It was due to go live on Tuesday 25 February, allowing registered ACSPs providers including accountancy firms and tax advisers to use the service, but some technical issues mean it has been delayed.

 Companies House confirmed that it has ‘identified areas with the service that require final testing. As a result, we have paused the launch’.

A revised timetable has not been announced as yet but Companies House stressed that it would ‘share updates on the launch timeline when we are confident that the service meets our high standards’.  

A Companies House spokesperson said: ‘We are transforming our technology infrastructure to implement new measures under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act and have built in time to ensure everything operates properly before customers are required to comply with changes.