First changes to UK company law expected on 4 March

First changes to UK company law expected on 4 March

Companies House is aiming to introduce the first set of measures under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act on 4 March 2024.

They are aiming to introduce the first set of changes brought in by the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act on 4 March. The introduction of these changes needs secondary legislation so this date is still dependent on parliamentary timetables. It will not be earlier than 4 March.

What will change

The first set of changes introduced by the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act includes:

  • greater powers to query information and request supporting evidence
  • stronger checks on company names
  • new rules for registered office addresses
  • a requirement for all companies to supply a registered email address
  • a requirement for all companies to confirm they’re forming the company for a lawful purpose when they incorporate, and to confirm its intended future activities will be lawful on their confirmation statement
  • the ability to annotate the register when information appears confusing or misleading
  • taking steps to clean up the register, using data matching to identify and remove inaccurate information
  • sharing data with other government departments and law enforcement agencies

Other measures under the act, such as identity verification, will be introduced later.