Modernising Companies House: What Directors Need to Know

NM439012 • 11 July 2025

As part of its ongoing corporate transparency reforms, Companies House is introducing two important compliance requirements that directors and company secretaries should be aware of, one immediate, and one longer-term.


Director ID Verification – Coming This Autumn


From Autumn 2025, all company directors will be legally required to verify their identity with Companies House. This is part of the implementation of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, aimed at reducing fraud and improving corporate accountability.


The process will involve confirming your identity through the Companies House portal or via an authorised third party. For UK nationals with a passport and standard secondary ID, the process is expected to be quick and fully digital.


Directors who fail to verify their identity will be committing an offence and may be unable to act in that capacity until verification is complete. Boardside Law will become an authorised provider to carry out this process on behalf of clients. If this would be of interest to you, please let us know.


Paper Accounts to Be Phased Out by April 2027


From 1 April 2027, Companies House will no longer accept paper accounts. All companies, including micro-entities and dormant companies, will be required to file accounts using compatible accounting software. This applies to:


  • Audited and unaudited accounts
  • Limited companies, LLPs and charitable entities
  • Group accounts and subsidiaries


Although the change is nearly two years away, we recommend that companies with financial year ends of 31 December or 31 March treat the 2026 accounting period as the transition year. This allows time to get familiar with digital filing tools ahead of the April 2027 deadline.


A full list of compatible software providers is available here:
 
gov.uk/software-company-accounts/y/audited/group

There are also separate links for LLPs and charities.


What You Should Do Now


Directors: Watch out for further announcements about ID verification and ensure you complete this when required.


Company Secretaries / Finance Teams: Review your current filing method and speak to your accountant about moving to compliant software if you haven’t already.


If you would like advice on preparing your company for these reforms, or support with managing director filings or company secretarial duties, the Boardside team is here to help.


Please share Boardside's expertise and insights with colleagues and associates. Thank you.

Working closely with you, we can navigate the hurdles you face, to build a stronger business and to achieve commercial advantage. Call us for an initial conversation on 0330 0949338

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