HMRC and Companies House admin for accountants, including ID verification
Agent authorisations, confirmation statements, filing deadlines and the Companies House identity verification push, tracked and prepared every working day under your practice's own credentials.
Companies House identity verification: the tracker your client list needs
Every director and person with significant control (PSC) on your client list has their own trigger date. Most practices are working through the list one confirmation statement at a time. The table shows what applies to whom.
| Person | When their verification is due | What we track and prepare |
|---|---|---|
| Existing director | Personal code given with the company's next confirmation statement during the 12-month transition | Confirmation statement date per company, verification status per director, personal code collected before the statement is prepared |
| Existing PSC who is also a director | Within a 14-day period starting the day after the company's confirmation statement date (a separate code entry for the PSC role) | Both roles logged separately so the PSC step is not missed once the director step is done |
| Existing PSC who is not a director | Within the first 14 days of their birth month as shown on the register | Birth-month diary for every non-director PSC, with reminders sent before the window opens |
| New director | Before appointment or incorporation can be filed | Personal code requested at onboarding so the appointment filing is ready to go |
| New PSC added after 18 November 2025 | When first added to the register, or within 14 days of being added | 14-day window diarised from the date the PSC is added |
| PSC who has died | No verification needed | Register update prepared for your review |
Source: GOV.UK, When you need to verify your identity for Companies House; GOV.UK news, Companies House confirms identity verification rollout from 18 November 2025. GOV.UK describes the transition for existing directors and PSCs as 12 months from 18 November 2025, ending in mid-November 2026.
Where your practice's ACSP fits, and where we fit
An ACSP must be registered with a UK anti-money laundering supervisory body. That is your practice. We work under your registration as your admin team.
We cannot be an ACSP, and we cannot verify anyone's identity for Companies House. What we can do is keep the verification list moving: chase clients for their personal codes, track who is done, prepare the filings and flag the ones at risk before the deadline arrives.
Source: GOV.UK, Being an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP). An ACSP must stay registered with at least one AML supervisor and keep records of identity checks it carries out for Companies House for 7 years.
| Date | Change |
|---|---|
| 18 March 2025 | ACSP registration opened for accountants and other service providers |
| 18 November 2025 | Identity verification became a legal requirement for new directors and PSCs; 12-month transition began for existing ones |
| Mid-November 2026 | Transition ends for existing directors and PSCs |
| No earlier than November 2027 | Third-party agents filing for companies required to be registered ACSPs |
| From April 2028 | All companies required to file annual accounts using commercial software |
The portal task calendar we run for you
Outside the verification deadline, portal admin is a steady rhythm of dated tasks. These are the ones we diarise per client and bring to your team ready for approval.
| Task | Statutory timing | Our preparation | Your practice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Confirmation statement | At least once a year, within 14 days after the end of the 12-month review period. Online fee £50. | Checks officers, PSCs, shareholdings and SIC codes against your records; collects personal codes; drafts the statement | Approves and files |
| Private company annual accounts | 9 months after the financial year end; first accounts 21 months after incorporation | Deadline diary per client, records chased, filing status checked after submission | Prepares, approves and files the accounts |
| Company Tax Return (CT600) | 12 months after the end of the accounting period; tax usually payable 9 months and 1 day after it | Payment and filing reminders to client and team; submission receipts saved to file | Prepares and submits |
| HMRC agent authorisation | Client must accept the authorisation request link within 21 days | Creates the request in your agent services account, sends it with instructions, chases until accepted | Decides which services to request |
| Self Assessment returns | 31 January after the end of the tax year for online returns | Missing-return lists from the portal, client chasers, payment reminders | Reviews and submits |
| MTD for Income Tax quarterly updates | 7 August, 7 November, 7 February and 7 May | Records chased and categorised; sign-up and authorisation status checked | Reviews and submits |
| HMRC and Companies House correspondence | Ongoing | Agent and registry notices checked daily, logged and routed to the right person | Responds where judgement is needed |
Sources: GOV.UK, Confirmation statement guidance; GOV.UK, Prepare and file annual accounts for a limited company; GOV.UK, Company Tax Returns: deadlines; GOV.UK, How to use the digital handshake to get authorised as a tax agent; GOV.UK, Self Assessment tax returns: deadlines; GOV.UK, Use Making Tax Digital for Income Tax. More detail in our guide: HMRC and Companies House portal admin: what UK practices can safely hand off.
Your credentials, your approval, your audit trail
Portal access is the most sensitive part of any handover, so it is set up the way your practice controls it.
Logins you issue
We work through access you set up for us on your HMRC agent services account and your Companies House account. You can see it and remove it whenever you choose.
Nothing filed without sign-off
Statements, authorisation requests and responses are prepared and held for approval. Your team presses submit, or tells us to, case by case.
A daily log
Each working day you get a short record of what was checked, chased, prepared and received, so a missed authorisation or an unread notice shows up straight away.
HMRC and Companies House admin: common questions
What is an ACSP and does my practice need to be one?
An Authorised Corporate Service Provider is an agent registered with Companies House that is supervised by a UK anti-money laundering body. You need ACSP status now to verify clients' identities for Companies House. Companies House plans to require all agents filing for clients to be ACSPs, no earlier than November 2027 according to its transition plan.
When is the Companies House ID verification deadline for existing directors?
Existing directors confirm their verification with the company's next confirmation statement during the 12-month transition that started on 18 November 2025. The transition ends in mid-November 2026. Existing PSCs have their own 14-day windows, based on the confirmation statement date or their birth month.
Can an outsourced team verify identities for Companies House?
Only an ACSP or GOV.UK One Login can verify identity for Companies House. Our team supports the process: we chase each director and PSC, record personal codes, track status across your client list and prepare filings. If your practice is the ACSP, any verification is done by your practice.
How do I add a client to my HMRC agent services account?
For services that use the digital handshake, you create an authorisation request in your agent services account and send the link to the client, who signs in and accepts it. The link expires after 21 days. We can create the requests, send them with plain instructions and chase until each one is accepted.
When is a confirmation statement due?
Every company, including dormant companies, must file one at least once a year. You have 14 days after the end of the review period to file it, and the online fee is £50. During the transition, the statement is also where existing directors give their personal codes.
Do you file accounts or returns for our clients?
We prepare and track; your practice approves and submits under its own agent credentials and Companies House account. Where you want us to press submit on routine items after approval, that is agreed in writing and logged each time. Professional judgement on the content of any filing stays with your team.
Work that connects to portal admin
AML checks
Client due diligence run to your policy, which also supports the checks behind your ACSP obligations.
Penalty appeals
When a deadline is missed, a reasonable excuse appeal drafted with the evidence attached.
MTD-ready reporting
Quarterly records chased and categorised for clients in Making Tax Digital for Income Tax. See our MTD for ITSA guide.
Get your verification list under control before November
Tell us how many companies you act for and we will set out how the tracker would run for your client list.
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