Beneficial ownership, explained.
A Person with Significant Control (PSC) is an individual who ultimately owns or controls a UK company. The regime was introduced so the public register shows the real people behind a company, not just its shareholders on paper. Most UK companies and LLPs must identify their PSCs and record them at Companies House.
Someone is a PSC if they meet one or more of these conditions:
| Condition | Test |
|---|---|
| 1. Shares | Holds more than 25% of the company's shares |
| 2. Voting rights | Holds more than 25% of the voting rights |
| 3. Board appointment | Holds the right to appoint or remove a majority of the board of directors |
| 4. Significant influence or control | Otherwise has the right to exercise, or actually exercises, significant influence or control |
| 5. Trusts / firms | Has significant influence or control over a trust or firm that itself meets one of conditions 1–4 |
For each PSC the company records their name, month and year of birth, nationality, country of residence, the date they became a PSC, and which of the conditions they meet (including the size band of any shareholding or voting rights).
The PSC register is the primary UK source for identifying who really controls a counterparty — central to AML checks, KYC onboarding, and supplier due diligence. Because control can change quietly (a share transfer, a new controlling party), monitoring PSC changes is how compliance teams catch ownership shifts as they happen.
Monitor beneficial-ownership changes automatically — get alerted the moment a PSC is added, removed or changed.
Subscribe — £29/moMore than 25% of shares or voting rights makes an individual a PSC. A person can also be a PSC by holding the right to appoint or remove a majority of the board, or by otherwise exercising significant influence or control.
Most do, but not all. Some companies have no individual meeting the conditions, and companies whose shares are admitted to trading on certain regulated markets are exempt from the PSC regime under separate disclosure rules.
Yes. PSC details (excluding day of birth and residential address) are published on the free Companies House register.
Last updated: 2026-08-30 · Source: UK Companies House public register · Not legal advice — always verify against official sources before acting.