Companies House and the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy are implementing reforms under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2022 to strengthen beneficial ownership transparency, reduce company register fraud, and improve data sharing with HMRC and other agencies. The reforms address longstanding gaps in verification powers and enforcement, with particular focus on tackling vacant property ownership opacity and reducing the estimated 5–20% of fraudulent UK company registrations. Implementation includes a multi-year integration programme between Companies House and HMRC systems.
In response to: Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act: outline transition plan for Companies House
In response to: Corporate transparency and register reform
The government’s position on reforming Companies House ahead of introducing legislation into Parliament.