ECSH32734 - Companies House

罢丑别听Companies House听register contains public information about all companies incorporated in the听UK. It also holds information about other types of businesses, such as limited liability partnerships (LLPs) and community interest companies (CICs).听

Companies House should be monitored through the life of your case. Particularly at key stages such as issuing a letter to the registered address and visiting because you need to be aware of up-to-date information on the business. Where there has been a change, you must establish whether the business has reflected this in their anti-money laundering registration details. You can check this in Enterprise Tax Management Platform (ETMP) (see听ECSH32731). If not, you may need to consider issuing a听type 3 penalty for failure to notify听a material change.听听听

You must听check if a company is still听active听so you can work your case in the typical way.听If not, see below:

Where the company is dormant听

You should write to the business owners听to understand the likelihood of them trading again听and the circumstances around this. You should听consider suspending听the business听until they听have the ability to trade.听

If the intelligence on the case听suggests the business is still trading, you should continue to work the case.

Where the company is active but in liquidation听or administration听

You should check if this meets the rejection criteria on the听Project Information Document听(PID) and discuss with your manager听and the Sector Specialist.听

Following your discussion, you听may be asked to听continue听to听work your case as听normal. 罢丑别听insolvency practitioner听will be your contact for the business.听Where the insolvency听practitioner听doesn鈥檛 have the information, you should consider using powers听under听regulation 66 of the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds (Information on the Payer) Regulations 2017 (MLR 2017)听to compel听the听beneficial听owners,听officers or听managers听(BOOMS)听to听provide听specified听information/documents听or attend a meeting.

Note - where an insolvency practictioner is appointed, unless the business is still actively trading, the insolvency practitioner is not a BOOM and the business' registration does not need to be updated to include them - see ECSH45791 for more information.

Where the company is dissolved听听

You should check听if this meets the rejection criteria on the Project Information Document (PID)听and discuss with your manager.听

You should听also听use听Companies House to听check:听

  • The Registered office听address听鈥撎齮his is where letters should be addressed. Please note听this must be an听鈥渁ppropriate address鈥澨齛s required by听听of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, for example not a PO box.听听
  • Nature of business 鈥� does it fit with the information you know听about the business?听
  • People 鈥� who is running the business and does this correlate to our registered information?听

Company Secretary 鈥� this is the person to whom all correspondence should be addressed.听If there is no company secretary听or the company secretary is another limited company, then听you should address it to听any director of the business.

Directors 鈥� you may want to check what other businesses听they鈥檙e听associated with听details of current and previous directors听- have all听BOOMs听been declared, or changes reported?

Companies House is also used to find any听beneficial听owners that may need to be included on a business application. See听ECSH45792.

If you find that information held on Companies House about their own business is incorrect, you should ask the business to update it.

(This content has been withheld because of exemptions in the Freedom of Information Act 2000)

Open Corporates听shows you the equivalent of Companies House in many other听jurisdictions.听

You may additionally see excerpts from Companies House when conducting transaction testing, as businesses may use the information on the register as part of their customer due diligence checks.听