Companies house reform
The UK is undergoing the biggest reform of Companies House in over 180 years, driven by the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act. The aim is to transform Companies House from a passive register into an active gatekeeper for corporate data.
Key changes include:
• Identity verification for all company directors and persons with significant control to prevent fraudulent appointments.
• Stronger powers for Companies House to query, reject or remove inaccurate filings.
• Greater transparency of company data, with more reliable information on the public register.
• Changes to statutory registers, meaning more information must be maintained directly through Companies House rather than internal company registers.
• A shift toward fully digital filing, with software-based submissions expected in the future.
These reforms will significantly increase compliance expectations for directors, accountants and advisers — and should improve trust in UK corporate data.
At Watchdog, we provide structured Companies House data monitoring and intelligence, helping firms track filings, director changes and regulatory developments as the new regime rolls out.