Home / Goodbye statutory registers: what the 2025 reforms mean in practice
13th August 2026
Helen Mather, Partner
The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2025 (ECCTA) partially came into force in 2025 and marked a decisive shift in UK company law, fundamentally reshaping how corporate records are maintained.
For many businesses, the reforms will require a rethink of familiar governance processes, with Companies House taking on a more central role as the source of key company information.
Traditionally, companies were obliged to maintain various company records, including registers of directors, secretaries and people with significant control (PSCs) at their registered office or another designated inspection location. Under ECCTA, many of these obligations are largely replaced by a centralised system in which the same information is filed directly with Companies House.
This change is aimed squarely at reducing duplication and administrative burden. By eliminating the need to maintain parallel internal records, companies can now rely on Companies House as the single, authoritative source of key corporate information.
For many businesses, particularly smaller businesses, this change represents a clear simplification, cutting down on manual updates and lowering compliance costs. It is an attempt to make the public register a central and definitive record.
However, the reforms do not dilute the obligation for accuracy. Companies must ensure that filings at Companies House are complete, accurate and up to date at all times.
Certain requirements remain unchanged, including that companies must still maintain a register of members (i.e. their shareholders) at their registered office or a Single Alternative Inspection Location.
The broader aim is clear: greater centralisation and enhanced transparency. By mandating timely filing of key information, the reforms strengthen the reliability of the public register, making it more valuable for investors, creditors and regulators alike. In practice, the emphasis has shifted from maintaining records to managing filings. Companies must ensure internal systems can identify changes promptly and submit updates without delay. This may require stronger internal controls, clearer allocation of responsibility and more robust governance processes.
Yet, while duplication is reduced, risk is heightened. With Companies House as the primary “source of truth”, errors or delays carry greater consequences, from regulatory penalties to reputational damage and complications in due diligence or financing.
Ultimately, the 2025 reforms streamline administration but raise the bar for precision and accountability. The departure from statutory registers is not a relaxation of compliance, but a modernisation; placing Companies House firmly at the centre of corporate transparency.
For advice on corporate governance and other company law matters, please contact our corporate team on 0161 832 3434, or at [email protected].
Contributors: Sienna Johnson