Companies House HelpCompanies House Electronic PROOF scheme

The Companies House PROOF Scheme was first launched in 2005 to provide added security for companies filing documents with us. Until recently, applications to join the PROOF scheme had to be submitted on paper but we introduced an electronic facility for registering for PROOF via our WebFiling service earlier this year. We have now launched a new Statutory PROOF service which replaces both of these existing schemes. This new PROOF service has the legal backing of the Companies Act 2006 and Companies House is obliged to withdraw the former schemes once the Statutory service is made available. You should therefore transfer to the new Statutory PROOF scheme to ensure that you continue to be protected against fraudulent filings. The old PROOF schemes will be withdrawn on 16th January and you will lose your protection if you do not transfer to Statutory PROOF by then.

Like the old schemes, the new Statutory PROOF scheme enables companies to protect themselves from unauthorised changes to their company’s record by preventing the filing of certain paper forms. These include documents for an appointment/termination/change of particulars of company officers and the change of the registered office.

Companies House will 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.