Companies House Identity Verification: A Small Step That Cannot Be Missed

Every director must verify their identity individually through the Companies House online system. After completing the process, each director receives a unique verification code. The process is personal, straightforward, and needs to be completed only once. However, all directors must complete it. If even one director fails to verify their identity, the company cannot meet its statutory obligations. The system works like a chain and depends on every link being in place.

Companies House rejects statutory filings when identity verification remains incomplete. If even one director fails to comply, the company cannot submit confirmation statements or other required filings. As a result, the company immediately falls into non-compliance. Companies House applies late filing penalties without discretion, and continued non-compliance can lead to the company being struck off the register. At that stage, a minor administrative task escalates into a serious legal consequence.

If a company remains non-compliant for an extended period, Companies House can strike it off the register. This outcome is neither remote nor theoretical; it is a formal enforcement action that follows repeated failures to meet statutory obligations.

Once Companies House strikes off a company, it ceases to exist as a legal entity:

• Banks may freeze accounts
• The company loses the ability to enter contracts or issue instructions, and existing agreements (including management arrangements) fall into uncertainty
• Directors cannot simply correct missed filings without a formal restoration process.

In practical terms, a struck-off company cannot operate. We also cannot continue to act as managing agent for a company that no longer exists in law. Although restoration may be possible in some cases, it is time-consuming, costly, and entirely avoidable. Compliance now is far simpler than correction later.

As managing agents, we submit statutory filings accurately and on time once directors meet the statutory requirements. Clear limits apply to our role. We cannot complete identity verification on behalf of directors, override Companies House systems, or submit filings when verification remains incomplete. We can guide directors through the process and manage submissions, but we cannot bypass the law.

Despite multiple reminders, there are currently a number of blocks where statutory filings cannot be completed because one or more directors have not completed identity verification or supplied their verification code. In every case, the information required has been clearly communicated and sufficient notice has been given. The delay is not procedural or administrative; it is statutory.

It is important to be clear and transparent. Identity verification is a legal obligation placed on each individual director. Any late filing penalties or enforcement action arising from non-compliance sit with the company and its directors. We will not accept responsibility for costs or consequences resulting from incomplete verification, and no further reminder notices will be issued. At this stage, responsibility rests squarely where the law places it.

If you are a director and have not yet completed verification, we strongly recommend doing so without delay. Log in to the Companies House online service, complete the identity verification process, and provide your individual verification code to us. Only once all directors have completed this step can statutory filings proceed.

This requirement applies to all directors, including volunteer and non-resident directors, regardless of role or location. Verification cannot be completed by one director on behalf of others; it is personal and must be done individually. If only one director has not complied, statutory filings still cannot be submitted. Managing agents do not have the authority to file anyway or work around Companies House requirements.

These changes reflect a wider move towards transparency and accountability at Companies House. While the verification process itself is straightforward, the consequences of ignoring it are not. This is one of those tasks that seems small – until it brings everything else to a halt. We urge all directors to act now, to protect the company’s legal standing and ensure the continued management of their building.