By Farhan Nagda FCCA MBA

Identity verification is no longer an optional Companies House exercise. For many existing directors, the decisive moment is the company’s next confirmation statement—and a missed personal code can interrupt a filing that previously felt routine.

This matters to trading companies, property investment companies, family businesses and dormant companies alike. Companies House estimates that six to seven million people will need to verify by mid-November 2026. The requirement attaches to the individual, but the operational risk lands on the company.

Why this needs attention now

Identity verification became a legal requirement from 18 November 2025. Existing directors generally provide their Companies House personal code as part of the company’s next confirmation statement during the transition period. A director involved with several companies must connect the verified identity to each appointment; completing the identity check once does not by itself update every company record.

People with significant control (PSCs) also have obligations, but the timing can differ depending on whether the person is also a director and when they became a PSC. That is why a group-wide checklist is safer than assuming every officer shares one deadline.

Where companies are most likely to be caught out

The practical problems are often not complex, but they surface at the least convenient time:

• a director has verified but the personal code has not been linked to every appointment;
• a PSC’s deadline is treated as identical to the company’s confirmation statement date when it is not;
• names, dates of birth or addresses do not align across the evidence and the public register;
• a property company has inactive or overseas officers who are difficult to reach;
• the person who normally files assumes their existing Companies House login completes the identity requirement; or
• a last-minute verification issue delays a confirmation statement, incorporation or director appointment.

A personal code is not just another password

The personal code is issued after successful verification and is used to connect an individual’s verified identity to their Companies House roles. It should be kept securely and shared only through an appropriate filing or authorised-agent process.

Directors and PSCs should also be alert to fraudulent messages. The safest starting point is the official GOV.UK and Companies House service, or a properly registered Authorised Corporate Service Provider. An unexpected email asking for identity documents or payment deserves independent verification before anyone responds.

What should be reviewed before the next filing?

A focused governance review should establish who is currently shown as a director or PSC, which individuals have verified, which appointments still need a personal code, and the relevant deadline for each person. It should also identify outdated officer details and any changes that need separate filings.

For business groups and property portfolios, a simple company-by-company schedule is particularly valuable. One individual may appear across multiple special-purpose vehicles, and each appointment needs to be accounted for.

How Edge Accountants can help

Edge Accountants can review your Companies House records alongside the wider company compliance timetable, identify gaps before the filing date and coordinate the information needed for an accurate submission. This is especially useful where there are several companies, multiple shareholders, property SPVs or historic record inconsistencies.

We will not ask you to send sensitive identity documents through an insecure route. Where verification is required, we can explain the appropriate official or authorised process and keep the company-level compliance work moving.

This article provides general information and does not constitute legal advice. The applicable steps and deadlines depend on each person’s role and company record.