On 21 January 2025, Companies House announced new implementation dates in early 2025 relating to key company law reforms introduced by the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (ECCTA 2023) (Blog Post: Reflecting on a landmark year for Companies House). Companies House has updated the indicative timetable for commencing provisions in ECCTA 2023 within its remit set out in the Transition Plan published in October 2024 (see FC Feature 17 October 2024).
Companies House's priorities for 2025 include developing and implementing its new powers to improve the accuracy and integrity of information on the register, alongside the roll out of the identity verification (IDV) regime (see Companies House and the registrar/Identity verification and ACSPs).
The blog post sets out effective dates for the following legislative changes in the next few weeks.
- Protecting residential addresses from disclosure on the public register: from 27 January 2025, individuals can apply to protect a residential address previously used as a company's registered office address (see FC Feature 2 January 2025).
- Registration of ACSPs: from 25 February 2025, individuals and organisations will be able to register as an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP), enabling them to carry out verification services ahead of the IDV regime becoming mandatory later this year.
- Enhanced strike-off powers: from 25 February 2025, the registrar's new power to strike off a company registered on a false basis will become effective (see Dissolution and restoration to the register, Q&A here).
From 12 February 2025, users will have the option to use GOV.UK One Login to sign in to the Find and update company information service (see FC Feature 5 September 2024). Individuals will be able to verify their identity using GOV.UK One Login from 25 March 2025.
Secondary legislation will be required to commence provisions in ECCTA 2023 that create the IDV and ACSP frameworks and the registrar's new strike-off powers. Draft regulations setting out the detailed procedure for carrying out IDV and in relation to ACSPs were laid before Parliament in May 2024 and approved earlier this month (see FC Feature 23 May 2024 and Parliament webpage: SI timeline), although the made regulations have not yet been published.
First published on the Corporate News Service on 22 January 2025.
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