PROtected Online Filing (PROOF) Service

Companies House has been aware for some time of the damage that can be caused by hijackers to companies and suppliers of goods and services.  Company hijacks normally involve fraudsters changing the details of a company’s directors and registered office.  To help combat company fraud, Companies House has introduced the PROOF (PROtected Online Filing) scheme.

To join the PROOF scheme, you will first need to be registered for the Companies House WebFiling Service.  Once you have registered and completed the sign-in process, simply tick the box to confirm that you have agreed with the terms and conditions under section 1070 of the Companies Act 2006 and select ‘join PROOF’.

The scheme is designed to help companies protect themselves from fraudulent filings as it prevents individuals from filing certain paper forms.  The forms covered by the PROOF scheme are:

• Appointments
• Terminations
• Change of Particulars (Company Officers)
• Change of Registered Office Address
• Annual Return

Once registered for the PROOF scheme, Companies House will normally reject any paper versions of these forms and send them back to the registered office address.  This helps to ensure that any changes made have been registered by the company itself.  It is, therefore, vital that anyone authorised to file on behalf of the company is notified about the PROOF registration to avoid unnecessary rejections of paper documents.

In exceptional circumstances, Companies House will accept paper versions of the documents listed above from companies in the PROOF scheme, but only when accompanied by a paper-consent form authorised by the company directors.  Companies in PROOF should first contact Companies House for advice if they need to file by paper for any reason.

Please note:  If your company is subject to an ongoing internal dispute you will be ineligible to join the PROOF scheme.  Companies House cannot intervene in internal company disputes and involved parties must seek independent professional legal advice.  Once the Registrar is fully satisfied that the internal dispute has been resolved the company will then become eligible to join the scheme.

Web Filing Service
This is our online registration service which enables you to submit company information more securely.

Read more about the Companies House PROOF Scheme