UK PSC Register: Persons with Significant Control Filing Guide 2026

The Register of People with Significant Control (PSC) is a public record of those who ultimately own or control a UK company. Originally introduced by the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015, it now sits within Part 21A of the Companies Act 2006 and is one of the most error-prone areas of UK incorporation. Under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (ECCTA), Companies House has new powers to query, reject, and remove inaccurate PSC information — making accurate filing more important than ever.

What Is a PSC?

A “person with significant control” is a natural person (or in narrow cases a relevant legal entity) who meets one or more of the five conditions in Schedule 1A to the Companies Act 2006. The conditions, in summary:

The phrase “more than 25%” is precise: 25% exactly does not meet Condition 1 or Condition 2. A four-way equal split (25% each) means no one meets Conditions 1–2 by shareholding alone — which is one of the most common analytical traps.

Where the Law Lives

• Companies Act 2006, Part 21A (sections 790A–790ZG) — substantive PSC regime
• Schedule 1A — the five conditions and detailed rules
• Companies Act 2006, section 790VA — duty to notify changes within 14 days
• ECCTA 2023 — Companies House query, reject, and remove powers

Primary sources:

• Companies Act 2006: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/46/contents
• Statutory guidance on Condition 4 (“significant influence or control”): https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-the-meaning-of-significant-influence-or-control-over-companies-in-the-context-of-the-register-of-people-with-significant-control
• General PSC guidance: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-the-people-with-significant-control-requirements-for-companies-and-limited-liability-partnerships

Information Required for Each PSC

Where an individual is a PSC, the following must be filed at Companies House and entered in the company’s own PSC register:

• Full name
• Service address (publicly listed)
• Country or state of usual residence
• Nationality
• Date of birth (only month and year are public)
• Usual residential address (private — not on the public register)
• Date the person became a PSC
• Which condition(s) they meet
• The level of their interest as a band: over 25% to 50%, over 50% to 75%, or over 75%

For a “Relevant Legal Entity” (RLE) — i.e. a company that is itself the PSC equivalent because it satisfies stringent transparency criteria — the company name, registered office, registration number, and legal form must be filed.

Filing Routes

On Incorporation

The PSC details form part of the application for registration under Companies Act 2006, section 9(4)(d). The Web Filing service collects them as part of the IN01 information set.

Subsequent Changes — 14-Day Rule

Under section 790VA, the company must:

1. Enter the change in its own PSC register within 14 days of becoming aware
2. File the change at Companies House within 14 further days

The relevant forms are:

• PSC01 — notification of an individual PSC
• PSC02 — notification of an RLE
• PSC03 — notification of “other registrable person”
• PSC04 / PSC05 / PSC06 — change of details for an existing PSC / RLE / other
• PSC07 / PSC08 / PSC09 — cessation of PSC / RLE / other

On the Confirmation Statement

The annual confirmation statement (CS01) confirms PSC information remains accurate. If the PSC register is up to date and no changes have occurred since the last confirmation, the CS01 is a one-click confirmation. If there have been changes, they should already have been filed via PSC01–09.

When No One Is a PSC — The Specified Wording

Where the company has no registrable PSC (e.g. a four-way 25% split with no other control mechanism), the PSC register must record the specified statutory wording. Under section 790K(5)(d), this is:

“The company knows or has reasonable cause to believe that there is no registrable person or registrable relevant legal entity in relation to the company.”

This is not a “we haven’t checked yet” placeholder. Filing this wording when a PSC actually exists is a misleading statement and can constitute a criminal offence under sections 790L and 790M. Companies House routinely queries companies that file the no-PSC statement.

Common Mistakes — Gyoseishoshi View

1. Skipping the chain of ownership. If shares are held by a holding company, that company is only an RLE if it satisfies stringent transparency criteria (broadly, it is a UK-listed company or a company that itself maintains a PSC register). If not, the analysis must continue up the chain to the natural person who ultimately controls. Filing the holding company’s name as the PSC when it is not an RLE is one of the most common ECCTA query triggers.

2. Reading “more than 25%” as “25% or more”. Condition 1 and Condition 2 require more than 25%. A 25.0% holding does not meet either condition by itself. (Condition 4, significant influence or control, may still apply.)

3. Forgetting Condition 4. Where no one meets Conditions 1–3 by hard percentages, Condition 4 (significant influence or control) must be considered. The statutory guidance (link above) gives examples: a person whose recommendations are always followed, a person who has absolute veto over major decisions, a person whose informal control is extensive.

4. Treating nominees and trustees naively. Where shares are held by a nominee, the beneficial owner (who controls the nominee) is the PSC. Where shares are held in trust, Condition 5 may apply to a person who controls the trust.

5. Missing the 14-day window. When a transfer of shares takes someone over the 25% threshold, both the company’s PSC register update and the Companies House filing must happen within 14 days each. Late filings are an offence.

6. Filing the no-PSC statement to “deal with it later”. Companies House queries this filing routinely under ECCTA. If it later transpires that a PSC existed at the time, the original filing was a false statement.

ECCTA 2023 Powers — Why Accuracy Matters Now

Since the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, Companies House has powers to:

• Query information that appears inconsistent or implausible
• Reject filings that fail consistency checks
• Remove information from the register
• Refer suspicious filings for criminal investigation

False statements to Companies House are an offence under section 1112 (general) and section 13 (statement of compliance on incorporation). Penalties include unlimited fines and, in serious cases, imprisonment. Identity verification of directors, PSCs, and presenters is being phased in through 2026 — see https://www.gov.uk/guidance/identity-verification-at-companies-house.

Practical Checklist for New Companies

Before filing the IN01:

• List every individual who holds, directly or indirectly, any shares
• Calculate each person’s direct and indirect shareholding percentage
• List every individual who has voting rights (which may differ from shareholding)
• Identify any board appointment / removal rights
• Apply Condition 4 as a final check (significant influence or control)
• If shares are held by a company, determine if that company is an RLE; if not, continue up the chain
• Compile full PSC details including residential address (kept private) and service address (public)
• Be prepared to defend each filing decision against an ECCTA query

Conclusion

The PSC register is a transparency tool, and its accuracy is now actively policed under ECCTA 2023. The five conditions in Schedule 1A must be applied in the order given, the chain of ownership must be followed up to the natural person, and the no-PSC statement must not be used as a placeholder. Get this right at incorporation and the annual confirmation statement becomes a one-click formality.

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Disclaimer

This article provides legal information, not legal advice. MmowW Scrib🐮 is a document preparation service operated by a licensed Gyoseishoshi (行政書士) office in Japan. We are not solicitors, barristers, or attorneys.

Sources

1. Companies Act 2006 (Part 21A, Schedule 1A): https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/46/contents
2. PSC summary guide for companies: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-the-people-with-significant-control-requirements-for-companies-and-limited-liability-partnerships
3. Statutory guidance on Condition 4 (significant influence or control): https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-the-meaning-of-significant-influence-or-control-over-companies-in-the-context-of-the-register-of-people-with-significant-control
4. Identity verification at Companies House: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/identity-verification-at-companies-house
5. Companies House public register: https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/