Companies House is experiencing delays currently caused by a combination
of a 24-hour maintenance window and issues processing company formation changes towards the end of last week.
We are regulated by the Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (Amendment) Regulations 2019 (Registration number XAML00000178259) and the London Local Authorities Act 2007. Accordingly, we must verify the IDs of all our customers and their shareholders and officers where they meet pre-defined criteria.
Most of our customers are not affected by the verification process because it is automated and conducted electronically, with a 90% success rate. The information you supply on the order form is usually sufficient.
If customers are not eligible for automated electronic verification, we use the SmartSearch platform to complete our ID checks. We will send you an invitation by email asking for any additional information we require and any documents that we may need. You will be given a choice to upload the documents and information directly to the SmartSearch mobile app or send it to us.
When we email you, we will provide the names of the officers whose details we require. We are legally required to verify the ID and address of the following:
None, if the automated verification is successful. If we have to carry out a SmartSearch check, you will need to supply the following:
For ID purposes:
For Proof of address verification:
Please note that we may require you to supply official English translations of your submitted documents
There are no additional charges where it is possible to complete the verification by supplying documents, normally about 9O% of applications. In more complex cases where you must use SmartSearch's facial recognition software, there will be an additional charge of £13+vat for each officer requiring verification. This can be paid direct to Smart Search and is non refundable.
As company formation agents and address service suppliers, the KYC guidelines referred to above obligate us to request additional information about clients when the purpose of their orders is not immediately apparent. Some clients may be asked to support their applications with additional information and documentation, which we will need to verify. Such documentation may include copies of contracts with third parties and websites with SSL certificates.
Clients ordering companies with which to trade on E-commerce websites such as those listed below may be asked to provide correspondence confirming their status as sellers:
As company formation agents and address service suppliers, the KYC guidelines above obligate us to request additional information about clients when the purpose of their orders is not immediately apparent. Some clients may be asked to support their applications with additional information and documentation relating to their business activities. Such documentation may include copies of contracts with third parties, websites with SSL certificates and registrations with professional and trade organisations.
We reserve the right to refuse any order where we cannot satisfy ourselves that a client's order does not pose a financial risk to the public. When we refuse an order, the fee for that order will be repaid to the client in full.
As stated above, we are obliged to verify the ID and address of anyone who places an order with us, including agents acting on behalf of their clients. For agents resident in the UK, this does not pose a problem, and they are usually verified automatically. Once an agent is verified, they will only be asked to verify themselves again intermittently.Agents registered for AML business, Accountants, solicitors, etc., are obliged to carry out their own AML and KYC procedures. Once we have confirmed their registrations with the appropriate professional body or with HMRC, we will not ask them for ID and KYC documentation for their clients.
Agents who are not monitored for AML and KYC purposes will be required to submit their clients' documentation for us to verify if their clients' details have not been automatically verified through our online processes.