UK company law continues evolving to improve transparency and combat financial crime. For business owners, directors, and company secretaries, staying current with filing requirements for company officers and Persons with Significant Control (PSC) is not optional. It is a legal obligation that carries serious penalties when ignored.

Recent years have brought significant changes to how Companies House handles officer appointments, resignations, and PSC disclosures. Understanding these requirements and implementing systems to track them properly protects your company from fines, reputational damage, and potential criminal prosecution in severe cases.

This guide breaks down what you need to know about officer and PSC filing obligations, highlights recent regulatory changes, and explains how to maintain compliance without drowning in administrative complexity.

Understanding Company Officers and Their Filing Obligations

Every UK limited company must have at least one director and maintain accurate records of all officers at Companies House. Officers include directors, company secretaries, and in some cases, managers or other positions with significant control over company operations.

When you appoint a new director, you must file form AP01 within 14 days of the appointment. This form requires the director’s full name, date of birth, residential address, service address, nationality, occupation, and confirmation they are not disqualified from acting as a director.

Residential addresses are protected information that does not appear on the public register unless the director chooses to use it as their service address. However, Companies House still requires this information for their records and for sharing with specified public authorities.

When a director resigns or is removed, you must file form TM01 within 14 days. Failure to update this information means your public records show incorrect management structure, which can cause problems with banking relationships, credit applications, and business contracts.

Company secretaries follow similar rules. Appointing a secretary requires form AP03, while removing one needs form TM02. Private companies are not legally required to have a company secretary, but many choose to appoint one for administrative clarity.

The 14-day deadline is strict. Companies House does not offer grace periods or extensions. Missing this deadline triggers automatic penalties starting at 150 pounds and escalating based on how long the company remains non-compliant.

The PSC Register: What You Must Disclose

The PSC register identifies individuals or entities with significant control over your company. This transparency measure helps prevent money laundering, tax evasion, and other financial crimes by making company ownership visible.

A person qualifies as having significant control if they meet one or more of these conditions: holding more than 25% of company shares, controlling more than 25% of voting rights, having the right to appoint or remove the majority of directors, or exercising significant influence or control over the company.

Companies must maintain an internal PSC register and file this information with Companies House. When a PSC is identified, you must file form PSC01 within 14 days. This form requires detailed information including full name, date of birth, nationality, residential address (which is protected), service address, and the nature of their control.

Changes to PSC information must also be reported within 14 days using the appropriate forms. If a PSC increases their shareholding, changes address, or ceases to be a PSC, you must update both your internal register and notify Companies House.

Some companies have no identifiable PSCs because control is dispersed among many shareholders or held by corporate entities that themselves have no PSCs. In these cases, you must still maintain your PSC register and record why no PSC exists, including reasonable steps taken to identify potential PSCs.

Recent Changes Affecting Officer and PSC Compliance

The UK government continues strengthening corporate transparency requirements. Understanding recent and upcoming changes helps you maintain compliance as regulations evolve.

Identity verification requirements for company directors have been introduced to prevent the use of false identities. New directors must verify their identity through an authorized agent or Companies House verification service. This change affects all new director appointments but also applies to existing directors through a phased implementation.

The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act has expanded Companies House powers significantly. The registrar can now query suspicious filings, request supporting evidence, and even remove information believed to be fraudulent. This more proactive approach means errors or incomplete filings are more likely to be challenged.

Enhanced penalties for non-compliance have been introduced for various filing failures. While financial penalties start at 150 pounds, serious or repeated failures can result in personal liability for directors, including potential disqualification from acting as a director for up to 15 years.

PSC information requirements have been tightened to close loopholes that previously allowed beneficial ownership to remain hidden. Companies must now take more comprehensive steps to identify PSCs and document their efforts even when no PSC is ultimately identified.

Digital filing has become the default for most Companies House submissions. While paper forms are still accepted in limited circumstances, the emphasis on digital submission means companies need systems that support electronic filing processes.

The Real Cost of Non-Compliance

Many business owners underestimate the consequences of missing officer or PSC filing deadlines. The penalties extend beyond simple financial fines and can seriously impact your business operations.

Late filing penalties start at 150 pounds but increase with the delay. More importantly, persistent non-compliance leads to automatic prosecution warnings. Companies House can prosecute directors personally for failing to meet their filing obligations, resulting in criminal records that affect future business opportunities.

Banking relationships suffer when your Companies House records are incomplete or incorrect. Banks conduct regular compliance checks, and discrepancies between your claimed management structure and public records can freeze accounts, block transactions, or result in relationship termination.

Business credibility takes a major hit when potential clients, suppliers, or partners discover non-compliant filings during due diligence. In competitive bidding situations, compliance issues can disqualify you entirely regardless of your technical capabilities or pricing.

Director disqualification is the nuclear option reserved for serious or repeated failures. Once disqualified, you cannot be a company director, act as a receiver of a company’s property, or be involved in the promotion, formation, or management of a company without court permission.

Simplifying Compliance with Modern Tools

Managing officer and PSC filing obligations manually is increasingly difficult as requirements become more complex. Modern compliance tools automate tracking, send timely reminders, and help ensure nothing falls through the cracks.

UK Companies House On The Go monitors all your company filings including officer appointments, resignations, and PSC changes. The app connects directly to Companies House data, giving you real-time visibility into your compliance status.

Automated alerts notify you before filing deadlines approach, giving you adequate time to prepare documentation and submit forms correctly. Instead of tracking dates manually across multiple companies, you receive push notifications straight to your phone.

The app displays all company officers and PSC information in an easily accessible format. You can quickly verify whether your records are current, identify upcoming filing requirements, and access direct links to the appropriate forms.

For accountants and corporate service providers managing multiple client companies, the bulk management features let you monitor dozens or hundreds of companies simultaneously. Custom grouping helps prioritize attention where it is needed most.

The 7-day free trial gives you complete access to all features without any commitment. Experience how automated compliance monitoring reduces stress and eliminates the risk of missed filings.

Download UK Companies House On The Go today and transform how you manage company compliance.

Download the App:

App Store: https://apps.apple.com/in/app/uk-companies-house-on-the-go/id6743302358

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.companiesonthe.go

Stay compliant. Stay protected. Stay ahead.