Published: 12 August 2026 9:26 am  Author: Oliver Stanley

Presenter Verification and ACSP Registration: Companies House Confirms No Sooner Than November 2027

Companies House has confirmed a new timetable for one of the remaining pieces of the identity verification puzzle: the requirement for presenters to be verified/ registered as an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) registration will not be introduced before November 2027, and even then, Companies House will give at least six months’ notice before it lands.

If you file documents at Companies House on behalf of someone else, whether as a lawyer, accountant, property manager, or in-house team acting for group companies, this is a change worth tracking now, even with over a year still on the clock.

What’s Changing: Presenter Verification and ACSP Registration Explained

The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act (ECCTA) introduced sweeping new identity verification requirements for UK companies. Since 18 November 2025, identity verification has been a legal requirement for anyone setting up, running, owning, or controlling a company. Meaning that directors, LLP members, and people with significant control (PSCs), have to prove they are who they claim to be.

That part of the rollout is already underway. The next part isn’t: Companies House will also require anyone submitting information to Companies House to either be identity verified themselves or to be registered as an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP).

In practice, that means if you file documents on behalf of someone else, this could apply to you.

Who Counts as a ‘Presenter’? The Open Questions

The test for whether verification applies to you will be whether you’re “presenting” a document on someone else’s behalf. The trouble is, it’s not yet clear exactly what qualifies as presenting. The current thinking is that it will likely turn on whether you’re “materially” controlling the content and submission of the filing, but that’s still an evolving interpretation rather than a settled rule.

Two examples show how much is genuinely still up in the air:

• If you’re a company and your accountants file on your behalf: are your accountants the presenter because they complete and submit the form, or are you the presenter because you provided the underlying information?
• If you’re an accountant filing through software: you provide the information and press “file” on the software system, but the software compiles everything and submits it for you. Are you the presenter, or is the software provider?

These are exactly the kind of questions Companies House will need to clarify in the coming months, and firms that file on behalf of clients should keep an eye on that guidance as it develops.

The New Timetable: No Sooner Than November 2027

Companies House has now confirmed that the presenter filing restrictions will be introduced no sooner than November 2027, and that it will give at least six months’ notice before implementation begins. The practical “be ready by” date may not be until sometime in 2028, depending on when the six-month notice period actually starts.

For firms that had been preparing for this sooner, it’s breathing room, but not a reason to stop paying attention. The direction of travel hasn’t changed, only the pace.

What This Means for Accountants, Lawyers, and Company Secretaries

If any part of your work involves filing at Companies House for clients (confirmation statements, incorporations, PSC updates, share allotments, charge registrations – whether there is a filing fee or not does not matter) presenter verification is likely to eventually impact your process. The practical questions worth starting to think about now include:

• Whether you or your firm will need to register as an ACSP once the criteria are confirmed
• How your current filing workflow (manual, via an agent, or through software) might be classed once “presenting” is properly defined
• Where responsibility sits internally if multiple people touch a filing before it’s submitted

None of this needs resolving today. But firms that wait until six months’ notice arrives to start asking these questions will be doing so at the same time as every other adviser in the market.

How Kudocs Is Tracking This

Kudocs will be contributing to Companies House’s work in this area and monitoring developments and progress closely, including further guidance from Companies House’s own updates on identity verification. Any necessary changes to how the platform works will be implemented in good time, well ahead of any notice period Companies House sets.

If you manage company secretarial work for multiple clients, see how Kudocs helps advisers keep filings and identity verification on track across every entity.

FAQs About Presenter Verification and ACSP Registration

What is presenter verification at Companies House?

Presenter verification is a planned requirement under ECCTA that will require anyone submitting filings to Companies House on someone else’s behalf to either be identity verified or registered as an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP).

What is an ACSP?

An Authorised Corporate Service Provider is a supervised business, such as an accountancy or law firm, that has registered with Companies House to carry out identity verification on behalf of clients and, in future, to file documents as a verified presenter.

When will presenter verification and ACSP registration be required?

Companies House has confirmed this will not be introduced before November 2027, with at least six months’ notice given ahead of implementation.

Does this affect the identity verification requirement already in force?

No. The requirement for directors, LLP members, and PSCs to verify their identity has applied since 18 November 2025. Presenter verification is a separate, later requirement for anyone submitting filings on behalf of others.

Who is likely to be affected by presenter verification

Anyone who files documents at Companies House on behalf of someone else, including accountants, solicitors, company secretaries, property managers, and in-house teams filing for group companies.

The Takeaway

Presenter verification and ACSP registration are still coming, but not before November 2027, and firms will have at least six months’ notice once a date is set. The definition of who actually counts as a “presenter” is still being worked out, so it’s worth watching Companies House’s guidance as it develops rather than guessing now. Kudocs is following this closely and will make sure clients are ready well before any notice period starts.

If you have any questions about how this might affect your firm, get in touch with us.