Who really controls a UK company? The answer is not always obvious from its directors or shareholders. The persons with significant control register UK rules require companies to identify the individuals who ultimately own or exercise meaningful influence over the business and report that information to Companies House. Known as the PSC register, this system makes company ownership more transparent to customers, lenders, investors and regulators.
What does the PSC register show?
The PSC register UK framework sits within the Companies Act 2006. Most UK companies must identify their people with significant control, confirm the necessary particulars and report them to Companies House. Certain other entities, including limited liability partnerships, have related requirements.
Since 18 November 2025, companies have no longer been required to maintain a separate local PSC register. Companies House holds the official register, although businesses still need reliable supporting company ownership records to establish who controls them. The public record must not simply be left blank when nobody qualifies or an investigation remains unresolved.
Who qualifies as a person with significant control?
An individual may qualify by satisfying one or more legal tests. The most familiar are based on shares, voting rights and the power to choose directors, but other forms of influence can also count.
Shares and voting rights
Someone holding more than 25% of the shares generally meets the first condition. Someone holding more than 25% of voting rights meets the second. These are separate tests because different share classes can carry different votes. Exactly 25% does not satisfy either threshold on its own.
For reporting purposes, relevant holdings fall into bands: more than 25% up to 50%, more than 50% but less than 75%, and 75% or more. A company must identify every applicable nature of control, rather than select a single convenient category.
Board appointments and other influence
An individual may also be a PSC if they can appoint or remove a majority of the board. Another condition covers the right to exercise, or the actual exercise of, significant influence or control. This is not automatically triggered by offering professional advice or being an influential employee; the substance of the person’s powers matters.
Special rules can apply where control passes through trusts or firms. The government’s March 2026 statutory guidance explains the meaning of significant influence or control in more complex situations.
A practical ownership example
Suppose a private company has three shareholders: Aisha holds 40% of ordinary voting shares, Daniel holds 35%, and Priya holds 25%, with no other special rights. Aisha and Daniel meet the shareholding and voting tests. Priya does not qualify under those two tests merely by holding exactly 25%.
Now imagine the articles give Priya the right to appoint three of the company’s five directors. She may also qualify as a PSC because of that appointment power. The example shows why checking share percentages alone is insufficient. Directors should review shareholder agreements, articles and voting arrangements before making a filing.
What PSC information must be reported?
Companies must obtain and confirm relevant personal and control details before reporting an individual PSC. These generally include their full name, date of birth, nationality, usual country of residence, service address, usual residential address, the date they became a PSC and the nature of their control.
The residential address and full date of birth are not ordinarily displayed on the public register. Public details commonly include the person’s name, service address, month and year of birth, nationality, country of residence and control categories. Individuals facing a serious risk of violence or intimidation may be eligible to apply for additional protection.
If ownership runs through another company, the reporting rules can involve a registrable relevant legal entity rather than listing every person in the chain. This depends on specific legal conditions, so layered ownership structures deserve careful assessment.
Filing deadlines and ongoing responsibilities
PSC information is supplied when a company is incorporated. Afterwards, officers must take reasonable steps to identify and confirm changes, and normally report confirmed PSC details or changes to Companies House within 14 days. A transfer of shares, amended voting agreement or change of service address may trigger an update.
The annual confirmation statement is a further check of the company’s information, not a substitute for timely PSC change filings. For a broader look at this separate obligation, see the topic of UK company confirmation statements.
A useful routine is to compare the Companies House record against the register of members, recent share transfers, articles and shareholder agreements after each ownership event. Record when the company learned of a change, when the details were confirmed and when the filing was made.
Identity verification is now part of PSC compliance
Mandatory identity verification began on 18 November 2025. PSCs must verify their identity and provide their Companies House personal code for the PSC role within their applicable 14-day period. The timing depends on when they became a PSC and whether they are also a company director.
A person who is both a director and PSC must supply the code separately for each role. Existing PSCs should check the deadline shown on their Companies House record rather than assume everyone shares the same date. New PSCs can provide verification details when added to the register or within 14 days afterwards. Understanding Companies House identity verification requirements helps prevent missed deadlines.
What if no PSC can be identified?
A company may genuinely have no registrable PSC, or its enquiries may still be ongoing. These situations require an appropriate statement to Companies House rather than an empty record. Officers must take reasonable steps to investigate, including contacting people who may hold relevant rights.
Failure to provide required information or knowingly supplying false particulars can have criminal consequences. Where a person repeatedly ignores a formal information request, special enforcement procedures may apply, but imposing restrictions on shares is serious and professional advice is sensible.
Frequently asked questions
Is every shareholder a PSC?
No. A small shareholder does not automatically qualify. A person generally needs to meet at least one control condition, such as holding more than 25% of shares or voting rights, or having qualifying appointment or influence rights.
Can a company have more than one PSC?
Yes. Several people may meet different conditions simultaneously. Each registrable PSC must be assessed and reported with their applicable control information.
Does a UK company still need its own PSC register?
No separate local PSC register has been required since 18 November 2025. The company must still investigate control, retain useful evidence and keep the Companies House information accurate.
When must a PSC change be reported?
Confirmed changes generally must be notified to Companies House within 14 days. Identity verification is a separate requirement with its own deadline, so check both when a new PSC is appointed or identified.
Keeping ownership reporting reliable
Effective PSC compliance is less about filling in a form once and more about understanding who can genuinely steer the company. Keep share and governance documents organised, revisit control whenever rights change and check that Companies House reflects the current position. A short, consistent review of company law compliance responsibilities can prevent a straightforward ownership change from becoming a reporting problem.
