Authorised Corporate Service Providers in the UK: A Complete Guide
- Published: 24 December 2025
- 8 min read
- Starting a Company
Ruth Dsouza
Author
Ruth Dsouza Prabhu is a content developer who specialises in crafting clear, compelling narratives from complex ideas. With expertise in marketing communications and lifestyle writing, she simplifies business concepts for a wide audience. Her writing blends strategy, storytelling, and thought leadership, always with a focus on clarity, credibility, and meaningful impact.
Mosan Ali
Reviewer
Mosan Ali is our Accounting Manager based in the UK and has a wealth of knowledge of UK GAAP, VAT, and PAYE. With 12 years of experience crunching numbers and ensuring compliance, he keeps our financial reporting ship-shape. Think of Mosan as our blog's accounting guru. He carefully reviews our UK-focused content, ensuring it's accurate, up-to-date, and packed with helpful tips for UK businesses. Get your taxes right from day one with our informative blog posts.
With Companies House reforms and new legislation in place, founders now face clearer rules on identity verification, compliance, and who is authorised to file on their behalf under UK company law. Authorised Corporate Service Providers (ACSPs) sit at the centre of this shift, as only approved firms can complete identity verification and file information on your behalf. Understanding what an ACSP is and how to choose one has become essential for any UK business. This guide covers the essentials, and as an authorised provider under the new framework, Osome helps founders stay compliant while reducing the administrative load.
Key Takeaways
- Authorised Corporate Service Providers (ACSPs) are now central to the UK’s new Companies House rules, handling identity verification checks and filings that businesses can no longer submit information without proper authorisation.
- Only firms registered as an ACSP (Authorised Corporate Service Provider) and supervised for relevant anti-money laundering (AML) compliance by an AML supervisory body or other recognised body can act on your behalf, whether you’re incorporating a company or updating statutory records.
- Founders should check the official public register of ACSPs and work with a provider they trust, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and smooth interaction with Companies House. Digital providers like Osome use a new digital account and authorised agent account structure to help streamline these obligations so the focus stays on building the business.
What Is an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP)?
An Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) is a business that has been formally approved by Companies House to carry out identity checks and file information on behalf of clients. Only organisations supervised for anti-money laundering (AML) compliance can register as an ACSP, and once authorised, they can complete identity verification checks for directors, shareholders, people with significant control, and anyone else involved in a company’s statutory responsibilities.
For founders, this matters because certain filings will soon only be accepted if completed by you or an ACSP using a new digital account or ACSP digital account. Using an ACSP ensures that your incorporations, updates and compliance actions meet the new legal standards without delays or rejected submissions, and that every person registering has their own identity properly checked.
ACSPs typically support with:
- Company registration and statutory filings through an online registration service
- ID verification and structured identity verification checks for key individuals
- Ongoing compliance and record maintenance, including helping you file authorised agent accounts and update company information on time
If you're not sure whether your filing requires identity verification, assume it will. Companies House is moving toward mandatory checks for most updates, so working with an ACSP early prevents delays later.
Who is Eligible to Become an ACSP?
Only certain organisations can register as an ACSP. To qualify, a business must already be supervised for anti-money laundering (AML) compliance and be capable of performing identity checks and statutory filings to Companies House standards. There are 25 supervisory body organisations in the UK that oversee ACSPs for AML purposes, ensuring that only compliant organisations are authorised. Here is a checklist of qualifying criteria:
Requirement | Description |
|---|---|
| Organisation status | Only businesses or professional firms, such as a company formation agent, accountancy firm, or tax advisers, can apply; individuals cannot |
| AML supervision | Must be supervised under UK AML regulations and by a recognised AML supervisory body |
| Supervising authority | Supervision through a recognised professional supervisory body or HMRC, including an AML membership number where relevant |
| Service capability | Must provide or support company formation, filing, or compliance services as an authorised source for Companies House |
| Identity verification systems | Ability to identify clients, store ID verification data securely, and demonstrate the identity verification process to the supervisory body if requested |
| File accurate confirmations | Capacity to meet Companies House requirements for correct and timely filings and continue filing on behalf of clients without interruption |
If your organisation meets the necessary criteria, you can begin the registration process directly through Companies House. Here is the official application on the government website, where authorised agents submit their details, supervisory information and declarations.
Why is Authorisation Important for Filings and Identity Verification
Under the new Companies House reforms, authorisation directly determines who is allowed to act on behalf of a UK company. Only an ACSP or the company itself can file information, submit information, and can verify identities for key roles, making ACSP account status essential for maintaining accuracy, preventing rejection, and meeting UK anti-money laundering (AML) standards aimed at reducing economic crime.
For founders, this shift is significant: using an Authorised Corporate Service Provider like Osome, which is officially authorised and supervised, reduces administrative burden, speeds up filings, and ensures every company director, shareholder and Person with Significant Control (PSC) has their identity correctly verified. Osome can also help existing company directors and anyone in a senior role who is making filings understand their ongoing legal responsibilities under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act, which aims to combat economic crime and improve corporate transparency in the UK.
Here’s how authorisation changes your filing experience and compliance risk in practice.
Area | With an ACSP | Without an ACSP |
|---|---|---|
| Identity verification | Identity verification checks and identity checks completed to AML and Companies House standards using a primary identity document such as a passport or driving licence | Higher risk of non-compliant or incomplete checks |
| Submitting filings | ACSP can handle incorporations and statutory updates and file information correctly on behalf of clients | Certain filings may be rejected or restricted |
| Compliance burden | Managed by the provider with secure record-keeping and documented diligence checks | Founder must handle all admin personally, including their own diligence checks |
| Speed & accuracy | Faster submissions with fewer errors, often through a new registration service managed by third party providers | Increased likelihood of delays through third party providers and bounced filings |
| Ongoing updates | Authorised access for seamless changes, allowing ACSPs to continue filing on behalf of clients over time | Manual process with greater room for error |
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What Are The Identity Verification Duties of an ACSP?
Identity verification checks are the core responsibility of every ACSP. Under the new Companies House rules, ACSPs must complete verification for anyone involved in forming, managing or owning a UK company. This includes each business director, shareholders, people with significant control (PSCs), anyone in a senior role, and anyone delivering filings. Verification must meet strict relevant anti money laundering regulations, and ACSPs are required to keep secure records of how they verified someone's identity.
From 18 November 2025, complete identity verification checks are compulsory for all existing directors and PSCs. ACSPs must verify and record:
- Full legal name, date of birth and contact details
- Proof of identity using a primary identity document (such as a passport or driving license)
- Proof of address
- Whether the individual is acting as a director, shareholder, PSC or authorised filer
- How and when the verification was completed (digital or manual ID verification) and any unique identity number used to link records
ACSPs must also maintain secure records for audit and compliance, ensuring that identity data remains accessible for any near future checks by Companies House, an AML supervisory body, or any other supervisory body. This allows Companies House to confidently identify who has verified someone's identity and ensure all roles in a company are held to the same level of scrutiny.
How to Find an Authorised Corporate Service Provider
Companies House maintains the official register of ACSPs. Founders can use this register to confirm whether a provider is genuinely authorised to file information and act on behalf of clients. Since only ACSPs or the business itself can complete many of the new statutory requirements, checking this list is an essential early step before engaging any third party agents.
When reviewing the register, founders should look beyond the name alone. Consider the provider’s experience with incorporations, their identity checks, data security standards and how quickly they process filings. A reliable ACSP should be transparent about its AML supervisory body, able to demonstrate compliant identity verification checks, and clear about how they register as an ACSP and manage the process of registering as an ACSP internally.
To ensure you are working with a genuine authorised provider check these points below against:
What to Check | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Provider appears on the official ACSP register | Confirms the provider is legally authorised by Companies House and has completed the ACSP registration process |
| Details match the organisation’s public information | Ensures the listing is genuine and up to date |
| AML supervision status is clearly stated | Only AML-supervised firms can operate as ACSPs, and their supervisory body should be visible |
| Expertise in filings and incorporations | Indicates they can file information accurately, be the person registering as an ACSP correctly, and handle identity checks properly |
| Security of verification systems | Protects sensitive ID documents and data when verifying directly with clients |
| Turnaround times for filings and verification | Helps founders choose a reliable, efficient provider that can access services and systems quickly on behalf of clients |
Osome’s ACSP Services
Osome operates as a supervised and compliant service provider, helping founders meet the new Companies House requirements for identity verification and statutory filings. Through secure digital checks and streamlined filing processes, we support incorporations, director and shareholder verification, and ongoing business updates, ensuring every submission meets AML and Companies House standards while reducing the administrative work for growing businesses. Contact us to learn more!
Summary
The shift to Authorised Corporate Service Providers is one of the most significant changes introduced through the Companies House reforms. ACSPs now play a central role in ID verification, incorporations and statutory filings, ensuring that every UK company meets higher standards of transparency and AML compliance. For founders, this means working with a provider that is formally supervised by an AML supervisory body, officially registered as an ACSP, and capable of handling identity verification checks and filings accurately on behalf of clients. Understanding how ACSPs operate — and how they are regulated — helps businesses choose a trusted partner and stay compliant as the UK’s company reporting framework evolves.
Ruth Dsouza Prabhu is a content developer who specialises in crafting clear, compelling narratives from complex ideas. With expertise in marketing communications and lifestyle writing, she simplifies business concepts for a wide audience. Her writing blends strategy, storytelling, and thought leadership, always with a focus on clarity, credibility, and meaningful impact.
