The phrase Authorised Corporate Service Provider, or ACSP, has crept into formation paperwork, HMRC guidance and bank onboarding checklists across 2025 and 2026. For founders setting up their first company, or established directors meeting the new verification rules, understanding what an ACSP actually is — and what it is allowed to do — has become essential.
What the ACSP regime replaces
Before the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act (ECCTA), anyone could file at Companies House. There was no requirement to prove who you were, where you lived, or whether the company you were forming was real. The register became, by Companies House's own admission, a haven for shell companies, money laundering vehicles and fraudulent filings. The ACSP regime is part of the response.
Who can become an ACSP
An ACSP is a firm — typically an accountancy practice, law firm, or company formation agent — that is supervised under the Money Laundering Regulations and has registered with Companies House to carry out verification and filing services on behalf of clients. PushDigits, as an ICAEW Chartered firm, is supervised by the ICAEW and registered as an ACSP. Not every accountant is registered, and not every formation agent qualifies.
What an ACSP is authorised to do
An ACSP can perform two categories of work that unsupervised filers cannot:
- Verify the identity of directors, PSCs and members using prescribed processes that Companies House accepts in place of direct GOV.UK verification.
- File on behalf of clients with confirmation that the firm has carried out the verification and holds the supporting evidence.
This matters because, once the relevant ECCTA provisions are fully in force, certain filings can only be made by a verified person or by an ACSP filing on a verified person's behalf.
What verification through an ACSP actually involves
Verification is not a tick-box exercise. As an ACSP we collect a government-issued photo ID, a separate proof of address, and run a biometric match against a live selfie or video. We then hold the evidence for the prescribed retention period and report the verification status to Companies House. The whole process, when documents are in order, takes about 15 minutes per person.
Why use an ACSP rather than verifying directly
You can verify directly with Companies House through GOV.UK One Login, and for a single UK-resident director this is perfectly workable. An ACSP route becomes the practical choice when:
- You have multiple directors or PSCs to verify in a coordinated formation.
- Any director is overseas and cannot easily complete UK identity flows.
- The company structure is complex — multiple share classes, group structures, foreign parents — and filings need to be co-ordinated by a professional firm.
- You want the same firm doing verification, formation, accounting and tax compliance, so the audit trail sits in one place.
What an ACSP cannot do
An ACSP does not become a director, does not guarantee the conduct of the company, and cannot file false information any more than a director can. Liability for the accuracy of declarations remains with the individuals making them. Where we identify red flags — inconsistent documents, beneficial owners we cannot trace, source-of-funds questions we cannot answer — we are required to decline the engagement and, in some cases, report.
How to check whether a provider is a genuine ACSP
Companies House publishes the list of registered ACSPs. Always check before engaging. A formation agent that calls itself "authorised" but does not appear on the register is not an ACSP and cannot offer the protections of the regime.
What this means for founders
Practically, expect every UK company formation from 2026 onwards to involve a verified identity at the point of incorporation. If you are working with PushDigits, that verification is built into our formation engagement at no extra cost. If you need verification only — for example, as an existing director under the transitional rules — see our director verification service.
For questions about whether your existing company is set up correctly under the new regime, contact our compliance team for a no-obligation review.