Person with significant control (PSC)

Since 2016, UK companies must identify and record their people with significant control — the individuals (or, in some cases, relevant legal entities) who really own or control the company behind any layers of shareholding. The PSC register was introduced to improve transparency about beneficial ownership and to make it harder to hide who is ultimately in charge.

A person is generally a PSC if they hold more than 25% of the shares, hold more than 25% of the voting rights, have the right to appoint or remove a majority of the board, or otherwise exercise significant influence or control. A company can have several PSCs, or in some structures a “relevant legal entity” is recorded instead of a person.

The PSC data is public and appears alongside directors, but the two are different: a director runs the company day to day, whereas a PSC owns or controls it. The same individual is often both, but not always — a company may be run by appointed directors while owned by a PSC in the background.

Example

A holding company owned 100% by one entrepreneur will show that person as a PSC with control over more than 75% of shares and voting rights, even if professional directors run the operating businesses beneath it.

On Company Shark

Understanding PSCs helps when researching who is really behind a company or a group — our officer and company-network features map the relationships between the people and businesses on the register.

Related

• Company officer
• Registered office
• Companies House
• Guide: What is a person with significant control (PSC)?