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Companies House: Who meets PSC criteria?

7th Nov 2016
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Companies House is the Government agency where all UK limited companies are registered. There are...
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People with significant control (PSC) 

UK companies and LLPs now need to identify their PSCs. 

We can't provide you with specific advice on who should be in your PSC register. You can identify your PSCs based on the 5 conditions or natures of control. 

An individual is a PSC if they meet one or more of the following conditions: 

1. They hold, directly or indirectly, more than 25% of the shares in your company 
2. They hold, directly or indirectly, more than 25% of the voting rights in your company 
3. They hold, directly or indirectly, the right to appoint or remove the majority of the directors in your company 
4. They have the right to exercise, or actually exercise significant influence or control 
5. They have the right to exercise, or actually exercise significant influence or control over the activities of a trust or a firm, which in turn satisfies any of the first four conditions 

You aren't just identifying the single most significant PSC, but all the people in your company who meet the criteria for being a PSC. 

Business Enterprise and Industrial Strategy has published guidance on identifying your PSCs

Nature of control 

The 5 conditions above set out the options to indicate how someone qualifies as a PSC and exactly what their nature of control is. 

Common filing issues: 

1. PSCs select condition 1 (ownership of shares) but not conditions 2 or 3. It's likely in many cases there would be voting rights associated with those shares. 
2. PSCs select more than 4 conditions including conditions as an individual, and a trust or firm. This would rarely occur. 

There's information about PSCs on our website 

If you need further help, you may like to seek your own independent legal advice. 

For up to date information, visit www.gov.uk/companieshouse

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