What Companies House changes are still on the way, and what could be scrapped

We are well into the process of the reform of Companies House following the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, and there has already been a noticeable impact on the business landscape.

The early changes to Companies House saw 75,600 companies directly affected by a failure to keep pace with the new obligations.

We would like to make sure that your business does not end up on that list, so we want to go through the changes that have happened recently, the ones coming soon, and the ones that are still being debated.

What are the recent changes to Companies House?

While the changes to Companies House have been underway for a while, 2025 saw the pace pick up, resulting in some sizeable shifts in reporting and filing obligations.

At the beginning of the year, there was a welcome change introduced to rectify leftover data from previous years when the filing guidelines were less strict.

From January 2025, it has been possible to apply for address suppression on existing filings.

This means that if you used your home address to make the filings with Companies House, something that was valid before the changes to address requirements were implemented, you gained the ability to suppress that data from being a public record.

It is worth highlighting here, as you should seek to make use of this power if your home address is on Companies House and you have not yet had it suppressed.

This has been part of a series of changes designed to help protect the data of those who engage with Companies House filings.

Certain trust-member details for qualifying overseas entities can be protected under specified conditions.

This further protects the personal data of those involved in operating the business and has been a welcome change for many.

This was backed up by a change that has only just taken effect.

Trust-related entries on the public register will become available on request, enhancing transparency around overseas-linked interests.

This was implemented at the end of August, so it is now available to any who requires this information.

In terms of more local impact, there have been recent changes to make access to Companies House easier.

The GOV.UK One Login was connected to Companies House in February 2025, allowing those with a login to connect to the system.

Users of the Find and Update Company Information service can also sign in with their existing government credentials.

All of these improvements paved the way for the sweeping reforms that set in over the spring and summer.

The main focus of the recent changes has been the introduction of identity verification.

From 18 November 2025, it will be necessary for some core people involved in the business to verify their identity before filings can be made.

If you are:

• A director
• A Member
• A general partner
• A managing officer
• A Person with Significant Control (PSC)
• Or someone who files for the company, like a company secretary

You will need to have your identity verified to ensure you can file with Companies House.

The voluntary period for getting ahead of this opened in the spring and has been running ever since.

It has now also become possible for third parties to register as Authorised Corporate Service Providers (ACSPs), a measure that ensures they can continue to make filings on behalf of businesses and can conduct the identity verification for those who need it.

Only ACSPs can conduct filings and verify identities, but it is worth noting that not all of them will be offering this service by default.

We are happy to announce that we are a registered ACSP and will be here to help you keep compliant with all the new changes coming to Companies House.

What’s coming next for Companies House?

As mentioned, the shift away from voluntary to compulsory identity verification is going to dominate the next round of Companies House changes.

From 18 November 2025, the voluntary window closes, and all new directors and PSCs must verify their identity on appointment.

Failure to do this will prevent them from making filings and will run the risk of penalties and fines further down the line.

The Deadline for each officeholder depends on the individual company's circumstances, but in the main, it is the due date of the next confirmation statement after 18^th November 2025.

However, please do confirm this with us or via information on Companies House.

While most directors and PSCs have the power to verify their own identity, that will not be the case for everyone forever.

From 2026, Limited Partnerships will see a number of restrictions on how much autonomy they have for Companies House filings.

Limited Partnerships will need to file detailed partner and control-structure information, as well as have identities verified through an ACSP.

We know that more changes wait on the horizon, but none can say for sure what they are just yet.

In the next few months, the Companies House 2025-2030 strategy will be released, at which point we will be able to highlight the next wave of changes that will impact your business.

Which proposals are currently in limbo

You may have heard of the proposed changes to Profit and Loss (P&L) accounts and wondered why we have not yet mentioned them.

That is because this change is currently in a bit of a strange spot.

The proposal will see P&L accounts filed alongside other documents for Companies House and thus become a public record.

Business leaders and experts are decrying the change as a death knell for competition, as P&L accounts contain highly sensitive information that can be used to drive the business decisions of rivals and competitors.

The backlash has seen some acknowledgement and hesitation within the Government, with a few whispered suggestions that it may be scrapped.

However, there is no official line on it being abandoned just yet, so it is imperative that we continue to draw attention to the proposal in the hopes that the Government does scrap it before it can do real damage to businesses.

With such a host of changes already in place, and many more to come, we are on hand to help you stay compliant whatever the future holds.

As soon as the 2025–2030 strategy is released, we will unpack it so that you can have the latest information needed to keep your business filings on track.

Don’t let Companies House reforms catch you off guard. Speak to our team today!