Companies House has outlined an ambitious set of priorities for the 2026–2027 financial year, signalling a major phase in its transformation into a more robust guardian of UK corporate data
and a stronger force against economic crime.
In its newly published business plan, the agency said it will focus on improving the accuracy and reliability of company register data, cracking down on fraudulent activity, and modernising services to better support businesses and the public.
The plan builds on the organisation’s long-term strategy for 2025–2030 and comes as sweeping reforms to company law continue to reshape the UK’s corporate landscape.
Among its top objectives for the year ahead are enhancing the value of register data to the economy, expanding measures to prevent and disrupt economic crime, and delivering reforms with “clear communication and minimal burden” on businesses. The agency also pledged to modernise technology systems responsibly while investing further in staff development and organisational culture.
Chief Executive Andy King said the organisation’s role is central to maintaining confidence in the UK business environment.
“We are here to support economic growth and trust in the UK business environment,” he said.
“In the next 12 months we will embed reform, improve data quality, and take action against those who seek to abuse the company framework.”
As part of the reforms, Companies House plans to increase the use of automated data checks, remove inaccurate information from the register, strengthen data governance, and expand lawful data-sharing arrangements with partner agencies.
The organisation also intends to step up enforcement activity, working more closely with law enforcement bodies to identify and disrupt criminal behaviour linked to company structures.
Improving customer experience remains another major priority, particularly as millions of individuals and businesses begin navigating new identity verification requirements and wider company law reforms.
The business plan also sets out six public performance targets established by Blair McDougall. These include maintaining above-average public sector customer satisfaction ratings, ensuring digital services remain available at least 99.5% of the time, and reducing average contact centre wait times to under five minutes.
Companies House has additionally committed to taking at least 225,000 actions using the Registrar’s powers to combat abuse and strengthen the integrity of the corporate register.
By the end of the financial year, the agency expects all companies either to have complied with identity verification requirements linked to confirmation statements or to be subject to compliance or enforcement processes.
The organisation is also targeting a 4% efficiency saving compared with its controllable spending levels in 2025–2026, reflecting broader pressure across the public sector to improve performance while reducing costs. Photo by Peter Church, Wikimedia commons.
