A Person with Significant Control (PSC) is an individual or legal entity that meets specific conditions relating to ownership or control of a UK company. UK companies are required to identify their PSCs, keep the relevant information up to date and provide the required information to Companies House.
For non-resident company owners, maintaining PSC information can be an important part of ongoing UK company administration. Directors and shareholders may be managing their companies from overseas, but the company's statutory responsibilities in the UK continue to apply.
The Non-Resident PSC Register Service provides an online system for storing and maintaining a company's PSC information. The service allows PSC details to be recorded securely, changes to be made when necessary and the history of changes to be viewed through the administration system.
What is a PSC?
A PSC is a person who owns or controls a company in a way that meets one or more of the statutory conditions.
The most common conditions include holding more than 25% of a company's shares, holding more than 25% of its voting rights, or having the right to appoint or remove the majority of the company's board of directors. The current 2026 statutory guidance also recognises significant influence or control as relevant circumstances.
A company can have one PSC or several PSCs. The identity of each registrable PSC needs to be established and the appropriate information recorded.
PSC requirements are concerned with identifying who ultimately owns or controls a company. This means that simply looking at the company's directors is not always sufficient to determine who needs to appear as a PSC.
What is a PSC register?
A PSC register is the company's internal record of its People with Significant Control. It contains information about the people or entities that meet the relevant conditions for significant control.
Companies MadeSimple describes the PSC register as an internal document that must be maintained within the company's records. It contains information such as the PSC's name, address and the reason they qualify as a PSC.
The register should be kept up to date when the company's PSC circumstances change. This makes it an ongoing corporate record rather than a document that is completed once and then ignored.
For a company managed by a non-resident director, maintaining this information electronically can provide a practical way to manage PSC administration from outside the UK.
What is included in the Non-Resident PSC Register Service?
The PSC Register Service provides an online administration system where the company's PSC information can be entered, stored and updated.
Companies MadeSimple states that the service allows customers to store their PSC information securely, access the information when required and view the history of changes made to the register.
The main features include:
- Online PSC register
- Secure storage of PSC information
- Ability to update PSC details
- History of changes
- Access to the company's PSC information through the online administration system
- Proof of identity and proof of address checks where required
Online PSC Register
The online PSC register provides a central place for recording the company's PSC information.
Instead of maintaining the information through disconnected documents, the company's PSC details can be stored within the online administration system. This gives the company a practical way to access its PSC information whenever it needs to review or update the register.
For non-resident company owners, online access can be particularly useful because the company's directors and shareholders may be based outside the UK.
Secure PSC Information Storage
PSC information is stored within the Companies MadeSimple administration system. The service is designed to give the company access to its PSC information when required and to maintain a history of changes made to the register.
Keeping an organised record is important because PSC information can change during the life of a company. A shareholder may transfer shares, ownership may change or a person may acquire or cease to have significant control.
Maintaining an accessible record makes it easier for the company to review its current PSC position and identify changes that need to be dealt with.
PSC Information Updates
The service allows PSC details to be amended when there is an error, a change in circumstances, or a PSC needs to be added or removed.
Companies MadeSimple states that customers using its PSC Online Register can amend PSC details by logging into their account and accessing the PSC section of the company details page.
This is particularly relevant for companies whose ownership or control structure changes over time.
When a PSC change occurs, the company's own register should be updated promptly. The relevant change may also need to be reported to Companies House through the appropriate filing process.
History of PSC Changes
The online register allows the company to view the history of changes made to its PSC information.
Maintaining a history can help the company understand how its PSC position has changed over time. This is useful when reviewing corporate records, preparing annual filings or checking the information held about previous and current PSCs.
For non-resident directors who manage company administration remotely, having this history available through an online system provides a central reference point for the company's PSC records.
Proof of Identity and Address
Companies MadeSimple states that it has a legal obligation to check proof of identity and proof of address as part of its Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements.
This means PSC-related administration may involve providing appropriate identification and address evidence when requested.
Non-resident PSCs should therefore be prepared to provide the required documentation so that their information can be processed appropriately.
What information must be recorded for a PSC?
The PSC register needs to contain relevant information about each registrable PSC.
Companies MadeSimple states that the information recorded for each PSC includes:
- Full name
- Date of birth
- Service address
- Residential address
- Country of residence
- Nationality
- Date the person became registrable
- Nature of their control
The residential address is not displayed on the public register in the same way as the service address. This distinction is important when considering the information that must be maintained internally.
The company should make sure that the information supplied for each PSC is accurate and kept current.
Who needs to be included on the PSC register?
A person may need to be recorded as a PSC if they meet one or more of the relevant conditions.
The common conditions include:
- Owning more than 25% of the company's shares.
- Holding more than 25% of the company's voting rights.
- Having the right to appoint or remove the majority of the company's directors.
- Having the right to exercise, or actually exercising, significant influence or control.
- Having relevant significant control over a trust or company that meets the applicable conditions.
The current statutory guidance confirms that the first three conditions relate to shares, voting rights and the right to appoint or remove the majority of the board, while additional conditions cover significant influence or control.
The PSC rules can become more complicated where ownership involves companies, trusts or other arrangements. Where the ownership structure is complex, appropriate professional advice may be necessary.
What happens when PSC information changes?
PSC information should be kept current throughout the life of the company.
A change could occur because a shareholder acquires or transfers shares, voting rights change, a person obtains or loses significant control, or an existing PSC's recorded information changes.
Companies MadeSimple states that if there is an error or a company needs to add or remove a PSC, the company's own register must be updated straight away. The company must also update Companies House when it next files a Confirmation Statement.
Companies House guidance separately confirms that companies must identify their PSCs and tell Companies House about them, including when changes occur.
This makes it important for directors to monitor ownership and control changes rather than reviewing PSC information only once a year.
Does the PSC register need to be filed separately?
The PSC register is an internal company record, rather than a document that is simply uploaded as a separate annual filing.
Companies MadeSimple states that the PSC register itself is an internal obligation that should be maintained within the company's records and made available for inspection at the registered office address.
However, the company still has obligations to provide PSC information to Companies House through the relevant corporate filings and notifications.
The internal register and the information held by Companies House should therefore be kept consistent.
What happens after you buy the service?
1. Choose the service
Purchase the PSC Register Service for the UK company whose PSC information needs to be maintained.
2. Enter your PSC information
Complete the PSC information through the online register. The information should be accurate and include the details required for each relevant PSC.
3. The information is stored
Once completed, the PSC information is stored within the online administration system. This creates a central record that can be accessed when required.
4. Review and update changes
When the company's PSC circumstances change, the relevant information can be amended through the online system. The system also maintains a history of changes.
5. Keep Companies House information aligned
The company remains responsible for ensuring that relevant PSC changes are reported to Companies House through the appropriate process. The PSC register and Companies House information should reflect the company's current position.
PSC requirements for non-resident company owners
Living outside the UK does not remove the company's requirement to maintain appropriate PSC information.
A non-resident founder may be the PSC of a UK company if they meet one or more of the relevant control conditions. Their country of residence does not, by itself, determine whether they are a PSC.
For overseas founders, maintaining the register remotely can be particularly important because the company's owners and directors may not be physically present in the UK.
An online PSC register provides a practical method of maintaining the company's internal information from overseas while keeping the relevant records accessible.
PSC register and Confirmation Statements
The PSC register and Confirmation Statement are related but separate company administration requirements.
The PSC register is an internal company record. The Confirmation Statement is a filing made with Companies House to confirm that the company's information is accurate and up to date.
Companies MadeSimple offers a combined PSC Online Register and Confirmation Statement service for companies that need both requirements handled together.
For a company using the standalone PSC Register Service, the company should still ensure that its Confirmation Statement is filed when due and that relevant PSC information is correctly reflected in the company's Companies House record.
Staying compliant with PSC requirements
Maintaining an accurate PSC register is an ongoing responsibility. Directors should monitor changes to ownership, voting rights and control and update the company's records when the relevant circumstances change.
The 2026 statutory guidance confirms that the PSC regime imposes legal duties and explains how significant influence or control is interpreted.
Companies House also states that companies must identify their PSCs and tell Companies House who they are. Where a company cannot identify a PSC or does not have one, the company must tell Companies House.
For straightforward ownership structures, the process can be relatively direct. More complex structures may require closer consideration of the statutory conditions and professional advice.
Who is the Non-Resident PSC Register Service for?
The Non-Resident PSC Register Service is designed for overseas founders, directors and company owners who operate UK limited companies and need an organised way to maintain their PSC information.
It can be relevant where a non-resident founder is the PSC of a UK company, where a company has several PSCs, or where ownership and control information needs to be maintained as the company develops.
The service is also useful for companies that want an accessible record of historic PSC changes rather than maintaining information through separate documents.
For companies with straightforward PSC arrangements, an online register provides a practical way to keep the relevant information together and accessible.
Where ownership involves multiple companies, trusts or more complicated control arrangements, the PSC position should be considered carefully against the applicable statutory guidance.
Why choose Non-Residents UK Company Formation?
Non-Residents UK Company Formation provides practical company administration support for founders who manage UK companies from outside the UK.
The PSC Register Service gives non-resident company owners an online system for storing PSC information, updating details and viewing the history of changes.
This can make ongoing PSC administration easier to manage remotely. Instead of maintaining a separate internal record without an organised online system, the company's PSC information can be maintained through one accessible administration platform.
The service also recognises that PSC information can change. When a new PSC is added, an existing PSC is removed or recorded information needs correcting, the register can be updated through the online system.
The company remains responsible for meeting its statutory obligations, but the service provides a practical administrative framework for maintaining the company's PSC information.
Final considerations for non-resident PSCs
PSC compliance should be considered as part of the company's wider statutory administration. Directors should know who qualifies as a PSC, maintain the internal register and ensure that relevant information is communicated to Companies House through the appropriate process.
Non-resident ownership does not remove these requirements. A person living overseas can still be a PSC of a UK company if they satisfy the relevant conditions.
Keeping accurate records from the beginning can make future company administration easier, particularly when ownership or control changes. An online PSC register provides a central place to maintain those records and review the history of changes.
For current official requirements, companies should refer to Companies House guidance on People with Significant Control and the current statutory guidance on significant influence or control.