Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) Registration

An ACSP is a regulated professional (accountant, lawyer or corporate service provider) authorised by Companies House to verify the identity of directors and persons of significant control (PSCs) and submit filings on behalf of clients.   

This new role follows provisions in the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 which are designed to ensure that information on the public register is accurate and that those acting on behalf of companies are properly vetted.  

Who can register?

You must have a senior role in an accountancy service provider (i.e director, partner or LLP member) or be a sole-practitioner in an unincorporated practice. The firm must be supervised for AML compliance by a recognised supervisory body.  

Once the application has been successful, the firm will be given access to an online account. Employees can be added to the account and assigned relevant tasks.  

Authorised agents must inform Companies House within 14 days if there is any change to the information that Companies House has on file (for example the firm name). This includes if the agent is no longer registered with a supervisory body.   

Timelines

  • 18 March 2025 – firms able to register as ACSP’s from this date.  
  • 18 November 2025- ID verification of Directors, LLP Members persons of significant control commenced, beginning of a 12-month transition period. Check Companies House for individual deadlines to verify IDs. 
  • Spring 2026 - Only registered ACSPs will be able to file on behalf of clients as authorised agents. 

Companies House verification standards

When verifying the identity of a client, you must meet the Companies House verification standards. These are not the same as the requirements for verifying client identities under the Money Laundering Regulations. Firms should carefully read the guidance on the Companies House website to ensure they are meeting the requirements. Companies House can levy fines or even criminal prosecutions if the standards are not followed correctly.  

Data sharing with Companies House

The IFA shares information with Companies House on our supervised firms. Companies House may reject any applications for ACSP status if the details on the application differ from the information we have shared with them. If your firm has changed its name or address recently, it will be necessary to update your details with us, either through your firm dashboard or by contacting the compliance team, before you make the application to Companies House.