search, and accounts and confirmation statements are still filed there and public. The way you look up a company — by its company number or name — does not change. VAT is still separate: a UK VAT number is checked with HMRC's “Check a UK VAT number” service, not in the EU's VIES, exactly as after Brexit. The PSC register still shows people with significant control.

So ECCTA strengthens the trust layer (who is behind a company and whether their identity is real), but the core mechanics of verification — register lookup, accounts, status, VAT check — are unchanged. If you already follow a solid checklist for a UK counterparty, you keep it; ECCTA simply makes one input (the identity of directors and PSCs) more reliable over time.

A practical checklist for the ECCTA era

1. Look the company up on Companies House and confirm it is “Active”, with a plausible incorporation date and an appropriate registered address (not just a mass-mailbox).

2. Check the directors and the PSC register — and note whether their identities appear verified. During the transition, an unverified older record is not proof of anything, but it is a reason to look harder.

3. Read the latest accounts and confirmation statement; watch for overdue filings or a long gap.

4. Verify the VAT number with HMRC (not VIES) and keep a dated confirmation.

5. Cross-check against the real world: a working website and phone number, a trading address, references. ECCTA raises the floor on identity, but it does not replace ordinary commercial diligence.

6. Before paying, confirm bank details through an official channel — cloned-company fraud changes only the account number, and no register update protects you from that.

When does it all take effect? The phased timeline

ECCTA is being implemented in stages, not all at once, because Companies House needs new systems and secondary legislation for each measure. According to GOV.UK, the first changes took effect from March 2024 — including the new registered office and email requirements, the lawful-purpose statement, and Companies House's stronger powers to query and reject information. Identity verification is being introduced afterwards, starting on a voluntary basis and then becoming mandatory in phases, with transitional periods for existing directors and PSCs.

Because the exact dates continue to move as each phase goes live, we deliberately do not pin them down here — a wrong date is worse than no date. Companies House publishes and updates the transition plan on GOV.UK; check it for the current position before you rely on any specific deadline. We review this article regularly and update it as the rollout progresses.

Frequently asked questions

What does ECCTA stand for?: The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 — the UK law reforming Companies House, which received Royal Assent in October 2023.
Who must verify their identity under ECCTA?: According to GOV.UK, directors, people with significant control (PSCs) and those who file documents at Companies House — directly or through an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP). It is being introduced in phases.
Does ECCTA make the Companies House register fully reliable?: It improves reliability, but not overnight. During the phased rollout, older records may still hold unverified data, and verification confirms identity, not solvency or honesty. Keep cross-checking with other signals.
What is an ACSP?: An Authorised Corporate Service Provider — a third-party agent (e.g. an accountant or formation agent) that must register with Companies House and be supervised under anti-money-laundering rules to file on clients' behalf and carry out identity verification.
Can I still use a PO box as a registered office?: According to GOV.UK, no — a registered office must be an “appropriate address” where documents come to the attention of a person acting for the company; a PO box alone is no longer sufficient.
Where can I find the official ECCTA timeline?: On GOV.UK. Companies House publishes and updates a transition plan for the ECCTA changes — always check it for the current position rather than relying on a fixed date.

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This guide is for information purposes only and does not constitute legal or tax advice. Laws and registry rules may change — the information held in the relevant country's official registers is always decisive.