Guide

Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) Explained

By Muhammad Mustafa Updated 6 min read

Quick answer

An Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) is a business or sole trader registered with Companies House under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023. Only firms supervised by a UK anti-money laundering (AML) body can register, and the fee is £63. Today ACSPs can verify identities for clients. The rule that only ACSPs may file for others starts no earlier than November 2027.

On this page
  1. What an ACSP is
  2. Who can register as an ACSP
  3. ACSP registration fee
  4. What an ACSP can do now
  5. When only ACSPs will be able to file for others
  6. How to check if a provider is an ACSP
  7. What this means for overseas formation agents
  8. Where Borderless Filings fits
  9. Sources
  10. Frequently asked questions

What an ACSP is

An ACSP is a firm or sole trader that Companies House has authorized to deal with it on behalf of other people. GOV.UK describes an ACSP as "also known as a Companies House authorised agent" in its guidance on being an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (page updated 19 June 2026).

The role was created by the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (ECCTA), the law behind the wider Companies House reforms: identity verification for directors, the "appropriate" registered office rule, the registered email address and the lawful purpose statement. Companies House sets out the order of these changes in its ECCTA outline transition plan, last updated 5 August 2026.

ACSPs matter for two reasons. First, they are the only third parties allowed to verify a person's identity for Companies House. Second, once a later stage of the Act starts, third-party filing agents will have to be registered ACSPs to file for clients.

Who can register as an ACSP

Only a firm or sole trader supervised by a UK anti-money laundering supervisory body can register. Companies House's ACSP campaign page says that if an individual or firm "is not supervised in the UK", the ACSP application "will be rejected". There are 25 UK AML supervisory bodies, including professional bodies for accountants and lawyers, and HMRC for businesses that no professional body supervises.

  • Who applies: someone in a senior role, for example a director of a limited company. Sole traders apply for themselves.
  • UK base: the Companies House launch announcement of 18 March 2025 said ACSPs must "be UK-based".
  • Own identity: the person registering must verify their own identity with Companies House.

Company formation agents and registered office providers already fall within UK AML rules. Under regulation 12 of the Money Laundering Regulations 2017, a "trust or company service provider" includes a firm that forms companies by way of business or provides a registered office, business or correspondence address. Such firms that are not supervised by a professional body must register with HMRC before trading, as HMRC explains in Money Laundering Regulations: who needs to register.

ACSP registration fee

The Companies House fee to register as an ACSP is £63 for a digital application. It rose from £55 on 1 February 2026, as shown on the Companies House changes to fees page. Some older campaign pages still show £55, so rely on the fee page.

The £63 is only the Companies House part. A firm also pays its AML supervisor. For example, HMRC's AML registration fees for a trust or company service provider are a £300 application charge, £400 per premises each year and £500 per person for the fit and proper test.

What an ACSP can do now

Right now, the main thing an ACSP can do that nobody else can is verify identities for Companies House on behalf of clients. Identity verification became a legal requirement for new directors and people with significant control (PSCs) on 18 November 2025, and existing directors are moving over during a 12-month transition. Our Companies House identity verification guide covers the deadlines.

A person can verify in one of three ways, as GOV.UK explains in verifying your identity for Companies House:

  1. Online through GOV.UK One Login, which is free. A biometric passport from any country is accepted.
  2. In person at a Post Office, for people without photo ID that works in the app.
  3. Through an ACSP, which may charge for the service.

Filing is different. Today anyone can still file documents such as a confirmation statement or accounts for a client without being an ACSP. That changes only when the next stage of the Act comes in.

ACSP obligations

Registration brings ongoing duties. According to the ACSP guidance, an ACSP must:

  • keep its AML supervision in place at all times
  • tell Companies House about relevant changes within 14 days
  • keep records of the identity checks it carries out for 7 years
  • follow the Companies House identity verification standard
  • give Companies House information when asked

Breaking these rules can lead to fines, prosecution, or suspension or loss of ACSP status.

When only ACSPs will be able to file for others

The requirement that third-party filing agents must be registered ACSPs is not in force yet. The updated transition plan (5 August 2026) places it "by no earlier than November 2027", alongside identity verification for the people who file (presenters). Companies House has said it will give at least 6 months' notice.

Two GOV.UK pages give different dates. The Being an ACSP guidance, last updated 19 June 2026, still says ACSPs will be able to file for clients "from no earlier than November 2026". The transition plan was updated later, on 5 August 2026, and moved this stage to no earlier than November 2027. We follow the newer transition plan.

DateACSP-related stage
18 March 2025ACSP registration opened
8 April 2025Voluntary identity verification opened
18 November 2025Identity verification compulsory for new directors and PSCs; 12-month transition for existing ones
No earlier than end of 2026Filings by disqualified directors rejected, unless an ACSP files a permitted filing
No earlier than November 2027Presenter identity verification; third-party filing agents must be registered ACSPs

Source for every row: the ECCTA outline transition plan, checked 27 September 2026.

How to check if a provider is an ACSP

Companies House publishes a downloadable list of Authorised Corporate Service Providers as a CSV file. It was last updated on 24 September 2026. Companies House says the list has no fixed update schedule, "may be incomplete or out of date", and that it does not endorse any listed agent.

  1. Download the current CSV from the GOV.UK list page and search for the firm's legal name, not its trading brand.
  2. Check the separate list of ceased or suspended ACSPs as well.
  3. Ask the provider for the name of its UK AML supervisory body. A firm that cannot name one cannot be an ACSP.
  4. If the provider says it will verify your identity, ask for the exact legal name it is registered under as an ACSP and match it against the list.

You never need an ACSP to verify your own identity. Every director and PSC can verify free through GOV.UK One Login and then give their Companies House personal code to whoever forms or manages the company.

What this means for overseas formation agents

A formation agent based outside the UK, with no UK AML supervision, cannot register as an ACSP. That has two effects, based on our reading of the sources above:

  • Now: it cannot verify a client's identity for Companies House. Clients verify themselves through GOV.UK One Login or the Post Office route, or use a UK ACSP.
  • Once the filing requirement starts (no earlier than November 2027): it will not be able to file at Companies House for clients unless it becomes a supervised, registered ACSP or works through one.

Founders in Pakistan, India, Nigeria, the UAE and Bangladesh often use local agents to form a UK company. Before you pay, ask the agent who will actually submit your filings in 2027 and later, and whether that firm appears on the Companies House list. If your agent is not an ACSP, your company is still valid, and you can file yourself, appoint another agent, or use a UK accountant who is supervised.

Where Borderless Filings fits

Borderless Filings is not an ACSP, and we do not verify identities for Companies House on anyone's behalf. For our UK company formation for non-residents, each director and PSC verifies free through GOV.UK One Login and shares their personal code with us. We then prepare the incorporation, check the details, and handle the follow-on work such as the confirmation statement and accounts and CT600.

You can also do everything yourself. Incorporation costs £100 online according to the Companies House fees list, and our guide to registering a company in the UK shows the steps. We will keep this page updated as Companies House confirms the start date for ACSP-only filing.

Sources

Fees, deadlines and rules on this page were last checked on 27 September 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Is an ACSP the same as a Companies House authorised agent?

Yes. GOV.UK uses both names for the same thing: a business or sole trader registered with Companies House under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, supervised by a UK anti-money laundering body.

Can a company formation agent outside the UK become an ACSP?

Not unless it is supervised by a UK anti-money laundering body. Companies House rejects applications from firms that are not supervised in the UK, and its launch notice said ACSPs must be UK-based. An overseas agent can still work alongside a UK ACSP.

Do I need an ACSP to form a UK limited company?

No. You can incorporate directly with Companies House for £100 online, or use any formation agent. Each director verifies their identity free through GOV.UK One Login. From no earlier than November 2027, an agent filing for you will need to be an ACSP.

Can an ACSP file my confirmation statement today?

Yes, and so can any other agent or you yourself. ACSP status is not yet required for filing on behalf of others. The requirement is planned for no earlier than November 2027, with at least 6 months’ notice from Companies House.

Is ACSP registration the same as registering as a tax adviser with HMRC?

No. ACSP registration is with Companies House and covers identity verification and, later, filing. HMRC runs a separate registration for paid tax advisers that started on 18 May 2026. A firm may need one, both or neither, depending on what it does.

What happens if my ACSP is suspended?

Companies House publishes a separate list of ceased or suspended ACSPs. A suspended ACSP cannot act as one, so you would need to verify through GOV.UK One Login or use another ACSP, and arrange for filings to go through someone permitted to make them.

Written by Muhammad Mustafa

Muhammad Mustafa owns and runs Borderless Filings. He researches and writes the guides on this site from official sources such as the IRS, US state filing offices, Companies House and HMRC. Filings are prepared and submitted by our specialist filing partner. Muhammad is not a lawyer or an accountant, and nothing on this site is legal or tax advice.

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