Companies House is an official public record of all registered companies in the UK. Under the Companies Act 2006 all companies must be incorporated and registered with Companies House and must file annual financial statements and annual company returns.  

Companies House data is a matter of public record and allows those carrying out due diligence and Know Your Business checks to identify and verify that a business client exists, confirm its company number and to see its financial statements and company returns.  Companies House records also include details of officers and Persons of Significant Control (PSCs) as well as those who have held positions within the business in the past.

Companies House is a vital resource when it comes to business AML checks and is one of many data sources used by SmartSearch to form its business AML checks. 

SmartSearch also offers Business Credit Reports as part of its business checks. With business credit checks, users of the SmartSearch system can access four years’ worth of profit and loss statements, balance sheets, key ratios and payment history. It also allows SmartSearch to view in-depth credit history – including information on whether the business has CCJs or has ever filed for bankruptcy.