Latest news from Companies House

A round-up of all our latest news and updates.

Stay up to date with our legislative reform blog post series

As part of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill, new measures are being introduced to fundamentally reform how Companies House operates.

This will give us new powers to tackle economic crime and improve the accuracy of the information on the register.

You can stay up to date with the upcoming changes and find out how they'll affect you in our legislative reform blog post series.

You can also subscribe to get notified when a new blog post is published.

Supporting working families to achieve their own work-life balance

Our people-led networks are created by colleagues to support each other and provide a platform to raise awareness about issues that matter to them. They organise training sessions, awareness sessions and colleague catch-ups to make everyone feel included and heard.

In our latest blog post, Leane Whelan writes about the importance of the working families network at Companies House in empowering and supporting working families to achieve their own work-life balance and reach their full potential.

Our people-led networks, such as the working families network, form an integral part of our equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) strategy to make sure all employees feel supported, respected and valued.

Register of Overseas Entities deadline passes

The deadline has now passed for overseas entities who own property or land in the UK to register on the Register of Overseas Entities, with more than 20,000 submissions received to date.

Overseas entities that have not submitted information to Companies House could now face severe sanctions.

Louise Smyth, Chief Executive Officer of Companies House said:

"The implementation of the Register of Overseas Entities has been another huge step forward in the transformation of Companies House and our role in helping combat economic crime.

We cannot be clearer in our message to these entities; if you ignored warnings and fail to register before the deadline, you will face consequences. This includes not only the prospect of restrictions on your land or property but also a possible fine, prison sentence, or both."

Take part in our advanced company search function survey

Companies House launched an advanced company search function in November 2021, allowing users to filter their search by various fields, and download search results. Companies House has commissioned IFF Research, an independent research agency, to conduct an online survey to make sure user needs around the advanced company search function are being met.

The survey aims to understand:

the different users of the advanced company search function
how the advanced search function is being used, and to what end
whether there is any feedback about the advanced company search function and potential improvements

The survey is open until 24 February. If you would like to take part in this important research, you can complete the survey.

If you have any further questions about the research, you can contact the IFF research team at advancedsearch@iffresearch.com.

Our cancer network: why inclusive support matters

Cancer can affect people in many ways – physically, mentally and financially. Here at Companies House, we want to make sure that employees who have a personal diagnosis, as well as those who have friends or family going through a diagnosis or treatment, feel supported.

The Cancer Support Network at Companies House was set up 5 years ago to bring together anyone affected by cancer and to offer a safe space to connect and support our colleagues.

Find out more about Sarah Warrilow's experience with the Cancer Support Network in our latest blog post.

Take part in user research for The Insolvency Service

The Insolvency Service is looking at ways to help micro, small, and medium enterprise companies that may be at risk of, or are experiencing, signs of financial distress to avoid insolvency.

To help them shape this future support, they're looking for company directors and those who act on their behalf (e.g. accountants, solicitors) to complete a research survey.

The survey is voluntary and should take no more than 15 minutes to complete:

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