Any Company Directors been asked to verify identity for Companies House via Gov.Uk one login

[hattie43]

If so how has it worked for you . I’m heartily sick of it having spent all day trying to do it . The first time I got everything done and it crashed before the final verification. Then it wouldn’t link to Companies House . Lastly now it’s said it can’t verify my identity despite accepting it twice earlier . So fed up of Government roll outs when the process is not ready to be released .

I doubt it. The large scale organised crime gangs can easily get around it. Like the law change to "regulate" the sale of car number plates which hits the "innocent" but the organised crime gangs have their own people with their own machines to make false plates "in house". Similarly with the production of fake driving licences and fake passports, which wouldn't pass scrutiny with, say, border force, but look good enough to pass for solicitors etc. These things hit "ordinary" people causing more stress and effort, but the organised crime gangs do their own thing anyway. It's all mostly smoke and mirrors, presumably to disuade "ordinary" people from criminality but doesn't affect the organised crime gangs.

That's because HMRC changed the VAT portal a few years ago and made everyone set up a new digital govt gateway account for VAT only. Prior to that, businesses could use one portal/login for VAT, PAYE, CIS and corporation tax, but HMRC removed the VAT from the old system, hence most VAT registered businesses will have two separate govt gateway accounts.

Ive got my one gov id but when it goes to take me to companies house that says sorry there's a problem try again later !! How many laters am I going to need grrrr

I wasn't aware of this requirement and haven't had any information about it at all. Does anyone know if all Company Directors will be required to complete the verification? I can't find a great deal of information about this online.

Yes, from 18th November

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/verifying-your-identity-for-companies-house

Thank you! I had idea about any of this until I saw this thread. I handle all of the communications and am concerned that I might have missed something from Companies House. Will get cracking with the verification and keep my fingers crossed that it's straightforward (ha!).

I tried to do it, it wouldn't accept my brand new passport saying it was invalid and locked me out. I now have to go to a Post Office to get it verified but I don't live in the UK so that's a bit difficult!!

I'm a Director of a charity and it was easy for me

I was dreading it but was surprised how easy it was. Less than 10 mins and that includes going through the paperwork drawer to find my passport!

There’s not a lot of publicity but it has been mentioned in charity circles. I am sending an email to the people that carry out our company secretarial services to check if they are an ACSP and what I need to tell trustees to do because I know it will come down to me to drive it because our CEO is dealing with some big pieces of work and staff absence which is impacting when things happen.

I've started to look throught the information and my interpretation is that our Company Directors need to be verified/have a personal code ready to submit alongside next years Confirmation Statement so there should be ample time to get things sorted.

I'm very glad I read this thread though so I'm not on the back foot. Thanks again!

I and 6 of our board members found it really easy. One other really struggled having messed it up the first time (downloaded the wrong app) but got there in the end. One just won’t tell me if he’s managed it or not - I suspect not

Companies house may have the wrong email address for you, check the email account they used when you last added or removed a company director or filed your confirmation statement.

I'm a charity trustee too and not looking forward to this

Just received an email in our shared inbox reminding us that there’s a month to go, even though it’s a bit longer than a month.

I've just checked Companies House/HMRC and all my/our contact details are correct but still not a whisper! Once again Mumsnet saves the day 💪

I've done it as I'm temporarily a company director on a subsidiary of the company I work for but it was a nightmare. Started on the website, it pointed me to an app which I downloaded and it then took me back to the website, several steps later, back to the app to scan my passport and then finished up on the app again. Circular and confusing as hell.

Plus my work email is now linked to my Gov One login so I have a horrible feeling my tax return is going to be inordinately complicated if the system gets muddled.

It's a pity it will only send you to the Post Office when all attempts fail rather than allowing people to choose that [as it's a one off] straight off the back of it. Getting people who are trained to help you through it, especially if older, quickly and easily is a godsend. The app in PO takes the data straight through to the same place too, it's not stored on Horizon.

Yes, that’s what I understand too - you just need the codes from all your directors before you want to file your next confirmation statement. (And any new appointments, I think need to be verified before being officially appointed).

But, I am going to ask our trustees to do it now, because it could take 9 months for them to manage it…

Having read that all PSC’s need to do it too, I am thankful that we no longer have a royal family member as a PSC(!)

Hi yes all company directors.

I finally got it done after 5 attempts :) could well have been it was very busy lol

Oh god, glad our “patrons” are not listed on CH. Not had any contact with them since before I joined!

We have 3 directors and we all did this with different degrees of difficulty. And we were left feeling it was a bit random. I did it first, it’s certainly not straightforward.

Accountants in practice are going to struggle with this - because clients like their accountants to do everything for them, and some of this CoHo stuff really needs to be carried out by the actual individual etc, not someone on their behalf

My accountant has offered to do this for his clients - at a cost, of course, so it seems it's still doable by someone else. IMO it's not that hard - just a bit time consuming.

If they have applied to be an ACSP they can do it. I’ve been talking to our company secretarial service providers about this as I think it will be easier for us as we have 11 trustees.