- Who needs to register:
- From 25 February 2025, anyone carrying out AML-supervised activities — company formation agents, solicitors, accountants and chartered secretaries — must register as an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) to carry out identity checks for clients with Companies House.
- What an ACSP does:
- ACSPs conduct identity checks and ensure compliance with AML regulations, with document-filing on behalf of clients expected to follow.
- Eligibility:
- Your business must already be supervised by one of the 25 UK AML supervisory bodies, such as HMRC, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), or the Insolvency Practitioners Association.
- How to apply:
- Registration runs through the 'Apply to register as a Companies House authorised agent' service, intended for individuals in senior roles such as directors or sole traders.
- Cost:
- The registration fee is a one-off £55, alongside identity verification and business details.
- After approval:
- Registered ACSPs receive a digital account and a unique identity number, enabling them to file information and carry out identity checks for clients, with additional team members addable after approval.
- Further guidance:
- Companies House said it would publish detailed guidance on GOV.UK in early February 2025 to help businesses prepare.
Starting from 25 February 2025, businesses and individuals who conduct anti-money laundering (AML) supervised activities, such as company formation agents, solicitors, accountants, and chartered secretaries, will need to register as Authorised Corporate Service Providers (ACSPs) to carry out identity checks for clients with Companies House.
What Does an ACSP Do?
ACSPs play a crucial role in maintaining financial integrity by conducting identity checks and ensuring compliance with AML regulations. They may also file documents on behalf of clients in the future.
How to Become an ACSP
To qualify as an ACSP, your business must be supervised by one of the 25 AML supervisory bodies in the UK, such as:
- HMRC
- Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)
- The Insolvency Practitioners Association
You can find a full list of supervisory bodies on GOV.UK[1].
Registering with Companies House
From 25 February 2025, you'll need to use the new 'Apply to register as a Companies House authorised agent' service to become an ACSP. Here's what you need to know:
- Who should apply? Individuals in senior roles, such as directors or sole traders.
- What's required?
- Complete identity verification.
- Provide details about the business.
- Pay a £55 registration fee.
- What happens after registration?
- You'll receive a digital account and unique identity number.
- This will allow you to file information and perform identity checks for your clients.
- Additional team members can be added to the authorised agent account after approval.
- Confirm your AML supervision. Check your business is supervised by one of the 25 UK AML supervisory bodies, e.g. HMRC, the FCA, or the Insolvency Practitioners Association.
- Identify who should apply. Registration is intended for individuals in senior roles, such as directors or sole traders.
- Complete identity verification. Have the required identity checks ready to complete as part of the application.
- Gather your business details. Prepare the business information the application will ask for.
- Set aside the £55 registration fee. This is a one-off payment made as part of the application.
- Apply via the 'Apply to register as a Companies House authorised agent' service. This became available from 25 February 2025.
- Receive your digital account and unique identity number. This is issued after registration and lets you file information and carry out identity checks for clients.
- Add additional team members. This can be done to the authorised agent account once your registration is approved.
- Check GOV.UK for detailed guidance. Companies House said it would publish this in early February 2025.
Upcoming Guidance
To assist with this transition, Companies House will publish detailed guidance on GOV.UK in early February 2025.
By preparing early and completing your ACSP registration, you can ensure compliance and seamless operations for your business. Stay tuned for further updates from HMRC here[2].
Frequently asked questions
ACSPs play a crucial role in maintaining financial integrity by conducting identity checks and ensuring compliance with AML regulations. They may also file documents on behalf of clients in the future.
To qualify as an ACSP, your business must be supervised by one of the 25 AML supervisory bodies in the UK, such as HMRC, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), or the Insolvency Practitioners Association.
From 25 February 2025, you use the 'Apply to register as a Companies House authorised agent' service. Individuals in senior roles, such as directors or sole traders, should apply, complete identity verification, provide business details and pay a £55 registration fee.
You receive a digital account and a unique identity number, which lets you file information and perform identity checks for your clients. Additional team members can be added to the authorised agent account after approval.
Companies House said it would publish detailed guidance on GOV.UK in early February 2025 to help businesses prepare for the transition.
Keep your practice ahead of Companies House and AML compliance changes
Capium's practice management and compliance software helps accountants track client identity checks, AML supervision and regulatory deadlines in one place, so registration changes like ACSP never catch your practice off guard.
Further reading
- Services and guidance for Authorised Corporate Service Providers (ACSPs) — GOV.UKThe official GOV.UK guidance collection for ACSPs, covering registration, identity verification and filing.
- Third-party providers: get ready to register as an Authorised Corporate Service Provider — Companies House (blog)Companies House's own update on the ACSP registration service going live, published March 2025.
- Using a third-party provider to verify your identity with Companies House — Companies House (blog)Recent guidance (December 2025) on how ACSPs carry out identity verification on behalf of clients.
- List of Authorised Corporate Service Providers (ACSPs) — GOV.UKThe official published register of firms that have completed ACSP registration.
- The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act: accounts and filing aspects — ICAEWICAEW technical guidance on the wider ECCTA reforms that introduced the ACSP regime.
- Four draft instruments brought in to enforce Companies House reform — ICAEWICAEW's July 2025 update on secondary legislation enforcing Companies House identity verification and ACSP requirements.
References
- Anti-money laundering registration: get proof of your supervision, GOV.UK. Linked in the original article.
- Authorised Corporate Service Providers: what you need to know, Companies House (blog), 13 September 2024. Linked in the original article.
