In the penultimate part of our series on Uncovering ECCTA, we look at some of the less well-known (but equally important) changes being introduced by the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023.
They might not make as many headlines as identity verification (IDV), but each carries real compliance implications for UK companies and their directors.
Registered Office Addresses
A company’s registered office must now be an “appropriate address.” This means PO Box addresses no longer meet the requirement.
An appropriate address is one where:
If your current registered office doesn’t meet these criteria, Companies House can direct you to change it — and continued non-compliance could ultimately lead to the company being struck off.
GOV.UK One Login
All Companies House online services — including web-filing, Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) accounts, and future ID verification — are moving under the GOV.UK One Login system.
This consolidation brings all your activity into a single account, making it easier to manage, track, and audit company filings in one place.
Statement Of Lawful Purpose
On incorporation and with each annual Confirmation Statement, companies must now confirm that their future activities are, and will continue to be, lawful.
For businesses in higher-risk or complex sectors (such as crypto assets, overseas structures or regulated financial services), it’s worth conducting a review to ensure you are align with this requirement.
Corporate Directors
The rules on corporate directors (companies acting as directors) are tightening.
Only certain UK-registered corporate bodies — whose own directors are all natural persons and have been identity-verified — will be allowed to act as corporate directors.
If your company currently uses a corporate director, now is the time to review whether that arrangement will still be compliant once the new rules come into force.
Registered Email Address
Since 4 March 2024, all UK companies have been required to provide a registered email address for Companies House to use for official communications.
This must be an active, monitored inbox. If the individual responsible leaves, or if the address belongs to a third-party provider who changes (such as a company secretary service), make sure the email address is updated promptly to avoid missing important notifications. You will need to do this online (via your Gov.UK One Login account!)
These all may seem like small administrative tweaks compared to the IDV requirements, but together they all contribute to the major shift in how Companies House is now operating — from a passive registry to an active gatekeeper of corporate transparency.
The key to staying compliant is to continue to make sure your details and governance processes are up-to-date to save you time (and potential penalties) later.
If you have any questions in the meantime about what this means for you and your company, please contact us on contact@prosec-cosec.com
