The Companies House reforms are moving from headlines to hard deadlines. For owners, finance leads and company secretaries, 2025 is the year to get ready. The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act brings a phased programme designed to improve the accuracy of the register, reduce fraud and modernise filing. The big shifts you will notice first are identity verification for directors and people with significant control, changes to what goes on your confirmation statement and company registers, and the groundwork for stricter accounts disclosure and software-only filing in the next two years.
Why does this matter? Because the Companies House reforms touch everyday tasks – onboarding a new director, signing off the confirmation statement, preparing year-end accounts – and will change the information you publish. Companies already dominate the business population, representing 75.6% of VAT and/or PAYE-registered UK businesses as at March 2024, out of 2.72m businesses in total (ONS, 2024). That scale explains the push to raise data quality and transparency. If you run a small company, the practical question is simple: what must we change, and when? Below we set out the main measures small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) need to plan for in 2025, what to expect next on accounts, and a short checklist you can use this quarter to stay ahead.
Speak to our team if you would like help mapping the reforms to your company’s year-end timetable and internal controls.
Why the Companies House reforms matter for SMEs
Better data is not only a policy goal. Clearer public records reduce risk in supply chains, make credit checks faster and improve trust with lenders. The reforms also give Companies House stronger powers to query, reject or remove information and to coordinate with enforcement bodies. In practice, that means more scrutiny and fewer chances to fix mistakes after the event. For SMEs with lean admin teams, the answer is to bake the changes into your routine filings and board processes now.
Identity verification: Who must verify and when
Identity verification moves from optional to expected this year. Individuals have been able to verify voluntarily since 8 April 2025. From 18 November 2025, legal requirements start to apply, with a 12-month transition. New incorporations and new appointments will need verified identities from that point, while existing directors and persons with significant control (PSCs) will provide their Companies House personal code with the next confirmation statement after that date. See the official guidance for details on when you need to verify and how the personal code works.
If you use an agent, note the creation of authorised corporate service providers (ACSPs). From 18 March 2025, third-party providers performing checks must be registered as ACSPs. Ask your company secretary or accountant which route you will use – direct via gov.uk One Login, or through an ACSP – and add the step to your onboarding process for directors and PSCs. This strand of the Companies House reforms is the most immediate item to plan, particularly if you have overseas directors or a complex ownership structure.
Confirmation statement and statutory registers: What changes in late 2025
From 18 November 2025, the confirmation statement will include the personal codes noted above and there are changes to internal registers. The government has confirmed that companies will no longer be required to hold certain statutory registers and the option to hold officers’ information on the central register will be removed. The intent is to reduce duplication and ensure the public record is the single, reliable source. Build time into your year-end process to update board papers, your company secretary checklist and any internal manuals so the Companies House reforms are reflected in your templates and controls.
Accounts and software-only filing: What to expect next
Although the higher-profile changes land in 2025, accounting disclosures and the filing method change from 1 April 2027. From that date, all accounts must be filed using commercial software. Paper and web-based accounts filing routes will close for accounts (they will remain for other filings). At the same time, small and micro-entity filing options are being streamlined.
- Micro-entities: File a balance sheet and a profit-and-loss account.
- Small companies: File a balance sheet, directors’ report, auditor’s report if applicable, and a profit-and-loss account.
- Abridged accounts: Will no longer be permitted.
These are confirmed policy positions – see the official “Changes to accounts” page for the full outline. Practically, that means more information will be on public record. If you currently rely on filleted or abridged presentations, plan your board’s expectations now and review whether disclosures could affect supplier negotiations, tenders or lending covenants. The Companies House reforms will make comparability stronger across SMEs and reduce the scope for minimal disclosure.
Your 2025 action checklist
Use this list to prepare during 2025. Assign owners and dates so nothing slips.
- Directors and PSCs: Confirm who needs to verify identities, decide verification route and capture the personal code in your company secretarial records. Add to your new-joiner and leaver checklists.
- Agent status: Ask your accountant or company secretary whether they will verify as an ACSP. Request their registration details and process.
- Confirmation statement: Diarise the first statement after 18 November 2025. Ensure you can input the personal codes and that the named officers match your board minutes.
- Registers: Note which statutory registers will no longer be required from November and update internal procedures. Archive responsibly and ensure any retained information is accurate.
- Accounts planning: Review your year-end timetable for 2026/27. Schedule time to move to software-only filing and test your software.
- Disclosure impact: Brief directors on the move to public profit and loss for small and micro companies from April 2027. Consider communication plans with lenders and key suppliers.
- Data hygiene: Run a once-a-year review of names, addresses and PSC details before your confirmation statement date. Fix discrepancies ahead of filing.
If you need a working plan, we can help you set a practical timetable that fits around your year-end, board meetings and payroll cycles.
What the data tells us
The direction of travel is to raise quality and consistency across millions of companies. As mentioned above, companies now account for 75.6% of the UK’s VAT and/or PAYE-registered business population, and there were 2.72m such businesses in March 2024 (ONS, 2024). With that volume, small errors multiply quickly. The Companies House reforms are designed to make simple checks – identity, registered email, lawful purpose statements – standard, and to place more useful financial information on the record for creditors and counterparties.
How we can help
Change is easiest when you only do it once. Our company secretarial and accounts teams will map the Companies House reforms to your specific setup – single-director companies, groups, overseas directors or complex PSC positions. We prepare the verification plan, tidy your officer records, update minute templates and bake the new confirmation statement steps into your calendar. On the accounts side, we will get you ready for software-only filing and the removal of abridged options, including a dry-run of your 2026/27 year end through compliant software so there are no surprises.
Ready to get started? The Companies House reforms are here – let us help you prepare with a clear plan, the right software and tidy records. Contact us to set up your 2025 compliance review and build a simple roadmap to 2027.