File or withdraw a PSC statement (PSC08 / PSC09)

A PSC statement is a formal statement about the company's significant control. You use one instead of PSC details when the company has no PSC, or when it cannot yet confirm a PSC's details. GOV.UK says you must state why there is no PSC or why you have not confirmed their details, and register this statement with Companies House.

The company must take reasonable steps to find out if anyone is a registrable person or a registrable relevant legal entity. A PSC statement does not replace that work. It records where the company has got to.

See also: who is a person with significant control

Form PSC08 lists the statements a company can give. You can only give one statement on each form. If more than one applies, each needs its own filing.

• No PSC: the company knows or has reasonable cause to believe that there is no registrable person or registrable relevant legal entity. A common example is a company where no one holds more than 25% and no one else has significant control.
• PSC not yet confirmed: the company knows or has cause to believe that someone has become a registrable person or relevant legal entity, but has not yet had confirmation.
• Investigation notice not complied with: the company gave a notice under section 790D or 790DA and it has not been complied with.
• Update notice not complied with: an identified registrable person or relevant legal entity failed to comply with a notice under section 790E or 790EA. This statement needs the actual individual’s full forenames and surname, RLE name or ORP name.
• Restrictions notice: the company has issued a restrictions notice over someone's shares or rights.

A statement stays on the register until you tell Companies House it is no longer true. You do this with form PSC09. You need a separate filing for each statement you withdraw, and for each different relevant date.

PSC09 distinguishes nine updates: the current no-PSC and become-but-unconfirmed statements ending; three statements made before 18 November 2025 about incomplete enquiries, an unidentified registrable person or unconfirmed particulars; late compliance with an investigation notice or an update notice; a company withdrawal notice ending restrictions; and a court order ending restrictions.

Give the exact existing statement, choose one update, explain the actual event and upload the supporting existing record and update evidence for our private review. The three legacy choices need the actual pre-18 November 2025 statement date. Notice-compliance choices need the actual notice deadline and later compliance evidence. Section 790E/790EA needs the individual’s separate full forenames and surname, or exact RLE/ORP name; the other update types do not require a named target.

A court-restrictions update needs the actual order’s made date, effective date and the date the company became aware of it. PSC09 section 8 describes the effective date, while section 790EF asks for the date of the order and sets a 14-day deadline from company awareness. If made and effective dates differ, we hold payment for separate statutory route review rather than assume which date to file. Obtaining orders or issuing withdrawal notices is outside this service.

Withdrawing a statement often goes hand in hand with another filing. For example, if the company now knows who its PSC is, you withdraw the 'no PSC' or 'not yet confirmed' statement and register the person on PSC01. A relevant legal entity is registered on PSC02, and another registrable person on PSC03. PSC09 also has a section for updating statements made before 18 November 2025, and for recording that a restrictions notice has been withdrawn.

For a new no-PSC or become-but-unconfirmed PSC08 statement, report within 14 days of the company’s first knowledge or cause to believe. Do not wait for confirmation. Notice-failure and restrictions statements have their own relevant event and statutory deadline, which we check against the actual evidence.

• For a new statement, the relevant date could be the date the company first knew or had cause to believe there was no PSC, or that someone had become a PSC.
• For a PSC08 notice-failure statement, use the actual compliance deadline, not the notice issue date. For a restrictions statement, use the date the restrictions notice was actually given.
• For a withdrawal, it could be the date the company first knew or had cause to believe the statement was no longer true.
• For PSC09 late notice compliance, use the actual compliance date after the specified deadline. For company restrictions withdrawal, use when the withdrawal notice was given. For a court order, collect its made, effective and company-awareness dates; differing made/effective dates require separate statutory route review before payment.

• Whether you are adding a new statement or withdrawing an existing one.
• For PSC08, choose exactly one of the five statutory statements and explain the actual findings and date basis. For PSC09 identify the existing statement exactly as it appears on the register, choose its actual update, give the relevant date and factual basis, and upload the actual existing record and update evidence.
• The relevant date.
• For a section 790E/790EA notice failure, give the actual individual’s separate full forenames and surname, or the exact RLE/ORP name. The other four PSC08 statement types do not require a named target. PSC09 section 790E/790EA compliance also needs those exact identity details. Title and birth month/year are optional; no full birth date or personal code is required.
• Whether a PSC01, PSC02 or PSC03 filing is also needed. That is a separate filing.
• For notice-failure or restrictions statements, upload the actual notice and supporting service, deadline or restrictions authority evidence for our private review. These are review documents, not mandatory PSC08 attachments. Issuing notices and legal advice are outside this service.
• Confirm the ordinary company route and that no individual PSC has public-register protection or a pending application. Unknown facts, protected, paper or specialist cases need route review before payment.
• Confirmation that you are authorised to act for the company. For an ordinary online request, we check company authority, authentication and the actual authorised filer before payment. Paper PSC08 or PSC09 uses a printed authenticator name and permitted capacity, without a handwritten signature; liquidator is permitted on both forms. Paper requires separate review.
• The company authentication code, which Companies House asks for when you file online.

Find the company and choose the ordinary or review route, then add or withdraw. For PSC08 choose one statutory statement, explain its actual basis and give its relevant date. Supply the exact section 790E/790EA target identity and actual notice evidence where applicable. We inspect the complete package and authority before payment; uncertain or unsupported cases remain in review. Every filing needs your approval.

Nothing goes to Companies House until you have approved it. Your statement appears on the public record once Companies House has accepted the filing. Paying us, or getting a receipt for the submission, is not the same as acceptance, so check the company's record afterwards.

• Leaving the PSC section blank because nobody holds more than 25%. You still need a 'no PSC' statement.
• Registering a new PSC but leaving the old 'no PSC' statement on the register. Withdraw it with PSC09.
• Using PSC08 to update a statement. PSC08 adds statements. PSC09 withdraws them.
• Putting more than one statement or more than one relevant date on a single filing.
• Using these forms where an individual PSC has applied, or is applying, for protection of their details. Companies House asks you to contact [email protected] for the correct form.