A recent Companies House press release warns directors not to ignore their statutory obligation to complete identity verification and announces the first three successful prosecutions for non-compliance. The directors concerned apparently continued to act as directors while unverified, including taking key board decisions and approving and filing accounts at Companies House, despite receiving multiple reminders and being given multiple opportunities to comply.
Companies House also went a step further by prosecuting a fellow board member who failed to take reasonable steps to prevent an unverified director from continuing to act.
Companies House has long signalled that it intended to use the enhanced enforcement powers granted under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 to tackle non-compliance, including through prosecutions and financial penalties. It looks like that has now begun in earnest.
