Kubr Research · Last reviewed 14 October 2026

Companies House Check: What UK Filings Reveal

Reading accounts, charges, PSC data and filing history on the UK register, and what it cannot show.

For a UK company, Companies House is the natural first stop. The register is free to search and holds a great deal of information. Used well, Companies House due diligence gives you a quick, sourced picture of a company. Used carelessly, it gives false comfort, because the register records what companies file, not what is true. This article explains what each part of a company’s record shows and where the gaps are.

Company overview

The overview page gives the company name, number, status, incorporation date, registered office and type. Check the status first. Dissolved, in liquidation or with a strike-off notice are all visible here. Note also whether the registered office looks like a genuine operating address or a shared formation or agent address. The second is not wrong in itself, but it is a reason to ask where the business really operates.

Filing history

Filing history lists every document the company has filed, in date order. It is one of the most useful views because patterns are visible.

• Look for: late accounts, frequent changes of registered office or accounting reference date, repeated director changes, and a flurry of filings just before a transaction.
• Limit: a regular record shows the company meets its filing duties. It says little about the quality of what it filed.

Accounts

Filed accounts are the main financial source on the register, and also the main place where expectations go wrong.

• Check: the balance sheet date, whether the accounts are marked as audited or unaudited, and the notes on related party transactions, going concern and post balance sheet events.
• Look for: net liabilities, large amounts owed to or by directors, and fast movements in debtors or creditors.
• Limit: smaller companies can file reduced or abridged accounts, so the profit and loss account may not be there at all. Accounts are historic, often many months old, and they carry no reliable view of current trading. Whether they are fairly presented is for an auditor, not for a register search.

Charges

The charges register lists security granted over company assets, for example to a bank or other lender.

• Check: who holds each charge, when it was created, what it covers and whether it is outstanding or satisfied.
• Look for: fixed or floating charges that cover the assets you were told were free, and lenders you were not told about.
• Limit: the register shows the existence of registered security. The terms are in the underlying documents, and how a charge ranks or operates is for your solicitor.

People with significant control (PSC)

The PSC register identifies individuals or entities who hold significant influence or control, typically through shareholding or voting rights above stated thresholds, or the right to appoint directors.

• Check: that the named controllers match who you believe owns the business, and trace any corporate controller up the chain.
• Look for: a corporate PSC in another jurisdiction, recent changes, or a statement that the company has identified no one.
• Limit: PSC information is provided by the company and is not independently verified in every case. It is a lead for beneficial ownership, not proof of it.

Officers

The officers list shows directors and secretaries, appointment dates and other appointments. Check that the people you have met appear, and see how many other companies they are connected with. Several linked companies that have been dissolved or entered insolvency is a pattern worth a question, not a verdict.

Confirmation statement

The annual confirmation statement confirms the company’s information is up to date and includes shareholder information. Compare it to what you have been told on the cap table.

What the register does not contain

• Bank data. Cash flows, balances and lender relationships are not on the register.
• Tax data. Tax returns and payment records are not public.
• Court records. Judgments and litigation are held elsewhere and need a separate search.
• Current trading. Filings lag. They are a record of the past.

A short method

1. Confirm identity and status on the overview.
2. Scan the filing history for patterns.
3. Read the latest accounts, checking audit status and notes.
4. List all charges and match them to disclosed borrowings.
5. Compare the PSC register and confirmation statement with the claimed ownership.
6. Record each difference with its source and date, and pass material items to your solicitor or accountant.

Kubr combines registry reading with bank and tax records for UK companies. See our UK page and services for how that works.

Sources

Primary registries and regulators referred to in this article:

• Companies House (GOV.UK)
• Companies House: find and update company information
• GOV.UK: People with significant control (PSC) guidance