# ECCTA Identity Verification for Directors and PSCs: What Your Company Must Do Now

**Category:** COMPANY-SECRETARIAL
**Author:** AI Assistant
**Published:** 2026-05-12
**Read Time:** 6 min read

## Summary
Identity verification for UK directors and PSCs is now mandatory under ECCTA. The digital filing deadline is approaching. Here is how to comply without drowning in admin. Company Secretary module from £49/month.

## Full Content
# Every UK Director Now Needs an Identity Verification Code. Most Companies Are Not Ready.

**Since 18 November 2025, every new director and every person with significant control (PSC) must have a verified identity before they can be filed at Companies House. Existing directors and PSCs must verify before their next confirmation statement. And from April 2027, all company accounts must be filed through compliant software, not WebFiling.**

That is three compliance deadlines converging on every UK company simultaneously. And the penalty for getting any of them wrong is not a polite reminder. It is fines, filing rejections, and potential strike-off.

The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (ECCTA) is the biggest overhaul of Companies House in its history. It transforms the registrar from a passive filing cabinet into an active gatekeeper with powers to query, reject, and investigate filings. The identity verification requirement is the first visible change. It will not be the last.

## What Has Actually Changed

### Identity Verification: The Core Requirement

Every director, PSC, and person filing documents at Companies House must now have a verified identity. This applies to:

- All new appointments from 18 November 2025 onwards.
- All existing directors and PSCs before their next confirmation statement filing.
- All third-party agents (accountants, company secretaries, solicitors) who must register as Authorised Corporate Service Providers (ACSPs).

Verification is done through GOV.UK One Login or through a registered ACSP. The process generates a unique verification code that must be cited in filings.

**The practical impact:** You cannot file an AP01 (appointment of director) without the appointee's verification code. You cannot file a confirmation statement without all directors and PSCs having verified. Your accountant cannot file on your behalf unless they are a registered ACSP.

### The Confirmation Statement Squeeze

Every UK company must file a confirmation statement (form CS01) at least once every 12 months. It confirms that all information held at Companies House is accurate. The filing window is 14 days after the review period ends.

Here is the squeeze: you cannot file the confirmation statement unless every director and PSC has a valid verification code. If even one director has not verified, the filing is blocked. A blocked filing becomes a late filing. A late filing triggers penalties.

For companies with three or four directors who are all actively involved, this is manageable. For companies with non-executive directors, overseas directors, or PSCs who are corporate entities, this is a coordination nightmare.

### The Software Filing Mandate

From 1 April 2027, all company accounts must be filed through compliant software. WebFiling, the browser-based tool that most small companies use, will no longer be accepted for accounts.

This is still 11 months away. But the smart companies are migrating now, because the transition requires:

- Choosing compliant filing software.
- Testing it against your entity structure.
- Training your team or your external provider.
- Running parallel filings to ensure accuracy.

Leaving this to March 2027 is leaving it too late.

## The Real-World Compliance Challenge

Let us be specific about what ECCTA compliance looks like for a typical UK SME.

**Company profile:** Three entities (one trading company, one holding company, one dormant subsidiary). Two directors on all three. One PSC who is an individual. One PSC who is a corporate entity. External accountant handles annual accounts. External company secretary handles statutory filings.

**Compliance requirements:**

| Task | Deadline | Dependencies |
|------|----------|-------------|
| Director 1 IDV | Before next CS01 | GOV.UK One Login registration |
| Director 2 IDV | Before next CS01 | GOV.UK One Login registration |
| Individual PSC IDV | Before next CS01 | GOV.UK One Login registration |
| Corporate PSC verification | Before next CS01 | Requires ACSP involvement |
| Accountant ACSP registration | Before next filing | Firm-level registration |
| Company secretary ACSP registration | Before next filing | Firm-level registration |
| CS01 filing (entity 1) | 14 days after review period | All IDV codes obtained |
| CS01 filing (entity 2) | 14 days after review period | All IDV codes obtained |
| CS01 filing (entity 3) | 14 days after review period | All IDV codes obtained |

That is nine compliance tasks with interdependencies, across three entities, involving five different people and two external firms. Tracked in what? A shared calendar? An email thread?

## Why This Is a Company Secretarial Problem, Not an Accounting Problem

Most SMEs delegate Companies House filings to their accountant. That worked when filings were simple and infrequent. ECCTA changes the equation.

Identity verification is a governance function. It requires:

- **Proactive coordination.** Chasing directors and PSCs for verification before deadlines, not after.
- **Entity-level tracking.** Different entities have different review periods, different directors, different PSCs. Each needs its own compliance timeline.
- **Audit trail maintenance.** Every verification code, every filing, every change of director or PSC must be documented and retained for seven years minimum.
- **Ongoing monitoring.** When a director resigns, when a PSC changes, when a new appointment is made, the verification requirements trigger immediately.

This is company secretarial work. It requires a system that tracks obligations across entities, manages deadlines with escalation, and maintains records with full audit trails.

## How Simplif-i's Company Secretary Module Handles ECCTA

The module was designed around exactly this compliance landscape: multi-entity governance with interconnected obligations.

**Statutory register management.** Directors, PSCs, shareholders, and registered offices across all entities. Digital, searchable, and automatically updated when changes are filed. Every register entry linked to its verification status.

**Filing deadline tracker.** Every confirmation statement, every annual return, every statutory filing across every entity. Automated alerts at 90, 60, 30, and 14 days. Escalation if action is not taken.

**Identity verification tracking.** A dedicated view showing which directors and PSCs have verified, which have not, and which entities are blocked from filing as a result. No chasing. No spreadsheets. One dashboard.

**Board governance.** Agenda templates, resolution tracking, minutes storage. When a board resolution appoints a new director, the system automatically creates the verification requirement and filing obligation.

**Multi-entity management.** All entities in one view. Different directors, different PSCs, different deadlines, one place to manage them all.

**Pricing:** Company Secretary module from £49/month. Full platform (all five modules): £149/month founding member pricing.

A single late confirmation statement filing attracts a £150 penalty. A second offence within 12 months doubles it. A strike-off proceeding costs thousands in restoration fees. The module pays for itself the first time it prevents a missed deadline.

## What to Do This Week

1. **Check every director and PSC.** Do they all have verified identities? If not, send them the GOV.UK One Login link today.

2. **Check your confirmation statement dates.** When is the next filing due for each entity? Is it within 90 days? If so, verification must happen now.

3. **Confirm your external providers' ACSP status.** Is your accountant registered? Is your company secretary registered? If not, they cannot file on your behalf.

4. **Start the software migration conversation.** The April 2027 deadline for software-only accounts filing is 11 months away. If you have not chosen a provider, start now.

The compliance landscape has changed permanently. The companies that adapt early will find it straightforward. The companies that wait will find it expensive.

**Start a free trial at simplif-i.com. 7 days. Full Pro access. No credit card required.**

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