People with significant control (PSCs)
Source: gov.uk (2025-11-18)

How to identify and record the people who own or control your company.

This guidance only covers the most common case examples. For more complex cases, you should read the full PSC guidance (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/people-with-significant-control-requirements) and seek independent professional advice if necessary.

A person with significant control (PSC) is someone who owns or controls your company. They’re sometimes called ‘beneficial owners’.

You must identify your PSC and tell us who they are. This might be you, or someone associated with your company. A company can have one or more PSCs.

You must include their details when you set up (incorporate) your company (https://www.gov.uk/limited-company-formation) and tell Companies House if there are any changes.

If you cannot identify your PSC, or do not have one, you need to tell Companies House.

PSCs must also verify their identity and provide their Companies House personal code. The period for doing this depends on your situation.

See When you need to verify your identity for Companies House (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/when-you-need-to-verify-your-identity-for-companies-house).

Identifying your PSC

A PSC must meet one or more conditions known as the ‘nature of control’. You must tell Companies House which conditions are met, when you register your PSC information.

Watch the video How to identify people with significant control (https://youtu.be/cOaoLqK30-A?si=vwSwWGWybtdLs7Cl) on YouTube.

A PSC is usually anyone who:
- has more than 25% shares or voting rights in your company
- can appoint or remove a majority of directors
- can influence or control your company or trust
You should check your company’s register of members for information on shareholders and voting rights.

Your company’s constitution and articles of association may also contain information on voting and other rights associated with ownership of shares in the company.

Other significant influence or control

Your PSC might influence or control your company through other means. This could be directly, or on behalf of someone else.

For example, someone may influence or control the actions of directors or shareholders.

This condition will only apply in limited circumstances. The full PSC guidance (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/people-with-significant-control-requirements) has more information on the meaning of ‘significant influence or control’.

If your company is controlled by a trust or firm without ‘legal personality’

This condition will only apply in limited circumstances. You should read the full PSC guidance (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/people-with-significant-control-requirements) and seek professional advice if you think this applies to your company.

If the trust or firm meets any nature of control, you’ll need to record all trustees or members/partners of the firm as PSCs of your company and register this information at Companies House.

Registering your PSC information

You must confirm certain details with your PSC, before you can send the information to Companies House. You’ll need:
- their name
- their date of birth
- their nationality and country of residence
- a correspondence address - known as the ‘service address’
- their home address (this must not be disclosed)
- the date they became a PSC of the company
- the date they confirmed their details
- all natures of control which apply
You must include the level of their shares and voting rights, within the following categories:
- over 25% up to (and including) 50%
- more than 50% and less than 75%
- 75% or more
Verifying your identity as a PSC

If you become a PSC, you must verify your identity for Companies House (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/verify-your-identity-for-companies-house).

When you’ve verified your identity, you’ll need to provide your personal code to Companies House for your role as a PSC. You can do this using the ‘Provide identity verification details for a PSC (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/provide-psc-verification)’ service.

Every PSC will have a 14 day period during which they must provide their personal code.

The dates of your 14 day period depend on whether:
- you were registered with Companies House before 18 November 2025
- you’re also a director of this company
For more information, read the guidance on when to verify (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/when-you-need-to-verify-your-identity-for-companies-house).

If your PSC information changes

You must tell Companies House about any changes to your PSC information, such as a change of personal details or nature of control. You must do this within 14 days of confirming the change.

Tell Companies House about changes to your company (https://www.gov.uk/file-changes-to-a-company-with-companies-house).

You can also use commercial software to file changes to your company (https://www.gov.uk/software-company-changes).

Contacting your PSC

You must try to identify and contact anyone who could be a PSC of your company.

Refusing to provide PSC information is a criminal offence, and you can apply restrictions on their shares or voting rights.

Applying restrictions is a significant step. You should only consider this if the person has repeatedly failed to respond to your requests for information.

See the full PSC guidance (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/people-with-significant-control-requirements) for more information.

If your company does not have a PSC

If there are no PSCs for your company, you must tell Companies House. Your company’s PSC information cannot be blank.

You’ll need to state why there is no PSC or why you have not confirmed their details. You must register this PSC statement with Companies House.

If the PSC has applied for protection

Some individuals might have applied to protect their PSC information from being published on the Companies House register (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/applying-to-protect-your-personal-information-on-the-companies-house-register).

Protection from disclosure applies from the date the application is made to us.

Failing to meet the requirements

If you think your company has a PSC but you do not have all their information, you should send them a notice.

You could also notify any advisers to your PSC, such as their lawyers, accountants or business partners.

Anyone who does not respond to these notices within one calendar month, or gives false information, commits a criminal offence. They could get a 2 year prison sentence, a fine or both.