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Identity verification

Identity verification is the legal requirement for directors and people with significant control to prove who they are, directly or through an authorised provider.

It attaches to the person rather than the company, so it is done once and reused across every appointment they hold. Acting as a director without it is an offence, and Companies House can reject filings made by unverified people.

Where this comes up

Related terms

  • Director — A director is a person appointed to manage a company, owing it seven statutory duties, whose appointment is published on the public register.
  • Person with significant control (PSC) — A person with significant control holds more than 25% of a company's shares or voting rights, or otherwise exercises control over it.
  • Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) — An ACSP is a firm registered with Companies House and supervised for anti-money-laundering, permitted to verify identities and to file on behalf of others.

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