To check a UK company before paying, start with Companies House, then verify VAT registration and sanctions status separately. Search any UK company free on CheckBiz. If you need the full trust check, order the report for €1.99 as a guest. No account is required. Your next step is to match the company number with the invoice.
This guide is one step in How to verify a company in Europe before you pay it — the four checks to make in the official registers before you pay a new supplier.
- What should you check first?
- How do you search Companies House?
- What does the UK register actually return?
- What can Companies House prove?
- When should you use a broader company check?
- FAQ
What should you check first?
Start with the supplier’s exact legal identity. Ask for its registered company name and company number. Compare both with Companies House, the invoice, contract and bank details. Then confirm active status, review the registered office and filing history, check VAT registration, and screen the company for sanctions concerns before payment.
Use this first-pass checklist:
- Match the legal name and company number on the quote, contract and bank details.
- Confirm that the register status is active.
- Check the registered office and incorporation details.
- Review recent accounts, confirmation statements and other filing history.
- Compare the listed officers with the people representing the supplier.
- Review published ownership information where available.
- Confirm VAT registration when the transaction requires it.
- Screen the company for sanctions concerns before payment.
An overdue filing does not automatically prove fraud. It is a reason to ask questions. A recently incorporated company may also be legitimate, but it provides less trading history to assess.
How do you search Companies House?
Search Companies House by company number whenever possible. Names can be similar, abbreviated or presented in different forms. Open the matching record and compare its identity with the documents and payment instructions you received. Save the company number and the date of your check so the review can be repeated.
Follow these steps:
- Search for the company by company number or exact legal name.
- Open the record that matches the supplier’s details.
- Check the status, registered office, incorporation date and company type.
- Read the filing history, including accounts and confirmation statements.
- Review officers and published ownership information.
- Compare the register with the invoice, contract and bank details.
- Investigate every material inconsistency before approving payment.
Companies House information can change. A clean search today does not guarantee delivery, future performance or financial strength. It confirms what the public register shows when you perform the check.
What does the UK register actually return?
For a UK company, the register returns the company number, legal name, status, registered office address, SIC industry code, incorporation date and whether the company is VAT-registered. The SIC code arrives as a bare number, such as 47110, with no description attached. You must look up the code before it has useful meaning.
The returned fields are:
| Field | What you receive |
|---|---|
| Company number | The number assigned to the registered company |
| Legal name | The company’s registered legal name |
| Status | The current register status |
| Registered office address | The address recorded for the company |
| SIC industry code | A numerical code, such as 47110 |
| Incorporation date | The date the company was incorporated |
| VAT registration | Whether the company is VAT-registered |
Do not treat the SIC code as a plain-language business description. A number such as 47110 needs a separate lookup to identify the associated industry. Compare the returned fields with the supplier’s documents before you approve a payment.
What can Companies House prove?
Companies House can help confirm that a UK company appears in the public register and whether its record is active. It can also show the registered office, incorporation date, SIC code, filing history, officers and published ownership information. It does not by itself establish sanctions status, bank-account ownership, delivery capability or commercial reliability.
The United Kingdom left the EU VAT system on 1 January 2021. A UK VAT number cannot therefore be validated through the EU’s VIES service. Check it against HMRC’s own service instead. For the wider limits of VAT verification, see what an EU VAT number check proves.
| Check | What it can tell you | What it does not prove |
|---|---|---|
| Company identity | Whether the legal name and company number match a registered record | That the person contacting you represents the company |
| Register status | Whether the company is shown as active or has another status | That it is financially healthy |
| Filing history | Whether accounts and other filings have been submitted | That the filings prove current performance |
| Officers and ownership | Who is listed in the published record | That the listed people are clear of sanctions concerns |
| Registered office | The address recorded for the company | That the company operates from that address |
| VAT registration | Whether the company is shown as VAT-registered when separately checked | That the company is entitled to every VAT treatment it claims |
Treat the register as evidence, not as a complete trust verdict. A company can be registered and still require checks on VAT, sanctions, payment details and the commercial context.
When should you use a broader company check?
Use a broader company check before paying an unfamiliar supplier, signing a contract or starting a cross-border business relationship. Companies House covers the UK registry record. CheckBiz combines company identity, active status, VAT registration and sanctions screening in one report, then gives you a plain-language trust verdict.
A broader trust check is useful when:
- The supplier is new to you.
- The invoice uses a different legal name from the sales contact.
- The payment goes to an account in another country.
- The contract value makes a mistake costly.
- The supplier’s VAT details are missing or inconsistent.
- The company has limited filing history.
- The transaction involves a European company outside the UK.
CheckBiz keeps confirmed sanctions matches apart from lookalike names. A fuzzy name match does not turn the verdict red on its own. This makes the result easier to interpret than raw search results alone.
CheckBiz covers the United Kingdom and other European countries. Report depth varies by national registry. Review the country coverage before ordering. You can also read how the check works.
A full company report costs €1.99 per company. It is a one-off guest purchase with no account and no subscription. The report link stays active for 30 days. See the report pricing.
Companies House is a useful starting point, while a payment decision often needs more context. Check the legal identity first, then review status, filings, VAT registration and sanctions screening. Keep the evidence connected to the transaction, and ask the supplier to explain any material mismatch before you proceed.
FAQ
Is Companies House enough before paying a UK company?
No. It can confirm important public register details, but it does not by itself confirm sanctions status, bank-account ownership, delivery capability or commercial reliability. Use it for the identity and filing check, then add the VAT and sanctions checks that match the transaction.
What if the company name does not match the invoice?
Pause the payment and ask for an explanation. Compare the invoice, contract, company number, bank details and contact information. A trading name may differ from the legal name, but the supplier should explain the relationship and provide consistent evidence before you approve the payment.
Can a UK VAT number be checked through VIES?
No. The United Kingdom left the EU VAT system on 1 January 2021, so a UK VAT number cannot be validated through the EU’s VIES service. It must be checked against HMRC’s own service instead. CheckBiz can include VAT registration in its company report.
Does CheckBiz screen a UK company for sanctions concerns?
CheckBiz provides sanctions screening as part of its company report. Confirmed sanctions matches are kept separate from possible lookalike names, so a fuzzy match does not turn the trust verdict red on its own. Review the result in the context of the company and transaction.
Do I need an account to order a CheckBiz report?
No. You can buy a full company report as a guest. It is a one-off purchase with no subscription, and the report link stays active for 30 days. Company search and the public profile are free. The full report costs €1.99 per company.
What should you do before sending the money?
Match the company number and legal name, review the Companies House record, check the UK VAT number through HMRC where relevant, screen the company for sanctions concerns and resolve inconsistencies. As your concrete next step, search the supplier on CheckBiz and order the €1.99 full company report before paying.
This content was generated with artificial intelligence.
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