For most of the last century, Companies House operated as a passive registry — it accepted what you filed, made it public, and asked very few questions. The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, rolled out in tranches through 2024, 2025 and 2026, fundamentally changes that posture. The Registrar now has investigative powers, screening duties, and the ability to refuse or remove filings. This is what has actually changed in practice.
1. The Registrar as gatekeeper
Previously, the Registrar's role was largely clerical. Under ECCTA, Companies House has explicit objectives to:
- Ensure that documents delivered to the Registrar are complete and contain accurate information.
- Ensure that information on the register is accurate.
- Prevent companies from creating a false impression to the public.
- Prevent unlawful activities by companies, or facilitated by companies.
These objectives sound abstract until you receive your first Section 1083A query letter asking why your filing should not be rejected.
2. Identity verification
The headline change is mandatory identity verification for directors, PSCs and presenters. We have covered this in detail in our director verification service page and in our standalone insight on the verification process. The practical effect is that anonymous corporate structures, popular for two centuries, are no longer compatible with the UK register.
3. Registered office "appropriate address" rules
A registered office must now be an appropriate address where documents delivered there will come to the attention of someone acting for the company and where delivery can be acknowledged. PO Boxes are insufficient. Addresses that are obviously residential, abandoned, or shared with unrelated companies are increasingly challenged. Companies House can change a non-compliant registered office to a default Companies House address and start strike-off proceedings.
4. Registered email address
Every company must now maintain a registered email address for communication with Companies House. It is not on the public register, but failure to keep it current is a criminal offence by every officer of the company. Most owner-managed companies still have an out-of-date Gmail from incorporation in their record.
5. Statement of lawful purposes
On every confirmation statement, directors must now confirm that the company's intended future activities are lawful. False declarations carry personal liability. This is not a formality — it ties directly to the Registrar's screening powers.
6. Faster strike off and stronger restoration scrutiny
The Registrar can move to strike a company off faster than before, and the bar for restoring a struck-off company has risen. The historical pattern of "fix it after restoration" is much harder. Read more in our companion piece on properly closing a company.
7. Improved transparency over share data and PSCs
Statements of capital, shareholder lists and PSC declarations face new accuracy requirements. Discrepancy reporting — the obligation on regulated entities like banks and accountants to report inconsistencies between what we see and what is on the register — has been tightened.
8. Higher fees, higher penalties
The standard incorporation fee, confirmation statement fee and document filing fees all rose substantially in May 2024. Late filing penalties have also been reviewed. The fee uplift funds the new investigative and verification functions.
9. Restrictions on corporate directors
Corporate directors will be largely prohibited, with limited exceptions for entities that themselves have all natural-person directors who have been verified. The practical effect: structures relying on overseas corporate directors to obscure beneficial ownership no longer work.
10. The query and rejection power
The Registrar can now query filings, demand evidence, and reject filings that contain inconsistencies. Information already on the register can also be challenged and removed. Companies are increasingly receiving queries during routine confirmation statement cycles.
What this means for owner-managed businesses
For legitimate businesses with clean records, ECCTA is more administrative friction than existential threat. The directions of travel that matter:
- Build verification into every new appointment from the start.
- Treat the registered office as a real address, not a parking spot.
- Reconcile the PSC register and shareholder list at every confirmation statement.
- Keep the registered email current and monitored.
Our business advisory team runs ECCTA readiness reviews for established companies that have not refreshed their structure since incorporation. Get in touch for a structured review.