People with Significant Control (PSC) – a guide for limited companies

If you own or run a limited company, Companies House needs to know who the people are who ultimately control it

These people are known as People with Significant Control (PSCs). In a typical owner-managed company, the PSCs will usually be the main shareholders, although share ownership isn’t the only way someone can qualify.

Your company must identify its PSCs, confirm their details, and keep the information held by Companies House up to date.

What is a Person with Significant Control?

A PSC is someone who meets at least one of five conditions relating to the ownership or control of a company.

For most small limited companies, the first two tests matter most. Someone who owns more than 25% of the shares or controls more than 25% of the voting rights will normally be a PSC.

A director isn’t necessarily a PSC. Someone can run a company as a director without owning or controlling it, while a shareholder who isn’t a director may still be a PSC.

The five PSC conditions

You need to check whether anyone connected with your company meets any of the following conditions.

1. They own more than 25% of the shares

This is the simplest test and the one most likely to apply to a small owner-managed company.

If you own 100% of your company, you will normally be its PSC. If you and another shareholder own 50% each, you will normally both be PSCs.

The threshold is more than 25%. This means that someone who owns exactly 25% of the company’s shares does not qualify under this condition.

If one shareholder owns 50% and two others own 25% each, only the 50% shareholder meets the share ownership test. If four people own 25% each, none meet this threshold.

This doesn’t mean none of the four in this example is a PSC, as other PSC conditions still apply.

For more background on how company ownership works in general, read our guides to share capital and different classes of shares.

2. They control more than 25% of the voting rights

In a small company with ordinary shares, share ownership and voting rights are often the same, but they don’t have to be. It depends on how the company has been set up.

Someone who controls more than 25% of the voting rights can qualify as a PSC even if their shareholding percentage doesn’t tell the full story.

This is especially worth checking if your company has several classes of shares – and the shares have different voting rights attached to them.

3. They can appoint or remove most of the directors

A person also qualifies if they have the right to appoint or remove a majority of the company’s board.

These rights may appear in the company’s articles of association or another agreement between the company’s owners.

4. They have significant influence or control over the company

This condition covers someone who has the right to exercise, or actually exercises, significant influence or control over the company without falling within the first three tests.

For example, an individual may have rights under a shareholders’ agreement that give them substantial control over how the company is run.

Companies House uses statutory guidance to determine what amounts to significant influence or control. Ordinary professional advice from an accountant, solicitor or other adviser would not normally make that person a PSC.

5. They exercise control through a trust or firm

The final condition covers certain arrangements which involve trusts and firms.

It can apply where a trust or firm would satisfy one of the first four conditions if it were an individual, and someone has significant influence or control over that trust or firm.

Most small companies will never encounter this, and where a trust or more complicated ownership structure is involved, you should always seek professional advice on who needs to appear on the PSC register.

What PSC details do you give Companies House?

You need to confirm a PSC’s details before reporting them to Companies House.

For an individual, these include:

• Full name.
• Date of birth.
• Nationality.
• Country, state or part of the UK where they usually live.
• Service address.
• Usual residential address.
• The date they became a PSC.
• The nature of their control over the company.

Companies House shows the level of control as over 25% to 50%, over 50% to under 75%, or 75% and above.

Which PSC details can be viewed online?

Most PSC information appears on the public Companies House register, including the person’s name, service address, nationality, month and year of birth and the nature of their control.

Their full date of birth and usual residential address are not normally made public.

A PSC can use their home as their service address, although for obvious reasons they might prefer an alternative address to protect their privacy. Find out more in our guide to company director service addresses.

Companies House also has measures in place to protect information about people who could potentially face a risk of violence or intimidation (due to the work their business does)

When do you need to report PSC information?

Once you identify a PSC, you must confirm their information and report it to Companies House. The company has 14 days after confirming the information to do this.

The same principle applies when something changes. For example, a shareholder may buy or sell shares, someone may cease to be a PSC, or an existing PSC may change their personal details. Once the company has confirmed the change, it normally has 14 days to report it.

Don’t wait to update a PSC change until your next confirmation statement.

PSCs and Companies House identity verification

Since late 2025, PSCs must verify their identity with Companies House.

Once the PSC passes the verification process, they will receive a personal code, which they can use to link their identity to a specific limited company.

The timing depends on when the person became a PSC and whether they are also a company director.

Existing PSCs were brought into the identity verification regime from 18 November 2025, while new PSCs have a separate 14-day window to provide the required personal code.

If you are both a director and a PSC, being verified once establishes your identity, but you still need to provide your personal code for each relevant role when this is required in the future.

Companies House keeps its current requirements and deadlines in its guidance for People with Significant Control.

Can a company have no PSC?

Yes. It is possible for nobody to meet any of the five conditions.

Even so, you still need to tell Companies House. There are prescribed statements for companies which have no PSC, as well as situations where the company believes it has a PSC but has not yet identified them or confirmed their details.

You can’t just leave the PSC information blank – this isn’t an alternative.

What if another company owns your company?

The rules are different if another company is involved in the ownership chain.

A corporate entity which meets the relevant conditions may qualify as a relevant legal entity (RLE). Depending on the structure, you may need to register the RLE or look further through the ownership chain to identify the people who ultimately exercise control.

This can arise with holding companies and company groups, as well as more complicated UK and overseas ownership structures.

What if someone won’t provide their PSC details?

A company must take all reasonable steps to identify its PSCs and capture all of the required information listed above.

If you believe someone is a PSC but they haven’t provided the information you need, the company can issue a formal notice requiring a response.

Ignoring a valid notice without a reasonable excuse can be a criminal offence. There are also procedures that can eventually restrict rights attached to the person’s shares, although a company must follow the statutory process before taking that step.

What happens if you don’t comply with the PSC rules?

Providing the requested PSC information is a legal requirement, rather than an optional task.

A company and its officers can even be found guilty of committing an offence if they fail to meet their PSC obligations without a reasonable excuse. Individuals can also commit offences by failing to provide required information or by knowingly or recklessly providing false information.

Frequently asked questions

Is every shareholder a PSC?

No. Owning shares does not necessarily make someone a PSC. Under the share ownership test, they need to own more than 25% of the share capital. Importantly, they may still qualify under another condition.

Is every company director a PSC?

No. Being a director and being a PSC are separate things. A director manages the company; a PSC is someone who meets one of the statutory ownership or control tests.

Does a 25% shareholder count as a PSC?

Not under the share ownership test alone. The threshold is more than 25%, so a shareholder with exactly 25% does not meet that condition.

Can my company have two PSCs?

Yes. Two people who own 50% of a company each (e.g. spouses) will normally both be PSCs. A company can have more than two where several people meet one or more of the conditions.

Can my accountant be a PSC?

Not simply because they advise you on how to run the company. Accountants and other professional advisers do not normally become PSCs by providing advice in their professional capacity.

Where can I check my company’s PSC information?

You can see the PSC information currently held for your company using the Companies House company information service.

Keep your PSC details up to date

For most of our readers – directors of small limited companies – it is easy to keep on top of your obligations. You should know who owns and controls your company. Make sure the Companies House data is accurate, and report any changes when they happen.