UK Companies House warns directors to verify identities after first prosecutions
Directors of UK companies are being warned to verify their identities with Companies House or risk prosecution after the Insolvency Service secured its first convictions for identity verification offences on 16 September.
Identity verification is a central part of the Economic Crime & Corporate Transparency Act 2023, which strengthened Companies House powers to improve the accuracy of the company register and tackle the misuse of UK companies for criminal purposes.
All company directors and People with Significant Control (PSCs) of UK companies, as well as anyone filing documents with Companies House, must prove who they are using a photo ID such as a passport. Failing to verify your identity or acting as an unverified director is a criminal offence.
Newly appointed directors have been required to verify their identity with Companies House before acting as a director from 18 November 2025.
Existing directors are required to verify during the 12-month transition period, when filing the company’s next confirmation statement, helping to ensure that those who own and control businesses can be identified and held accountable.
Three UK directors – Jill White and Marc Dillon, directors of White (Reading Properties) Limited, and Modinat Banjo, director of J Isogony Apparel Limited – were convicted and fined at City of London Magistrates’ Court.
White acted as a company director despite not verifying her identity. She participated in board-level decision making and signed company accounts while remaining unverified. She only completed identity verification in early September 2026, around nine months after the deadline and shortly before appearing in court.
Dillon had verified his own identity but was prosecuted after failing to take reasonable steps to prevent White from continuing to act as a director while unverified, despite being aware of the legal requirement. As a director of White (Reading Properties) Limited, he had a legal responsibility to ensure the company did not allow an unverified individual to continue acting as a director.
Both were also convicted after their company failed to file a confirmation statement on time. White was fined £166, ordered to pay costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £66. Dillon was fined £307, with costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £123.
Banjo continued acting as a director despite also failing to complete the mandatory identity verification process. She signed and delivered company accounts on behalf of J Isogony Apparel Limited while remaining unverified. She completed identity verification only on or around 28 May 2026.
Banjo was also convicted after failing to file a confirmation statement within the statutory period. She was fined £80, ordered to pay costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £32.
“These prosecutions demonstrate that directors have responsibilities not only for their own compliance but also for ensuring unverified individuals do not continue acting as directors on behalf of a company,” said Daniel Hart, Senior Criminal Lawyer at the Insolvency Service.
“In both cases, multiple opportunities were provided for the directors to comply with the requirements before enforcement action was taken. There is no option to opt out. Directors who continue to act without verifying their identity risk investigation and prosecution.”
These cases send a clear message that identity verification is not optional. Where individuals acting as directors or people with significant control (PSCs) fail to meet their legal obligations to comply with the new requirements, Companies House will take enforcement action.
“Any UK company directors and PSCs who have not yet verified their identity should do so as soon as possible, or risk prosecution” said Jo Rocca, director of Chester-based Sovereign Corporate & Trustee Services in the UK. “Directors also have a duty to ensure that all their co-directors are properly verified to avoid committing an offence.”
Sovereign is registered with Companies House as an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP), which means it is officially endorsed to carry out identity verification (IDV) on behalf of directors and to file required documentation directly with Companies House. For UK company directors, this offers a straightforward route to staying compliant, without the administrative headache.
