The Requirement Is Confirmed, the Date Is Not

If your firm files information at Companies House on behalf of clients, you will need to be registered as an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP). However, while that requirement has been confirmed, the exact date it becomes mandatory has not, and Companies House has committed to giving firms at least six months’ notice before the requirement takes effect.

That uncertainty might look like breathing room, but it comes with a deadline that has not moved at all. Existing directors and persons with significant control must complete identity verification by 18 November 2026. If your firm is registered as an ACSP, you can verify client identity as part of your own process. If you are not, every client has to go through GOV.UK One Login individually, and you have no way to manage it for them.

What an ACSP Is

An Authorised Corporate Service Provider is a business registered with Companies House under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023. Registration opened on 18 March 2025 and carries a one-off fee of £55.

To register, your firm must be supervised for AML by a recognised body such as ICAEW, ACCA, ICAS, or HMRC. That is a hard prerequisite. Without current AML supervision, the application cannot proceed.

Once registered, your firm can verify client identity for Companies House, file statutory documents on behalf of clients, and manage officer appointments, PSC changes, and confirmation statements within your own workflow. Without registration, you will eventually lose the ability to do any of this.

Why Firms Are Getting Stuck

A significant proportion of early ACSP applications were rejected because the details firms submitted did not match the records held by their AML supervisory body. A name, registration number, or address that is even slightly different from what ICAEW or ACCA has on file will cause the application to fail.

Companies House has also warned that application volumes are likely to increase as the deadline approaches. Firms that wait will be competing for processing time alongside everyone else who waited, and any data mismatch discovered at that point will take longer to resolve.

The practical advice is straightforward: check your AML supervision details are accurate and up to date before submitting and submit now rather than later.

What Your Firm Should Do

• Confirm your AML supervision is current and that the details held by your supervisory body match what you will submit to Companies House. If there is a discrepancy, resolve it first.

• Register as an ACSP through the Companies House online service. The process covers the firm’s structure, its senior individuals, and confirmation of AML supervision status.
• Build identity verification into your client onboarding. Once registered, your firm becomes a route for clients to verify their identity without using GOV.UK One Login separately. That is a practical service improvement, and it matters now because the 18 November 2026 verification deadline for existing directors and PSCs is approaching.

• Communicate with clients whose directors and PSCs have not yet verified. The November 2026 deadline carries consequences: Companies House can refuse to accept filings where verification is outstanding.

How RACO Can Help

ACSP registration sits at the intersection of AML supervision, Companies House compliance, and client onboarding, which is exactly where the complexity lives for most accountancy firms. RACO works with ICAEW-supervised, ACCA, FCA, and HMRC-supervised firms to make sure their AML supervision is in order and their compliance framework supports the registration process.

Our AML Compliance services cover the firm-wide risk assessment, PCPs, and supervisory alignment that underpin your ACSP eligibility. Our General Compliance service provides ongoing support as these requirements continue to develop.

Speak to Our Compliance Team

To discuss ACSP registration or review your firm’s AML framework, or to enquire how we can help your business, call us on 0203 985 8550 or email us at info@regulationandcomplianceoffice.co.uk