Authorised Company Service Providers (ACSPs) are a new regulatory feature introduced by Companies House as part of the UK’s drive to improve corporate transparency and combat economic crime. From 2024, the way companies and partnerships are formed, and how key information is filed, is changing significantly – and ACSPs are central to that change.
An ACSP is a firm that has been authorised by a supervisory body (for example under the UK anti‑money laundering regime) and then approved by Companies House to deliver certain filing and verification services. ACSPs must carry out robust customer due diligence, verify the identities of people setting up, managing or controlling companies, and submit filings securely to Companies House on their clients’ behalf.
Turner Little is authorised as an ACSP, meaning we can:
- Incorporate companies and LLPs and file a range of Companies House documents for clients.
- Carry out the new mandatory identity verification on directors, persons with significant control (PSCs) and others who must be verified.
- Act as an intermediary for other professional firms that are not themselves ACSPs.
Why does this matter to solicitors, accountants and other professional advisers?
Many law firms, accountancy practices and trust/estate planners routinely assist clients with company formations, restructurings and ongoing statutory compliance. Under the new Companies House framework, however, certain actions will only be possible where identity verification has been completed, and in many cases this will need to be done either:
- Directly via Companies House systems, or
- Through an ACSP.
Firms that choose not to become ACSPs – often because they wish to avoid the additional regulatory, systems and monitoring burden – will still need a compliant route to help clients form and maintain companies. Partnering with an ACSP such as Turner Little provides that route.
Using an ACSP offers several advantages:
- Compliance assurance
Turner Little already operates within a regulated environment with established KYC and AML procedures. By routing relevant Companies House work through us, professional firms can demonstrate that identity verification and filings have been handled by an authorised, supervised provider.
- Risk management
Incorrect filings or failures in verification can expose firms to regulatory, civil or reputational risk. As an ACSP, we assume responsibility for the accuracy and compliance of the filings we submit, reducing exposure for referring firms.
- Efficiency and client service
Firms can continue to provide a seamless service to their clients without having to invest in new internal systems or obtain ACSP status themselves. Turner Little can work in the background, processing incorporations, officer and PSC changes, registered office and confirmation statement filings, while the professional firm remains the client’s primary adviser.
- Future‑proofing
The Companies House reform programme is ongoing. Requirements will continue to develop, particularly around identity verification, data checks and information sharing with other agencies. Working with an experienced ACSP ensures that professional firms remain aligned with the latest rules without constantly revisiting their own regulatory model.
In summary, ACSP status is now a key component of the UK’s reformed company registration regime. For solicitors, accountants and other advisers who do not wish to become ACSPs themselves, collaborating with Turner Little provides a compliant, efficient and low‑risk way to continue offering company formation and filing services to clients under the new Companies House rules.
