Authorised Corporate Service Provider identity verification
TAH is authorised by Companies House to verify the identity of directors, PSCs, LLP members and general partners on their behalf — properly, and to the required legal standard.
What is an ACSP, and why does it exist?
An Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) is a firm — typically an accountant, solicitor or company formation agent — that Companies House has authorised to verify individuals' identities on its behalf. The requirement was introduced by the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, alongside the Registrar's (Identity Verification by ACSPs) Rules 2025, which together brought mandatory identity verification to the UK company register for the first time.
Checks performed by an ACSP must meet GPG45 medium level of assurance — the UK government's standard framework for identity proofing. According to GOV.UK's own guidance on meeting the Companies House identity verification standard, six core steps apply to every check: asking for identity information, gathering evidence of identity, checking that evidence is genuine, checking the identity belongs to the person presenting it, keeping records for a defined period, and deciding whether to proceed with submission.
As your ACSP, we complete all six steps on your behalf and submit an Identity Verification Statement directly to Companies House — you never have to navigate the process alone.
Who must verify their identity
Directors
Every director of a UK company — UK-resident or overseas.
People with significant control
Anyone registered as a PSC of a company.
LLP members
Designated and non-designated members of an LLP.
General partners
General partners of a limited partnership.
Persons filing on behalf of a company
Anyone who files documents with Companies House on a company's behalf.
Digital or in-person — both fully permitted
GOV.UK's guidance is explicit that identity checks can be completed remotely, in person, or through an ACSP using a commercial identity service provider. We offer both routes honestly, and recommend whichever suits your documents.
Online / Digital (IDVT)
A secure link to your phone. Photograph your document, take a live selfie, done in about 10 minutes. Verified through our sub-processor, TrustID, a certified Identity Service Provider.
Accepted — any ONE of:
- Biometric or machine-readable passport (any country, up to 6 months past expiry still machine-readable)
- Irish passport card
- UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man or EU photocard driving licence
- EU / Norway / Iceland / Liechtenstein biometric national identity card
- UK biometric residence permit (BRP) or biometric residence card (BRC)
- UK Frontier Worker permit
Process: secure link sent to you → smartphone photo of document + live selfie (~10 minutes) → reviewed by TAH → submitted to Companies House.
In-Person / Manual
Two original documents, examined by a trained reviewer — either at a TAH office or on a scheduled video call. No photocopies or photographs of copies.
Either 2 from Group A, or 1 from Group A + 1 from Group B:
Group A — photo ID
- Non-biometric passport
- EEA national identity card
- UK or international photocard driving licence
- UK biometric residence permit (BRP) or biometric residence card (BRC)
- HM Forces ID card
- UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man firearms licence
Group B — proof of address (dated within 3 months)
- Bank or building society statement
- Utility bill
- Council tax statement
- Mortgage statement
- Birth certificate
- Marriage or civil partnership certificate
If you live outside the UK, at least one document must be government-issued.
Process: documents seen as originals, in person at a TAH office or on a scheduled video call with a trained reviewer → reviewed by TAH → submitted to Companies House.
Our process, start to finish
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Engagement letter & fee
You sign our engagement letter online and pay the applicable fixed fee. We open your case the same working day.
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Data & documents
You complete our online application: personal details, company details, and confirm which documents you'll use.
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TrustID or manual check
You complete the digital IDVT check via TrustID, or attend an in-person / video appointment for the manual route.
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Our compliance review
We independently review the outcome against our 29-point compliance checklist.
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Submission to Companies House
We submit your Identity Verification Statement as your authorised agent.
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Your personal code
Companies House emails you an 11-character personal code directly — we never see or handle this code.
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Completion confirmation
We send written confirmation once everything is complete.
Fixed fees, all-inclusive
Covers onboarding, the identity check (TrustID digital or manual review), our compliance review, and the Companies House submission.
£125 all-inclusive
Ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom.
- Digital or in-person identity check
- 29-point compliance review
- Submission to Companies House
£175 all-inclusive
Resident outside the United Kingdom.
- Digital or in-person identity check
- 29-point compliance review
- Submission to Companies House
Your data, handled properly
We retain records relating to your engagement — including failed verification attempts — for 7 years from completion, then securely destroy them, in line with our regulatory obligations. Documents are submitted securely over an encrypted connection and only shared with our sub-processor TrustID (for digital checks) and Companies House (name, date of birth, address, email and document reference only — never copies of your documents). Read our full Privacy Policy →
Everything else you might want to know
Is this fully remote?
Yes — no travel or appointment is needed for the digital route. For the two-document route, we can arrange an in-person or scheduled video appointment to examine your original documents.
Can someone else do the camera steps for me?
No — you must complete the identity check personally. It cannot be completed on your behalf by a third party.
Can I post my documents to you?
Only in one specific, supervised case: if you choose the in-person route but book a video-call appointment instead of visiting an office, you may post your original documents to us ahead of the call using tracked, signed-for delivery only — never ordinary post. We examine them with you on camera during the call and return them afterwards by tracked post. Outside of that pre-booked scenario, please never post original identity documents unprompted.
My passport has expired — can I still use it?
Sometimes. Digital checks tolerate passports expired by up to 6 months; in-person checks can tolerate up to 18 months. Please check with us first.
I've changed my name — what do I need?
A marriage certificate, civil partnership certificate, or deed poll showing the name change.
Is my personal code still valid if my document later expires?
Yes — once issued, your personal code remains valid indefinitely, even if the document you verified with later expires.
What if my digital check fails for a technical reason?
We'll re-issue your verification link once, free of charge.
What does it cost?
£175, all-inclusive, for a foreign/overseas director; £125, all-inclusive, for a UK-based director.
What happens once I'm verified?
Once you connect your personal code to your Companies House record, the public register shows your name, your ACSP (Tax And Accounting Hub Ltd), our AML supervisory body (AAT), and the date — never your documents or home address.
Ready to start your verification?
Sign up, choose your route, and most applicants finish in about 10 minutes.
Start your application