Verify a company now
Enter a company name or number. Review the available identity, officer, filing and public-record evidence before you commit.
The 7-point legitimacy checklist
A legitimate UK company should pass all seven checks below. Failing one is a question mark. Failing three or more is a red flag.
1. Active status at Companies House
The company shows as “Active”, not dissolved, in liquidation, or subject to a strike-off notice.
2. Accounts filed on time
Annual accounts are up to date. Late filing (or micro-entity accounts with no detail) deserves scrutiny.
3. Trading history (not brand-new)
Incorporated more than 12 months ago with at least one set of filed accounts. Brand-new companies are not inherently fraudulent, but they have no track record.
4. Directors are not disqualified
No current directors appear on the disqualification register. Check historical directors too.
5. No gazette insolvency notices
No winding-up petitions, administration notices, or compulsory strike-off notices in The Gazette.
6. Registered address is real
The registered office is a real location (not just a PO Box). Cross-reference with the company website or phone number.
7. Directors have clean history across all their companies
The directors' other companies are also active, filing on time, and not showing distress signals. A director with 4 dissolved companies is a pattern.
Red flags that mean “not legitimate”
Serious red flags
- Company status: “In Liquidation” or “Active Proposal to Strike Off”
- Winding-up petition in The Gazette
- Director currently disqualified
- HMRC tax defaulter list
- Company impersonating a known brand name
Warning signs
- Incorporated less than 6 months ago
- Accounts overdue by 6+ months
- Director runs 10+ active companies
- Multiple CCJs in last 12 months
- No website, phone, or verifiable address
Free checks vs paid reports
Companies House is free and covers important basics: status, directors and filing dates. Other public sources may add Gazette notices, charges, disqualification records or payment-practice returns, but coverage varies. RecoupIQ makes the available evidence and its limits visible in one decision view.
RecoupIQ: public evidence in one decision view
Enter a company name or number. Review the legal identity, current officers, PSC records, filing position and selected public warnings available for that company. The free page keeps the facts open. The Quick Check (£29) turns supported evidence into a focused decision brief.
Check a company freeWhen you need to verify a company
- ·Before signing a new supplier or subcontractor
- ·Before extending trade credit (30/60/90 day terms)
- ·Before paying a deposit or advance payment
- ·When a company approaches you out of the blue
- ·Before starting a joint venture or partnership
- ·When you receive an invoice from an unfamiliar company
- ·Before accepting employment (checking employer stability)
Evidence first, decision support next
RecoupIQ brings together the available UK public record for the company you are checking. Enter a name, review the evidence and see what should be verified before you commit. The free page is open; the £29 Quick Check adds a portable source-linked brief.
Verify a company nowRelated guides
- Check company CCJs UK
- Check if a company has a winding-up petition
- Check if a UK director is disqualified
- Company credit check UK: full guide
Last reviewed: July 2026. General information. Not legal advice. RecoupIQ Ltd, Company No. 16947526, ICO ZC077511.