Companies House Penalties: The Cost of Complacency in 2026
Filing fees have doubled. Mandatory ID verification is here. If your CoSec function is manual, your risk is uncapped.
Companies House is no longer a passive registry. It is an enforcement agency. Fee hikes in early 2026 saw digital CS01 costs jump to £50. Digital filing for tax and accounts is now mandatory as of April 2026.
The transition to mandatory ID verification concludes in November 2026. If your directors are not verified, your filings will be rejected. Automatic penalties range from £150 to £1,500.
Company Secretarial work is often treated as a back-office chore. In 2026, it is a primary risk vector. Manual tracking of filings is a liability. Move to a digital-first CoSec model or pay the fines.
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