Companies House ACSP new date
Companies House has a new date for their corporate service provider (ACSP) registration service. Organisations who provide verification services can register from today (18th March) and individuals who want to undertake the checks themselves without using an ACSP can do so from 8 April.
The ID verification aspect is a vital part of the looming Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act (ECCTA) deadline in autumn this year, and this delay will add to the uncertainty facing many firms. The verification process will be a big task for many businesses – especially for those with a large number of directors and outsourced company secretaries, which has the potential to catch many off guard.
In response to the delay and the new dates, please see a comment below from Ben Turner, managing director of Corporate Secretarial Services at LawDeb.
Ben commented: “At last, we have a new date for the authorised corporate service providers (ACSP) registration service from Companies House. This is sorely needed, as the timeline for the upcoming Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act coming into play is getting tighter by the day.
“However, after recent delays to the ACSP service, the stop-start approach and messy communication surrounding new dates means business confidence is low. The ID verification checks could be a potential banana skin for businesses – especially those with many directors – who will need to avoid being caught in a web of compliance. Shifting go-live dates will only further contribute to the existing sense of inertia currently shrouding businesses when it comes to taking action to meet ECCTA regulations.”