Overseas Entities: New Filing Requirements from 31 July 2025

Important update for overseas company owners with UK property or land: From 31 July 2025, all overseas entities registered in the UK will need to include pre-registration beneficial ownership information in their annual update statements. This change is part of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 and represents a significant tightening of compliance obligations for foreign-owned UK property.

At its core, this regulation strengthens transparency. But practically, it introduces new layers of complexity — especially for entities with trusts or historic ownership changes.

What’s Changing from 31 July 2025 ?

Every overseas entity must already file an annual update statement to confirm or amend the information on the Register of Overseas Entities. But starting 31 July 2025, entities must also disclose whether there were any registrable beneficial owners or trusts involved during the pre-registration period — a retrospective window dating back to 28 February 2022.

This additional disclosure applies even if the information has already been submitted before, and even if no changes occurred since the last update.

Failure to file on time is a criminal offence, and can lead to prosecution, fines, or your overseas entity ID becoming invalid — making it impossible to buy, sell, lease, or charge UK property.

Key Filing and Verification Requirements for Overseas Entities

To comply with the updated rules, overseas entities will need to:

• Review and confirm or amend all existing records.
• Submit new information about beneficial owners, trusts, and beneficiaries during the pre-registration period.
• Ensure verification checks are completed within 3 months prior to filing.
• File even if no changes have occurred.

These verification checks must be carried out by a UK-regulated agent — a professional subject to UK anti-money laundering regulations and recognised by Companies House.

Not All UK Accountants Are Authorised for Overseas Entities

Importantly, not every UK accountant is authorised to provide this service.

We are proud to be:

• A Regulated Agent authorised to verify identities for overseas entities
• An Authorised Company Service Provider (ACSP) officially registered with Companies House
• An HMRC Tax Agent and fully qualified UK practising accountant

Our firm specialises in overseas entity registrations, UK tax compliance, and corporate structure advisory for international clients. We are not only permitted but also registered and experienced to carry out mandatory verification checks and file update statements on behalf of overseas entities.

Why This Matters to Your Overseas Company ?

If you’re a non-UK company that owns or plans to acquire UK property, these new obligations apply to you. Filing late or submitting incomplete information is not just risky — it can stop property transactions, block financing, or lead to legal issues.

Even if your overseas entity has nothing new to report, an annual update statement is still required, and in 2025, it will need to include historic ownership disclosures.

Get Prepared — With the Right Advisor

As a firm with deep expertise in UK company law, international structures, and cross-border tax, we offer a streamlined, compliant, and secure process to help you meet these obligations correctly and on time.

Whether you're managing a single UK property through an offshore company or administering a larger portfolio, our team is ready to assist — from verifying beneficial owners to submitting fully compliant filings.

At Elaga Accountancy our staff helps you to understand every of these changes and how they affect your company. Talk to us if you're unsure whether your UK accountant is authorised to assist these services — speak to us now. Do not wait till last minute.

***Contact us to learn more.

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