UK company due-diligence checklist
Before you sign, pay or partner, run these checks. This is a practical, do-it-yourself checklist for vetting any UK company — supplier, client, partner or employer — using free, official data. Work top to bottom; anything you can’t verify is itself a finding.
1. Identity
- Exact legal name and company number — and that they match the invoice, website and bank details.
- Status is Active (not dissolved, liquidation or proposal to strike off).
- Incorporation date — how long has it actually existed?
2. The people
- Directors — real, named, and identity-verified.
- Owners (PSC) — who ultimately controls it; follow the chain if the owner is another company.
- Track record — search the directors’ names for a trail of failed or dissolved companies, or a disqualified director.
3. Financial
- Accounts filed and up to date (not overdue); net assets and cash reasonable.
- Filing history — consistent, on-time filings suggest a properly-run business.
- Insolvency history and heavy charges (secured debt) understood.
4. Regulatory
- VAT number verified with HMRC (for suppliers).
- FCA registration (if it handles money, credit, insurance or investments).
- Sanctions — the company and its owners aren’t listed, for higher-value deals.
5. Operational reality
- A genuine registered office and address — not just a PO box shared by hundreds of companies.
- Real contact details and a working website that matches the company.
Do it all in one go
You can work through this by hand across Companies House, HMRC and the FCA — or ask Verivello “Run due diligence on [company].” It pulls the official record together — identity, people, finances, red flags — and answers with sources, in seconds. Start free.
Frequently asked questions
What is company due diligence?
Company due diligence is the process of checking the facts about a business before you commit to it — before signing a contract, paying an invoice, taking a job, or entering a partnership. It confirms the company is real, active, financially sound and run by verifiable people, so you understand the risk you’re taking on.
What should a due-diligence checklist include?
At minimum: confirm the company’s identity (exact name, number, active status); check the people (directors and PSC owners, and their track record); review the finances (accounts, filing history, insolvency, charges); verify regulatory status where relevant (VAT, FCA); and confirm operational reality (a genuine address, contact details and website). Anything that can’t be verified is itself a finding.
How do I do due diligence on a supplier?
Confirm the supplier’s legal name and company number match their invoice and bank details, check the company is Active, verify their VAT number with HMRC, and review their accounts and filing history for signs of financial trouble. Be especially cautious with a brand-new company demanding a large payment upfront.
How long does company due diligence take?
A basic check on the official record takes a few minutes; a thorough review of accounts, people and regulatory status might take an hour. Using a tool like Verivello, which pulls the whole official record together and answers plain-English questions with sources, cuts most of that to seconds.
What are the biggest due-diligence red flags?
A dissolved or strike-off status; no verifiable directors or a blank ownership record; overdue accounts; a very new company asking for large upfront payment; insolvency history or a disqualified director; hundreds of companies at one address; and any mismatch between the company record and the name, number or bank details you were given.
Is due diligence only for big deals?
No. The same quick checks are worth doing for any decision where money, data or your reputation is at stake — paying a new supplier, taking on a client, accepting a job offer, or investing. The bigger the commitment, the deeper the checks should go.