Companies House Can Now Reject Your Filing and Fine You £10,000 — What Directors Need to Know

Companies House has stopped being a passive filing library and become an active regulator with teeth — and the change has real consequences for every limited company director and limited partnership in the UK. Here's what's different and what to check before your next filing.

From record-keeper to regulator

Under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act, described by commentators as the most significant shift in UK company law in over a century, Companies House can now query information, reject filings that look wrong or incomplete, and issue fines of up to £10,000 directly — powers it simply didn't have before, when its role was largely to store whatever was submitted. It can also move to strike off companies that fail to meet the tightened standards.

This builds on — but is distinct from — the director and PSC identity verification deadline already being phased in, which is about confirming who you are; these new powers are about what Companies House can do once it has that information, including actively policing filing quality.

Fee rises and new obligations

Alongside the enforcement powers, fees have risen for incorporating a company, filing a confirmation statement, and striking a company off the register — costs that were previously nominal and are now a more meaningful part of the compliance budget for very small businesses.

Limited partnerships (LPs) face some of the sharpest changes: many now must use a registered accountant or solicitor to file their accounts, complete an annual confirmation statement (something LPs weren't previously required to do in the same way as limited companies), and comply with stricter rules on registered office addresses, closing a loophole that had made LPs attractive for opaque or shell-company arrangements.

Checklist for directors and LP partners

• Check your confirmation statement and accounts are filed on time and accurately — rejected filings can now trigger fines rather than just a request to resubmit.
• Complete director and PSC identity verification as your deadline falls due, since this now feeds directly into a system that can act on discrepancies.
• If you run a limited partnership, confirm whether you now need a registered accountant or solicitor to handle your filings — check directly with Companies House guidance rather than assuming your existing setup still qualifies.
• Review your registered office address — LPs in particular face tighter rules on what counts as an acceptable registered address.
• Budget for the higher incorporation, confirmation statement, and strike-off fees in your annual compliance costs.
• Don't leave filings to the last minute — a rejected filing now carries a financial penalty risk, not just a delay.

How other jurisdictions compare

The US equivalent — company registration through individual state Secretaries of State (notably Delaware) — has historically had lighter beneficial-ownership disclosure requirements, though the federal Corporate Transparency Act has been introducing its own beneficial-ownership reporting regime in parallel. Australia's ASIC has held stronger enforcement powers over company registers for longer than Companies House has, including the ability to deregister companies and pursue directors directly, making the UK's reform something of a catch-up to already-established norms elsewhere.

Key Numbers

• £10,000 — maximum fine Companies House can now issue directly
• 100+ years — how long commentators say this is the biggest shift in UK company law

Sources

• Companies House changes for 2026 — Simply Business
• Companies House Changes UK 2026 — Filing Accounts
• Companies House — GOV.UK

Educational content only — not financial advice.