Limited company guide
Who counts as a PSC, the five statutory conditions, what goes on the register, how to report changes and what happens when ownership runs through another company or a trust.
Short answer
A person with significant control is anyone who holds more than 25% of shares or voting rights, can appoint or remove a majority of the board, or otherwise exercises significant influence or control over the company. Every company must keep a PSC register, cannot leave it empty, must file PSC information at Companies House and must report changes within 14 days of entering them in the register.
Written and reviewed by Waqas Sagar Member of ICAEW, Fellow of ACCA, Fellow of AAT, a double graduate and entrepreneur at heart, helping startups grow and serving thousands of businesses nationwide with an excellent team. Published by LimitedCompany.Accountants, 12 London Road, Morden, London SM4 5BQ. Reviewed 12 September 2026 against 2026/27 UK rates and current Companies House and HMRC guidance.
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QuickBooks PartnerCertified ProAdvisor100+ yearsCombined team experienceFully insuredUp to £2m indemnityA person with significant control is anyone who holds more than 25% of shares or voting rights, can appoint or remove a majority of the board, or otherwise exercises significant influence or control over the company. Every company must keep a PSC register, cannot leave it empty, must file PSC information at Companies House and must report changes within 14 days of entering them in the register.
The five conditions
What goes on the register
Corporate and overseas owners
Keeping it current
Before you act
More than 25% of the shares. More than 25% of the voting rights. The right to appoint or remove a majority of directors. Otherwise exercising significant influence or control. The same influence or control over a trust or firm that itself meets one of the first four conditions.
Only one condition needs to be met. A 30% shareholder is a PSC even if they never attend a meeting.
Name, month and year of birth, nationality, country of residence, service address, usual residential address (not published), the date they became a PSC and which conditions are met, including the band of shares or voting rights held.
The register can never be blank. If there is no PSC, or you are still investigating, you record the prescribed statement saying so.
Where the shareholder is another company, you record it as a registrable relevant legal entity if it is subject to its own disclosure requirements and would be a PSC. If it is not registrable, you look through to the individuals behind it.
Overseas holding companies frequently are not registrable, which means the ultimate individual owners must be identified and recorded.
Update your own register as soon as you know of a change, then notify Companies House within 14 days. Confirmation statement time is a check, not the reporting mechanism.
Failing to keep the register, or knowingly filing false information, is an offence for the company and its officers, and PSCs must now also verify their identity at Companies House.
Rates, thresholds and deadlines quoted here reflect the 2026/27 UK tax year. Check current GOV.UK guidance, or ask us, before relying on them for your own company.
Primary references
Local help
We work with company directors across London and Surrey from our office at 12 London Road, Morden, London SM4 5BQ. Pick your area, or send the form below and we will call you back.
Frequently asked
Both shareholders, since each holds more than 25% of the shares and voting rights.
No. Where there is no PSC you must record the prescribed statement to that effect.
Enter the change in your own register when confirmed, then notify Companies House within 14 days.
Yes. Identity verification applies to people with significant control as well as directors.
Keep bank statements, sales and platform reports, purchase invoices, payroll records, VAT workings, finance agreements and Companies House correspondence. We confirm the exact list at onboarding and identify gaps before a filing deadline becomes urgent.
The fee depends on transaction volume, record quality, VAT and payroll requirements, historic catch-up and the level of reporting needed. We agree a fixed scope and price before technical work starts, with published packages available on our fees page.
Yes. We request professional clearance, collect the prior records and authorities, check the next Companies House and HMRC deadlines, and give you one clear handover list. The process is normally completed remotely.
Yes. We work through secure cloud records, scheduled reviews and digital approvals, while keeping a named team available by phone, video call and email. Clients can also visit our Morden office by appointment.
We regularly work with Xero, QuickBooks, FreeAgent, Sage and connected sales or expense apps. The right setup depends on transaction volume, integrations and the reports you need, not simply the software brand.
The relevant calendar may include annual accounts, Corporation Tax payment and return dates, confirmation statements, VAT returns, payroll submissions and Self Assessment. We map the dates from your company year end and registrations.
Included approach
Check the current rules
Deadlines, thresholds and filing rules change. GOV.UK and Companies House publish the current statutory position; advice should then be applied to your company’s circumstances.
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