Amended the rules for suppressing personal information on the overseas entities register and narrowed disclosure requirements for trust information and Limited Liability Partnerships.
These regulations amend existing rules governing the Register of Overseas Entities and Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs) to modify how individual information is protected and disclosed.
They direct that individuals applying to suppress their home address from the public register must provide a service address but waive certain evidence requirements for specific protection grounds.
The regulations also permit the Registrar of Companies to disclose trust information even if a portion of the request involving a minor is denied, and they remove the requirement for LLPs to provide service addresses for certain persons with significant control.
These rules apply to overseas entities, their beneficial owners, managing officers, and limited liability partnerships across the United Kingdom.
Arguments For
The regulations state that certain applicants seeking to suppress information from public inspection are no longer required to provide supporting evidence when doing so on specified grounds.
The document implies a need to balance transparency with privacy by requiring a service address to be provided whenever a residential address is suppressed from the public register.
The order asserts that the changes ensure that a failure to prove a legitimate interest in information regarding a minor does not prevent the disclosure of other relevant trust information.
Proponents may argue the removal of the trust name requirement in applications for disclosure simplifies the administrative process for obtaining trust-related information.
Arguments Against
Legal scholars might question the removal of supporting evidence requirements for information suppression, arguing it could reduce the accuracy or integrity of the public register.
Privacy advocates may express concern that the registrar retains discretion to disclose protected trust information if a "legitimate interest" is determined, a term which may be subject to varying interpretations.
Affected parties might find the requirement to provide a replacement service address burdensome when seeking to protect their residential location.
Critics may argue that the lack of a full impact assessment leaves the potential administrative costs to the private sector unexamined.
Part 1
Introductory
Citation, commencement and extent
- -(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Register of Overseas Entities (Protection and Trusts) and Limited Liability Partnerships (Application of Company Law) (Amendment) Regulations 2026.
(2) These Regulations come into force on the day after the day on which they are made.
(3) These Regulations extend to England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
This section establishes the official name of the regulations and sets the date they become law as the day after they are signed.
It confirms that the rules apply throughout the entire United Kingdom, including England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
Part 2
Amendments to the Register of Overseas Entities (Delivery, Protection and Trust Services) Regulations 2022
Amendments to regulation 7
- -(1) The Register of Overseas Entities (Delivery, Protection and Trust Services) Regulations 2022 are amended as follows.
(2) In regulation 7 (application to protect information relating to a relevant individual)-
(a) for paragraph (5) substitute-
'(5) Where an application under paragraph (1) is made on the grounds referred to in paragraph (3)(a) or (c), the application must be accompanied by evidence in support of the grounds on which the application is made.';
(b) after paragraph (5), as so substituted, insert-
'(5A) Subject to paragraph (5B), applicants who make applications under paragraph (1) on the grounds referred to in paragraph (3)(b) must provide a service address in respect of the relevant individual to replace the usual residential address where it appears on the register.
(5B) Paragraph (5A) does not apply if-
(a) the relevant overseas entity has been removed from the register; or
(b) the relevant individual is no longer the beneficial owner or managing officer of the relevant overseas entity.
(5C) In paragraph (5B), 'relevant overseas entity' means the overseas entity relating to the relevant individual.'.
This section modifies the process for individuals to apply for the protection of their personal information on the Register of Overseas Entities.
It removes the requirement to provide supporting evidence for certain protection grounds while mandating that a service address be provided to replace a suppressed residential address.
This requirement for a replacement address does not apply if the entity is no longer on the register or if the individual has ceased to be a beneficial owner or officer.
Part 3
Amendments to the Register of Overseas Entities (Protection and Trusts) (Amendment) Regulations 2025
Amendments to regulation 4
- Regulation 4 of the Register of Overseas Entities (Protection and Trusts) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 (access to trust information) is amended as follows-
(a) in paragraph (1), for '(2)' substitute '(2), (2A)';
(b) for paragraph (2) substitute-
'(2) Where the application is for the disclosure of relevant protected trusts information which relates to-
(a) more than one overseas entity, or
(b) a person under eighteen years of age,
the registrar may only disclose that information if the registrar is satisfied that the applicant has a legitimate interest in having such information disclosed to them.';
(c) after paragraph (2), as so substituted, insert-
'(2A) Where the application is for the disclosure of relevant protected trusts information only some of which relates to a person ('P') under eighteen years of age, nothing in paragraph (2) prevents the disclosure of relevant protected trusts information which does not relate to P.';
(d) in paragraph (3) omit sub-paragraph (d).
This part dictates the conditions under which the Registrar may release protected information about trusts.
It mandates that applicants must demonstrate a 'legitimate interest' if the information concerns minors or multiple entities.
Crucially, it allows the Registrar to release information about adults even if the request for information about a minor in the same application is denied, and it removes the requirement for applicants to provide the specific name of a trust when requesting disclosure.
Part 4
Amendments to the Limited Liability Partnerships (Application of Companies Act 2006) Regulations 2009
Amendments to regulation 31D
- -(1) In regulation 31D of the Limited Liability Partnerships (Application of Companies Act 2006) Regulations 2009, in section 790K of the Companies Act 2006 (required particulars) as applied to limited liability partnerships by that regulation-
(a) omit subsection (2)(ba) (required information about other registrable persons: service address);
(b) omit subsection (3)(ba) (required information about registrable relevant legal entities: service address).
(2) In this regulation, 'limited liability partnership' means a limited liability partnership registered under the Limited Liability Partnerships Act 2000.
This section updates the reporting requirements for Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs) regarding their 'Persons with Significant Control'.
It removes the legal requirement for LLPs to provide service addresses for certain categories of individuals or legal entities that are registrable on their books.
This aligns LLP requirements with specific changes in broader company law application.
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