Company Shark

A due-diligence checklist for UK companies

Due diligence on a UK company means systematically checking the facts before you commit. A sensible free checklist covers: the correct company number and active status, incorporation date and name history, registered office, current directors and their other roles, people with significant control, the filing record for accounts and confirmation statements, and a handful of external checks (website, VAT number, reviews). Work through them in order and note anything that does not add up.

By the Company Shark team · Reviewed · Sourced from the official Companies House register

Identity: are you dealing with the company you think you are?

Confirm the exact registered name and eight-character company number, and check the trading name matches or is a known variation. Note the incorporation date and any recent name changes. This first step catches the most common problem in B2B dealings: an invoice or contract that names a slightly different entity from the one you negotiated with.

Where a group of companies is involved, map which entity you are actually contracting with — the one that will owe you money or deliver the work — rather than a well-known parent that carries the brand but not the liability.

People: who runs and controls it?

List the current directors and their appointment dates, and look at their other current and resigned appointments for track record and any pattern of failed companies. Then check the people with significant control (PSCs) to understand who ultimately owns or controls the business — ownership that is hidden or routed through overseas entities deserves closer scrutiny.

For any relationship that involves credit or a long-term commitment, knowing the real decision-makers — and that they are consistently disclosed on the public record — is as important as the numbers.

Compliance: is the record current?

Check that the latest confirmation statement is filed and not overdue, and that accounts are up to date. Read the most recent accounts type: micro-entity or dormant accounts tell you the company is small or not trading; full or audited accounts suggest more substance. A company that files consistently is engaging with its obligations; overdue filings or an active strike-off proposal are reasons to slow down.

The filing history is a timeline. Sudden changes — a new registered office, a change of directors, or a switch of accountant just before a big transaction — are not necessarily problems, but they are worth understanding.

Finances and risk: can they deliver and pay?

The public accounts give a lagged snapshot of the balance sheet — net assets, cash and creditors — which helps you gauge whether a company can meet its commitments, bearing in mind that small-company accounts are abbreviated and up to a year old. For material deals, a paid credit report adds a real-time risk score and credit limit recommendation.

Also check for any insolvency-related filings (a proposal to strike off, appointment of an administrator or liquidator). These are the clearest signals that a company may not be able to complete its side of a bargain.

External sanity checks

Finish outside the register: does the company have a real website on its own domain, a business email, and a phone number that connects to a person who knows the business? If it claims to be VAT-registered, verify the number on the government’s VAT checker. Search for independent reviews and any news, court, or regulator mentions.

None of these steps is conclusive alone, but together they turn a name on an invoice into a business you can make an informed decision about. Keep a short written record of what you checked and when — it is invaluable if a dispute ever arises.

Frequently asked

How long does basic due diligence on a company take?

For a straightforward supplier or client, the core Companies House checks — status, directors, PSCs and filing history — take only a few minutes once you know the company number. External checks add a little more; a full financial review with a credit report takes longer.

What is the difference between due diligence and a credit check?

Due diligence is the broad process of verifying who a company is and whether it is sound. A credit check is one part of it — a financial risk assessment, usually paid, that scores the likelihood of the company paying on time.

Can I do due diligence for free?

Yes for the identity, people and compliance checks — all of that is public on Companies House. Detailed financial scoring and monitoring are usually paid services layered on top of the free record.

What are the biggest red flags to look for?

Dissolved or strike-off status, long-overdue accounts, a mismatch between the trading name and the registered company, directors with a trail of failed companies, and hidden or overseas ultimate ownership are the signals that most often justify walking away or asking more questions.

Related guides

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