Company directors are hearing about Companies House changes from all directions: letters, news stories, software providers and, increasingly, scam emails. Many of them will turn to their accountant with the same handful of questions. "Do I need to verify my identity?" "Can I still file my own accounts?" "What's happening to abridged accounts?"
This guide sets out the confirmed changes under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (ECCTA), with dates taken from Companies House's official changes to UK company law site as read in October 2026. It then looks at how practices can explain these changes on their website, so clients find answers before they pick up the phone.
What ECCTA is and why it matters
Companies House introduced the first set of changes under ECCTA on 4 March 2024. The act gives Companies House a bigger role in tackling economic crime and aims to make the information on its registers more accurate and trusted.
Companies House lists new responsibilities for:
- all new and existing company directors
- people with significant control (PSCs)
- anyone who files on behalf of a company
That last group includes accountancy practices.
Identity verification
Who needs to verify
Companies House's identity verification page says anyone setting up, running, owning or controlling a company in the UK must verify their identity. It became a legal requirement from 18 November 2025.
Companies House is clear that 18 November 2025 was not a deadline. It marked the start of a 12-month transition period for existing directors and PSCs to verify by their individual due dates.
Identity verification is required for:
- new directors and PSCs
- existing directors and PSCs
- members of LLPs
Companies House says it will introduce identity verification for people who file at Companies House from no earlier than November 2027, with at least 6 months' notice. Limited partnerships, corporate directors, corporate members of LLPs and officers of corporate PSCs will follow at a later date.
How to verify
There are two routes:
- directly with Companies House through GOV.UK One Login, using ID documents such as a passport
- through an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP)
What happens if someone does not verify
Companies House states that not complying on time is an offence, with consequences including a financial penalty, and the person will not be able to make filings for the company or start a new one.
Authorised Corporate Service Providers
ACSPs are individuals or organisations that carry out anti-money laundering supervised activity, including accountants. Companies House says all third-party providers will need to register as an ACSP before they can submit information on behalf of clients. For a practice, that means becoming an ACSP is part of continuing to file for clients, and it lets you offer identity verification as a service.
Changes to accounts filing
Companies House's changes to accounts page says the accounts filing changes will be introduced in April 2028, giving companies 21 months to prepare.
Software-only filing
All accounts filed on or after 1 April 2028 must be filed using commercial software in iXBRL format. From that date, the web and paper routes close for accounts, though they stay open for other statutory filings. This applies whether a company files its own accounts or uses an accountant.
Directors who currently file simple accounts through the Companies House web service will need a new route, which for many will mean asking an accountant.
Abridged accounts are going
Under the new legislation, small companies will no longer be able to prepare and file abridged accounts.
Profit and loss accounts for small and micro companies
Small and micro-entity companies will need to file a profit and loss account as part of their annual accounts. Companies House says they will have the option to opt out of having it published on the public register, and that it will confirm how in due course.
Companies House lists what each type will file:
- Micro-entities: balance sheet, auditor's report (unless exempt) and profit and loss account.
- Small companies: balance sheet, directors' report, auditor's report (unless exempt) and profit and loss account.
On the directors' report, Companies House notes that the government intends to remove the requirement for any company to produce one, and expects that part of the change will no longer apply. This is a good example of why your website should say "Companies House currently expects" rather than stating things as final.
Audit exemption statements
Any company claiming an audit exemption will need an enhanced statement from its directors on the balance sheet, specifying which exemption is claimed and confirming the company qualifies.
Shortening accounting reference periods
A company will have to give a business reason if it wants to shorten its accounting reference period more than once within 5 years.
Other changes worth mentioning
Companies House's overview also covers:
- Company registers: companies no longer need to hold registers of directors, directors' residential addresses, secretaries and PSCs.
- Confirmation statements: the filing is changing, including a registered email address.
- Registered office rules: new rules on what counts as an appropriate address.
- Fees: some Companies House fees changed on 1 February 2026.
What clients will ask you
Based on the changes above, expect questions like these:
- "Do I need to verify my identity, and by when?"
- "Can you verify my identity for me?"
- "I file my own accounts online. Can I keep doing that?"
- "Will my profit be on the public register now?"
- "What is iXBRL and do I need new software?"
- "Is this email from Companies House real?"
Each one is a chance to show you are on top of the changes, and each one is a search term someone is typing into Google right now.
How to explain the changes on your website
A dedicated Companies House changes page
Create one clear page that covers identity verification, ACSP status and the 2028 accounts changes. Keep it in plain English, with:
- a short summary at the top: what is changing and when
- a section for each change, with the date and a link to the official Companies House page
- what clients need to do, and what you will do for them
- a clear next step
Use cautious wording where Companies House has said details will follow, such as the profit and loss opt-out.
Update your year-end accounts page
Your statutory accounts service page should mention the move to software-only filing from 1 April 2028 and the end of abridged accounts. Clients who file their own accounts are a natural source of new work, because many will not want to buy and learn iXBRL software for one filing a year.
Offer identity verification as a service
If your practice is registered as an ACSP, say so, and explain how clients can verify through you. Put it on your company services page and in your onboarding emails.
Use a timeline
A simple timeline is easy to read and easy for search engines and AI tools to understand:
- 4 March 2024: first ECCTA changes
- 18 November 2025: identity verification becomes a legal requirement, start of a 12-month transition
- 1 February 2026: some fees changed
- No earlier than November 2027: identity verification for people who file
- 1 April 2028: software-only accounts filing, no abridged accounts
Warn about scams
Many directors are wary of emails about verification. A short paragraph telling clients to verify only through GOV.UK One Login or a trusted ACSP, and to check with you first, is helpful and builds trust.
Use automation for reminders
Each director and PSC has their own verification due date, and every company has its own accounts deadline. Chasing these by hand is slow. Automated reminders that pull deadlines from Companies House can save hours. We built Practix Control, practice management software for a client, which syncs filing deadlines from Companies House. Our AI automation page explains the kind of workflows we build for practices.
Want a Companies House page that answers clients for you?
If you want your website to explain these changes clearly and bring in directors looking for help, our SEO and website development services are built for accountancy practices. Get in touch to talk about it.