Directors warned to verify identities with Companies House following first Insolvency Service prosecutions

Court action highlights legal duty on directors to complete identity verification

Directors are being warned to verify their identities with Companies House or risk prosecution after the Insolvency Service secured its first convictions for these offences.

Jill White and Marc Dillon, directors of White (Reading Properties) Limited, and Modinat Banjo, director of J Isogony Apparel Limited, were fined at City of London Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday 16 September.

Identity verification is a central part of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, which strengthened Companies House powers to improve the accuracy of the company register and tackle the misuse of UK companies for criminal purposes.

Newly appointed directors have been required to verify their identity with Companies House before acting as a director from 18 November 2025.

Existing directors are required to verify during the 12-month transition period, when filing the company’s next confirmation statement, helping to ensure that those who own and control businesses can be identified and held accountable.

Daniel Hart, Senior Criminal Lawyer at the Insolvency Service, said:

Identity verification is a legal requirement for company directors and forms a key part of efforts to improve the accuracy of the Companies House register and tackle economic crime.

These prosecutions demonstrate that directors have responsibilities not only for their own compliance but also for ensuring unverified individuals do not continue acting as directors on behalf of a company.

In both cases, multiple opportunities were provided for the directors to comply with the requirements before enforcement action was taken.