Protected Online Filing Scheme | PROOF
Precautions to combat corporate Identity Fraud for your UK company.
Once we have the authentication code to file electronically, we can then sign you up to PROOF, the new PROtected Online Filing service, which is designed to reduce identity fraud and will only accept forms relating to changes of address and directors from you electronically.
PROtected Online Filing (PROOF) Service
To help combat company fraud, Companies House has introduced the PROOF (PROtected Online Filing) scheme. Companies House is aware of the damage that can be caused by hijackers to UK companies which normally involve criminals changing the details of a company’s directors and registered office.
To join the statutory PROOF scheme, you register for the Companies House WebFiling Service.
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:
- Confirmation Statement (previously the Annual Return)
- Appointments
- Terminations
- Change of Particulars – Company Officers
- Change of Registered Office Address
Registering your company for PROOF means that Companies House stop accepting paper forms. This ensures that any changes made have been registered by the company itself.
Companies will be able to protect themselves from unauthorised changes to their company’s record as it prevents the filing of certain paper forms. These include documents for a change of particulars of company officers and the change of the registered office.
Registering your company for statutory PROOF service
Once your company is in the PROOF scheme, you can be assured that attempts to file the following forms on paper will be rejected:
- Confirmation Statement (previously the Annual Return)
- Change of Registered Office address
- Appointment, termination or change of particulars of company officer
Filings covered by PROOF
The following filings are covered by the PROOF scheme:
- Confirmation Statement/ CS01
- Appointment of director/ AP01
- Appointment of secretary/ AP03
- Appointment of corporate secretary/ AP04
- Change of director’s details/ CH01
- Change of secretary’s details/ CH03
- Change of corporate secretary’s details/ CH04
- Termination of appointment of director/ TM01
- Termination of appointment of secretary/ TM02
- Change of registered office address/ AD01
The statutory PROOF scheme will reject paper submissions of the above forms only; any other form type filed on paper can be accepted.
Filings submitted using WebFiling
- Notification of single alternative inspection location/ SAIL
- Notification of location of company records to the single alternative inspection location
- Change of location of company records to the registered office
- Return of Allotments of Shares
- Change of Accounting Reference Date
- Audit Exempt Abbreviated Accounts
- Dormant Company Accounts
WebFiling Service
Using WebFiling, the online filing service, is far safer and a more secure way to send the statutory information than using paper forms sent by post.