The phased rollout of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (ECCTA) will affect all UK-registered companies. We summarise the upcoming changes, their impact on companies’ filing requirements and how BKL can help.
Updated: 6 February 2026
Background to the ECCTA
The ECCTA reforms Companies House to enhance transparency, combat economic crime and support national security while modernising UK company law.
The Act introduces the most significant changes since 1844, empowering Companies House to ensure accurate and trusted data and prevent unlawful activity.
Registrars in England & Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland will operate under new objectives to:
- Ensure proper delivery of required documents
- Maintain accurate and complete registers
- Prevent misleading information from being public
- Prevent unlawful activities by companies or their facilitation
There will be new responsibilities if you are:
- A new or existing company director
- A person with significant control (PSC) of a company
- Someone who files information on behalf of a company
ECCTA reforms introduced so far
The ECCTA’s gradual programme of change, which started in March 2024, has so far introduced:
- Increased powers for Companies House to reject fraudulent filings and misleading company names
- Streamlined removal of inaccurate data and improved registered office address standards
- Enhanced data-sharing with law enforcement
- Higher fees introduced to fund enforcement and investigative work
- The ability to issue financial penalties for offences
- Mandatory registration for Authorised Corporate Service Providers (ACSPs): individuals or organisations that perform identity verification under the UK’s anti-money laundering regime
- Individuals can apply to suppress personal information from historical documents
- Mandatory identity verification (IDV) for newly appointed directors, PSCs and LLP members at incorporation, and for existing directors and PSCs
- Identity verification (IDV) for individuals such as directors, PSCs and LLP members: voluntary until 18 November 2025, then mandatory, with 12-month transition for existing company officers to verify their identity – we have more information about IDV here
ECCTA timetable for 2026
Based on updates published by the Government, UK businesses can expect the following phases:
| Spring 2026 | – Mandatory identity verification for document filers and ACSPs
– Limited partnerships will need to file information through ACSPs, and will need to file more information with Companies House – Stricter controls on filings by disqualified directors |
| November 2026 or later | – IDV will become mandatory for any individual or third-party agent submitting filings to Companies House
– Companies House will introduce identity verification at a later date for people who file at Companies House, limited partnerships, corporate directors of companies, corporate members of LLPs and officers of corporate PSCs. We have more information about IDV here |
| End of 2026 | – Full transparency for limited partnerships
– Starting compliance activity against those who have failed to verify their identity – Comprehensive cross-checking of data with other bodies |
| Following accounts reform |
– Software-only filing for accounts and elimination of abridged accounts
– Enhanced financial disclosures, including profit and loss statements |
In early 2026, the Government postponed its proposed introduction of changes to accounts filing from April 2027. The reforms are still under review and companies will receive at least 21 months’ notice to prepare.
Because of operational complexity and parliamentary scheduling, we may see further delays to the rollout. We’ll keep you informed of updates to the timetable.
Updates are announced first on GOV.UK here.
The ECCTA changes highlight the challenges of corporate governance: meeting your business’s statutory and legal compliance responsibilities amid increasing regulation.
How BKL can help
Our company secretarial and corporate governance specialists can help you to understand the changes to your filing requirements under the ECCTA, ensuring that your team are fully prepared for updates to your processes.
Our team are experienced in dealing with Companies House. Using a leading anti money laundering platform, combined with hands-on support, we can take care of the IDV process on your behalf, setting you up for future filings.
By outsourcing to BKL’s company secretarial team, we can ease your administrative burden and give you more freedom to focus on growing your business. Our services include Companies House filings, maintaining statutory registers and managing shareholder registers. We also act as the registered office for businesses of all sizes, taking care of their HMRC and Companies House correspondence.
Our corporate governance services are tailored to support the sustainable growth of your business, We’ll make sure that you’re demonstrating accountability, reducing risk, increasing business confidence and making a positive social and environmental impact.
For a chat about how we can guide you through the ECCTA and support your compliance, send us an enquiry.
