How to Check if a UK Company Is Legitimate

Why verifying a UK company matters

Fraud involving fake or dissolved UK companies is a persistent problem. Whether you are onboarding a new supplier, considering a business partnership, or receiving a payment request from an unfamiliar entity, a basic legitimacy check takes less than five minutes and can prevent significant financial loss.

Fortunately, the UK has one of the most transparent company registers in the world. Companies House provides free public access to filings, director appointments, ownership records, and company status for every registered UK limited company. This makes it straightforward to verify that a company is what it claims to be.

Step 1 - Check the company number on Companies House

Every UK limited company has a unique eight-digit company number (or equivalent for LLPs and other entity types). This number is fixed for the lifetime of the company and is the most reliable identifier. To verify a company:

1. Ask for the company's registered name and company number
2. Search for it on find.companieshouse.gov.uk or use NewcoHunter's free company search tool
3. Confirm that the name, number, and registered address match what you have been given
4. Check the company status - it should show "Active" not "Dissolved" or "Liquidation"

If the name or number does not match, or the company shows as dissolved, that is an immediate red flag.

Step 2 - Check the company status and filing history

An active company that is legitimately trading will typically have an up-to-date confirmation statement and filed accounts. Look for:

• Confirmation statement: Should have been filed within the last 12 months. An overdue confirmation statement suggests a dormant or neglected company
• Filed accounts: Companies with more than one year of trading should have at least one set of accounts filed. If no accounts have ever been filed for a company that claims to be trading, that is unusual
• Incorporation date: Check whether the age of the company is consistent with what you have been told about it

Step 3 - Verify the directors and PSC

Use the "People" tab on the Companies House record to see who the directors are and who has significant control. Cross-reference the names against what you know about the business. If the directors listed are unknown to you, or if the PSC information shows a complex offshore structure for what should be a straightforward UK trading company, investigate further.

NewcoHunter's PSC lookup tool lets you quickly retrieve the persons with significant control for any company number.

Step 4 - Check the registered office address

Many fraudulent companies use virtual office addresses or formation agent addresses as their registered office. This is not automatically suspicious - many legitimate small companies use a registered office service. But combined with other signals it can indicate a company with no real physical presence.

You can check whether a registered office address is a known formation agent address using NewcoHunter's registered office checker.

Step 5 - VAT registration check

If the company is claiming to be VAT registered, you can verify this using the HMRC online VAT checker. A VAT number that does not match the company name on the HMRC register is a serious warning sign. NewcoHunter's VAT number checker lets you instantly verify any UK VAT number against HMRC's live database and cross-reference the result with the Companies House record.

Red flags to watch for

Several signals suggest a company may not be legitimate:

• Dissolved or "Liquidation" status on Companies House
• Company number that does not exist on the register
• Registered name does not match what the company claims to be called
• No filed accounts for a company claiming several years of trading history
• Directors who do not appear in LinkedIn or professional directories
• Bank account sort code and company number not matching for payment requests
• Registered address is a well-known virtual office with hundreds of companies at the same postcode

Using NewcoHunter for company verification

NewcoHunter's free company search gives you instant access to Companies House data including company status, incorporation date, directors, SIC codes, and filing history for any of the 5.7 million companies on the UK register. There is no login required for basic lookups.