Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023

11 U.K. For sections 790D and 790E substitute—

“790CB Duty to find out about persons with significant control

A company to which this Part applies must take reasonable steps to find out if there is anyone who is a registrable person or a registrable relevant legal entity in relation to the company and, if so, to identify them.

790D Company’s duty to give notices to persons with significant control

(1) A company to which this Part applies must give a notice to a person under this section if—

(a) the company knows or has cause to believe that the person is a registrable person or a registrable relevant legal entity in relation to the company, but

(b) the company has not had confirmation of the person’s status as a registrable person or registrable relevant legal entity or has not had confirmation of all of the required particulars of the person (see section 790K).

(2) The notice must require the person—

(a) to inform the company whether the person is a registrable person or a registrable relevant legal entity in relation to the company, and

(b) if they are, to give the company all of the required particulars of the person (see section 790K).

(3) The notice must require the person to whom it is given to comply with the notice by no later than the end of the period of one month beginning with the day on which it is given.

(4) The company must give the notice—

(a) as soon as reasonably practicable after the company becomes subject to the duty to give a notice under this section, and

(b) in any event before the end of the period of 14 days beginning with the day on which the company becomes so subject.

(5) A company is not required to give a notice under this section to a person if—

(a) the application for the registration of the company contained a statement of initial significant control naming the person as someone who would, on the company’s incorporation, become a registrable person or a registrable relevant legal entity in relation to the company, and

(b) the company has no cause to believe that at any time since its incorporation the person has ceased to be a registrable person or a registrable relevant legal entity in relation to the company.

(6) The Secretary of State may by regulations make further provision about the giving of notices under this section, including provision about their form and content and the manner in which they must be given.

(7) Regulations under subsection (6) are subject to negative resolution procedure.

790DA Obtaining information from third parties

(1) A company to which this Part applies may give a notice to a person under this section if it knows or has cause to believe that the person—

(a) knows the identity of someone who falls within subsection (2), or

(b) knows the identity of someone likely to have that knowledge.

(2) The persons who fall within this subsection are—

(a) a registrable person in relation to the company;

(b) a relevant legal entity in relation to the company;

(c) an entity which would be a relevant legal entity in relation to the company but for the fact that section 790C(6)(b) does not apply in respect of it.

(3) A company must give a notice under subsection (1) to a person (“a third party”) if the company—

(a) knows or has cause to believe that a person is a registrable person or a registrable relevant legal entity in relation to the company (“a suspected PSC”),

(b) is under a duty to give the suspected PSC a notice under section 790D but does not have the information that it needs in order to contact them, and

(c) knows or has cause to believe that the third party—

(i) knows the identity of the suspected PSC, or

(ii) knows the identity of someone likely to have that knowledge.

(4) A notice under subsection (1) must require the person to whom it is given (“the recipient”)—

(a) to inform the company whether the recipient knows the identity of any person who—

(i) falls within subsection (2), or

(ii) is likely to know the identity of anyone who falls within subsection (2), and

(b) if the recipient does, to give the company any information within the recipient’s knowledge that would allow the company to contact each such person.

(5) The notice must require the person to whom it is given to comply with the notice by no later than the end of the period of one month beginning with the day on which it is given.

(6) A person to whom a notice under subsection (1) is given is not required by that notice to disclose any information in respect of which a claim to legal professional privilege (in Scotland, to confidentiality of communications) could be maintained in legal proceedings.

(7) The Secretary of State may by regulations make further provision about the giving of notices under this section, including provision about their form and content and the manner in which they must be given.

(8) Regulations under subsection (7) are subject to negative resolution procedure.

(9) In this section a reference to knowing the identity of a person includes knowing information from which that person can be identified.

790E Company’s duty to find out about changes in PSC information

(1) This section applies if a company—

(a) knows or has cause to believe that there has been a change in the required particulars of a registrable person or a registrable relevant legal entity in relation to the company (see section 790K), but

(b) has not had confirmation that the change has occurred or has not had confirmation of all of the information that the company would need to include in a notice of the change under section 790LD(1) or 790LE(1).

(2) The company must give the person a notice requiring the person—

(a) to inform the company whether the change has occurred, and

(b) if it has, to give the company the information that the company would need to include in a notice of the change under section 790LD(1) or 790LE(1).

(3) The notice must require the person to whom it is given to comply with the notice by no later than the end of the period of one month beginning with the day on which it is given.

(4) The company must give the notice—

(a) as soon as reasonably practicable after the company becomes subject to the duty to give a notice under subsection (2), and

(b) in any event before the end of the period of 14 days beginning with the day on which the company becomes so subject.

(5) The Secretary of State may by regulations make further provision about the giving of notices under this section, including provision about their form and content and the manner in which they must be given.

(6) Regulations under subsection (5) are subject to negative resolution procedure.

790EA Company’s duty to find out about persons ceasing to be PSCs

(1) This section applies if a company —

(a) knows or has cause to believe that a person has ceased to be a registrable person or a registrable relevant legal entity in relation to the company, but

(b) has not had confirmation that the person has ceased to be a registrable person or a registrable relevant legal entity in relation to the company or has not had confirmation of the date on which the person so ceased.

(2) The company must give the person a notice requiring the person—

(a) to inform the company whether the person has ceased to be a registrable person or a registrable relevant legal entity in relation to the company, and

(b) if the person has, to inform the company of the date on which the person so ceased.

(3) The notice must require the person to whom it is given to comply with the notice by no later than the end of the period of one month beginning with the day on which it is given.

(4) The company must give the notice—

(a) as soon as reasonably practicable after the company becomes subject to the duty under subsection (2), and

(b) in any event before the end of the period of 14 days beginning with the day on which the company becomes so subject.

(5) The Secretary of State may by regulations make further provision about the giving of notices under this section, including provision about their form and content and the manner in which they must be given.

(6) Regulations under subsection (5) are subject to negative resolution procedure.

790EB Company’s duty to notify failure to comply with notices

(1) A company must notify the registrar if a person fails to comply with a notice given by the company under section 790D, 790DA, 790E or 790EA within the period specified in it.

(2) The notice must be given within the period of 14 days beginning with the end of the period specified in the notice under section 790D, 790DA, 790E or 790EA.

790EC Company’s duty to notify of late compliance with notices

(1) A company must notify the registrar if a person who has failed to comply with a notice given by the company under section 790D, 790DA, 790E or 790EA within the period specified in it subsequently complies.

(2) The notice must be given within the period of 14 days beginning with the day on which the person complied with the notice under section 790D, 790DA, 790E or 790EA.”

Commencement Information

I1 Sch. 2 para. 11 in force at Royal Assent for specified purposes, see s. 219(1)(2)(b)

I2 Sch. 2 para. 11 in force at 4.3.2024 for specified purposes by S.I. 2024/269, reg. 2(z10)