With the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act (ECCTA) continuing to usher in changes for how Companies House operates, one thing that is often overlooked is the focus on Limited Partnerships (LPs).
Initially announced as a Spring 2026 reform, the proposed rule changes for LPs have yet to be implemented, but have not been cancelled either.
It is likely that LPs will still be subject to tighter restrictions before the year ends, so now is the time to understand what is coming and how to prepare.
What new obligations are Companies House imposing on Limited Partnerships?
Once a structure that allowed for relatively low reporting requirements, LPs will be subject to enhanced requirements.
The biggest change will be in the restriction of how accounts can be filed.
Unlike other structures, wherein it remains possible to manage it as a business or use an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP), LPs will soon only be able to use an ACSP.
ACSPs will be accountants or solicitors who are registered with Companies House and subject to Anti-Money Laundering (AML) requirements.
ACSPs are at liberty to charge for their services, so LPs will naturally face more costs when filing accounts and other information compared to businesses able to do it themselves.
It will also be necessary to provide partners’ names, date of birth and usual residential address to Companies House so that greater accuracy and transparency can be achieved.
The registered office address for an LP will need to match the country in which the LP is registered. For example, a Welsh LP would need to use a Welsh registered office address even if it operates across the UK.
A Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code will need to be provided and LPs will need to carry out the filing of an annual Confirmation Statement.
Why are Limited Partnerships being targeted by Companies House?
As with other entities registered at Companies House, they are combining enhanced requirements with a focused set of powers to ensure that LPs do not accidentally or intentionally submit inaccurate information.
These reforms will add the power to:
Secondary legislation will be needed to establish these powers prior to their implementation.
This means that there will likely be a defined timeline in which LPs will need to prepare for any changes, so they should not be caught off guard by a dramatic shift in obligations.
During this timeframe, it will be vital to adopt the new measures to ensure that compliance is achieved ahead of any deadlines.
While the exact timeline for the changes to LPs with Companies House is not yet known, we can see the likelihood of it coming soon.
Companies House is working to crack down on non-compliance across UK businesses and the measures have seen some success so far.
Our team can support you if you operate an LP and need to understand what these future changes mean for you.
Getting ahead of the changes now by updating your record-keeping can help you stay compliant when the changes do take hold.
Get in touch with our team for expert support in staying Companies House compliant.
