Results and reasons
How the recommendation is reached, every reason a UK check can show with what to do next, and what a gap in the data means.
Every check ends in a recommendation and a list of reasons. This page explains how the reasons decide the recommendation, lists every reason a UK check can show and what you might do next, and explains what it means when a source could not answer.
The recommendation
| Recommendation | The sentence under it on the check |
|---|---|
| approve | "The company is active on the register, its directors are listed and were screened, no name matches a sanctions list and nothing below needs a closer look. The decision is yours." |
| review | "Nothing rules the company out, but something below is marked warning or could not be confirmed. Read those lines before you decide." |
| reject | "The register shows the company as dissolved, or the company itself closely matches a name on a sanctions list: see the line marked fail." |
The recommendation is automated advice. The decision is always made by a person, and you can depart from the recommendation as long as you explain why in a comment. See Recording a decision.
How the reasons decide it
Each reason carries a result:
| Result | Meaning |
|---|---|
| fail | Rules the company out. Any fail makes the recommendation reject. |
| warning | A person should look at it. A single warning is enough to stop approve. |
| info | Context worth knowing, and not a warning sign on its own. Some info lines stand in for a pass that approve needs; the tables below say which. |
| pass | This part was checked and came out clean. |
The panel applies three rules, in this order:
- reject if any line is fail. Only two reasons are fail: the company is dissolved, or the company's own name is a strong sanctions match.
- approve only if all of these hold:
- Companies House shows the company as active (The register shows the company as active.);
- Companies House lists at least one current officer who runs the company ([n] current officers on the register ([n] including former ones).);
- the sanctions screening ran and found nothing (No match on 4 sanctions lists; [n] names screened.);
- no line is warning.
- review in every other case.
What this means in practice:
- Beneficial owners are not required for approve. A company that is exempt from declaring them, such as a listed company, can be recommended approve.
- Info lines never block on their own. When the officers are missing, approve is stopped because the officers pass is missing, not because of the info line that replaces it.
- A company incorporated less than 12 months ago, or with a lapsed LEI, is never recommended approve, because both are warnings.
- Some reasons appear once per item: one Possible match line per sanctions hit, and one The register flags the company line per flag.
The version of the rules is shown as Panel and rules at the bottom of Sources and in the printable report.
Every reason a UK check can show
The sentences are the ones you see under Recommendation and reasons. Words in [brackets] are filled in with the details of the check, and some lines also add the register's own wording, a date or the sanctions regime. The code after each sentence is the reason's identifier. You do not see it in the panel, but it helps when you talk to your Bouncer contact.
Company status
| Reason | Result | When it appears | What to do next |
|---|---|---|---|
The register shows the company as active. REGISTRY_ACTIVE | pass | Companies House lists the company as active, or as open or registered, the words it uses for some kinds of entity. | Nothing. Needed for approve. |
The register shows the company as inactive: liquidation, insolvency, administration or dissolution in progress. REGISTRY_INACTIVE | warning | Companies House lists the company in liquidation, receivership, administration, a voluntary arrangement or insolvency proceedings, or lists it as active with a proposal to strike it off. | Read the Status row in Identity and registered office, which gives the register's own wording, and the recent filings. Find out what is happening before you go ahead. |
The register shows the company as dissolved. REGISTRY_DISSOLVED | fail | Companies House lists the company as dissolved, removed, closed or converted-closed. | The recommendation is reject. If you meant a different company, check the number and search again. |
The register gives no usable status. REGISTRY_STATUS_UNKNOWN | warning | Companies House gives no status, or one the panel does not recognise. | Look at the record with Open in Companies House. |
The register says this number does not exist. REGISTRY_NOT_FOUND | warning | Companies House has no company with this number. The same line appears when the number is not in a shape the panel can look up: up to 8 digits (shorter numbers are padded with zeros), or 2 letters followed by 6 digits, such as SC173198. | Check the number and search again, or search by name. |
Companies House did not answer ([result]). Nothing can be concluded about the company until the check is run again. REGISTRY_UNAVAILABLE | warning | The first query, for the company profile, failed: [result] is timeout, rate limited, unauthorised or error. Nothing else was checked: no officers, owners, LEI or sanctions screening. | Wait a few minutes and select Run again. If it keeps failing, or the result is unauthorised, tell your Bouncer contact. |
Companies House did not answer one of the queries for this company ([result]): what that query decides (status, officers or beneficial owners) is missing, so the check cannot be approved automatically. Run it again. SOURCE_INCOMPLETE | warning | The profile answered, but a query for the officers, the beneficial owners or their exemptions did not. | Select Run again. If the result is rate limited, wait a few minutes first. |
The company record
| Reason | Result | When it appears | What to do next |
|---|---|---|---|
Incorporated [n] months ago, on [date]. INCORPORATED_UNDER_12M | warning | Fewer than 12 full months have passed since the date of incorporation. | The company has little history on the register. Find out more about who is behind it before you decide. |
The register flags the company: insolvency history. REGISTRY_FLAG | warning | Companies House records an insolvency history for the company. | Read the filings to see what happened. |
The register flags the company: registered office in dispute. REGISTRY_FLAG | warning | Companies House marks the registered office address as in dispute. | Confirm the company's address with them. |
The register flags the company: registered office does not receive post. REGISTRY_FLAG | warning | Companies House marks the registered office address as undeliverable. | Confirm the company's address with them. |
The annual accounts are overdue (they were due on [date]). ACCOUNTS_OVERDUE | warning | Companies House marks the accounts as overdue. | Ask the company why. The Accounts row shows the dates. |
The confirmation statement is overdue (it was due on [date]). CONFIRMATION_STATEMENT_OVERDUE | warning | Companies House marks the confirmation statement as overdue. | Ask the company why. |
[n] registered charges are outstanding ([n] in total). CHARGES_OUTSTANDING | info | At least one registered charge is neither satisfied nor partly satisfied. Partly satisfied charges are shown in the Registered charges row but not counted here. | Charges are security registered against the company, usually for a loan. Common, and not a warning sign on its own. |
The activity is alcohol production or wholesale: check the HMRC AWRS register with the wholesaler URN. HMRC has no API for it, so the panel cannot run that check. AWRS_NOT_CHECKED | info | One of the company's SIC codes is for alcohol production or wholesale. | Use the AWRS link under Other checks and search with the company's AWRS URN, which you can ask the company for. |
Officers and identity verification
| Reason | Result | When it appears | What to do next |
|---|---|---|---|
[n] current officers on the register ([n] including former ones). OFFICERS_LISTED | pass | At least one current officer runs the company, for example a director or an LLP member. A secretary alone does not count. | Nothing. Needed for approve. |
The register lists no current officers. OFFICERS_NOT_AVAILABLE | info | Companies House lists no current officers. | No automatic approve, although the line does not say so: there is nobody to screen. Ask the company who runs it. |
The register lists [n] current officers, but nobody who runs the company (only [roles]): the directors could not be screened, so the check cannot be approved automatically. OFFICERS_NOT_AVAILABLE | info | There are current officers, but none in a role that runs the company. For example, the only current officer is a secretary. | No automatic approve. Ask the company who runs it. |
The query for officers failed: they are not known in this check. This is not evidence that there are none; run the check again. OFFICERS_NOT_AVAILABLE | info | A query for the officers did not answer. The Companies House did not answer one of the queries warning appears too. | No automatic approve. Select Run again. |
The register lists more officers than one check can read: not all of them were screened, so the check cannot be approved automatically. OFFICERS_NOT_AVAILABLE | info | Reaching every current officer would mean reading more than 1,000 officer records. | No automatic approve. Review the officers by hand at Companies House. |
[n] current officers or PSCs have not verified their identity with Companies House by the deadline: [names]. OFFICER_ID_OVERDUE | warning | At least one current officer or current beneficial owner shows Overdue since [date] under Identity verification. | Ask the company when those people will verify. A person who is both an officer and a PSC is counted, and named, twice. |
[n] current officers or PSCs have still to verify their identity with Companies House, the first by [date]: [names]. OFFICER_ID_DUE | info | At least one shows Due by [date]: the deadline has not passed yet. | Nothing for now. |
Beneficial owners
| Reason | Result | When it appears | What to do next |
|---|---|---|---|
[n] current beneficial owners declared on the register. UBO_DISCLOSED | pass | The list of persons with significant control was read in full and has at least one current owner. Protected persons count. | Nothing. Not required for approve. Every current owner was screened, except protected persons. |
Exempt from declaring beneficial owners: [exemption]. UBO_EXEMPT | info | No owner is listed and Companies House records an exemption in force, for example shares traded on a UK regulated market. | Nothing. It does not stop approve. |
The register publishes beneficial owners and none is declared for this company. UBO_NONE_DECLARED | warning | The list was read in full, holds no current owner, and there is no exemption. | The panel does not read the statements a company can file at Companies House instead of naming a PSC, so this line also appears when such a statement exists. Look at the company's PSC page at Companies House (Open in Companies House). If there is no statement there either, ask the company who owns or controls it. |
The query for beneficial owners failed: they are not known in this check. This is not evidence that there are none. UBO_NOT_AVAILABLE | info | A query for the owners or their exemptions did not answer, or the list was too long to read in one check (more than 1,000 records). | Select Run again. When a query failed, the Companies House did not answer one of the queries warning appears too and the recommendation is review. When the list was too long, this line is the only sign and it does not stop approve, so check the owners at Companies House yourself. |
Sanctions
| Reason | Result | When it appears | What to do next |
|---|---|---|---|
No match on 4 sanctions lists; [n] names screened. SANCTIONS_CLEAR | pass | The screening ran against all four lists and no screened name came close to a listed name. | Nothing. Needed for approve. |
Possible match: “[screened name]” resembles “[listed name]” on the [list] ([n]% similar, [regime]). SANCTIONS_POSSIBLE_MATCH | warning | A screened name is at least 80% similar to a name on a list, compared person with person and company with company. Every hit on an officer or an owner is possible, never strong. One line per hit. | It is not a confirmed match. Open the hit in Sanctions screening, look up the Entry on the list, and compare it with what you know about the company or person. The panel compares names only, not dates of birth, nationalities or addresses. |
Strong match: the company itself matches “[listed name]” on the [list] ([n]% similar, [regime]). SANCTIONS_STRONG_MATCH | fail | The company's own name is at least 95% similar to a company on a list. | The recommendation is reject. Check the entry and follow your organisation's sanctions procedure before you decide. |
Sanctions screening was not run: [reason]. SANCTIONS_NOT_RUN | warning | [reason] is the sanctions lists are not loaded, the sanctions lists are out of date (the panel downloads the lists every day, and at least one was last downloaded more than 3 days ago) or the screening failed. | Nothing is recommended approve until the screening runs. Select Run again later, and tell your Bouncer contact if it keeps happening. |
Sanctions screening was not run: there is no company to screen. SANCTIONS_NOT_RUN | warning | Companies House did not return the company, or did not answer. | Deal with the register line first (see Company status), then run the check again. |
LEI (GLEIF)
None of these is needed for approve, but a lapsed or inactive LEI is a warning.
| Reason | Result | When it appears | What to do next |
|---|---|---|---|
LEI [code] is issued and the entity is active in GLEIF (linked by [how]). LEI_ACTIVE | pass | The linked LEI is issued (or pending transfer) and GLEIF records the entity as active. [how] is same registration number or same legal name, single candidate. | Nothing. |
LEI [code] has lapsed: its data has not been revalidated. LEI_LAPSED | warning | The linked LEI's registration status is lapsed. | GLEIF's data for the company may be out of date: rely on the Companies House data. As a warning, it stops approve, so your decision needs a comment. |
LEI [code] is not in force (registration [status], entity [status]). LEI_INACTIVE | warning | The LEI is retired, merged or in another state that is not in force, or GLEIF records the entity as inactive. | Check under Linked by how the LEI was tied to the company, and ask the company about it if it matters to you. |
No LEI found for this entity. Most small and medium companies do not have one. LEI_NOT_FOUND | info | GLEIF has no LEI that the panel could tie to the company by its number or by its name. | Normal for most companies. Nothing to do. |
Several GLEIF entities share this name, so none was linked rather than risk the wrong one. LEI_NOT_FOUND | info | No LEI matched the company's number, and more than one UK record in GLEIF has the company's name. | Nothing to do, unless you need the LEI: then ask the company for it. |
GLEIF did not answer. LEI_NOT_FOUND | info | A GLEIF query failed. | Select Run again if you need the LEI. It does not affect the recommendation. |
What a gap means
A gap is something the check could not find out. It is not a finding. When a source does not answer, the panel says so instead of reading the silence as "none". The one exception is the GLEIF parent lookups, explained at the end of this section. The printable report puts it in one line: "A source marked as not available is not evidence of absence."
Read these pairs differently:
| The source answered | The source did not answer |
|---|---|
| The register lists no current officers. | The query for officers failed: they are not known in this check. |
| The register publishes beneficial owners and none is declared for this company. | The query for beneficial owners failed: they are not known in this check. |
| Registered charges: None registered | Registered charges: Could not be read from the register |
| No LEI found for this entity. | GLEIF did not answer. |
| No match on 4 sanctions lists | Sanctions screening was not run: [reason]. |
| not found in the Result column of Sources | timeout, rate limited, unauthorised or error in the Result column of Sources |
When you meet a gap:
- Select Run again. Most gaps are a source that was slow or busy at that moment.
- Do not record "none" because of a gap. If the gap stays and it matters to your decision, check the source yourself (Open in Companies House, or the LEI link to GLEIF) and say in your comment what you checked.
- If a source keeps failing, tell your Bouncer contact and give them the check reference.
Some gaps produce no reason line at all. If the filings or charges queries fail, the recommendation is unaffected, and only Sources and the Registered charges row show it. The GLEIF parent lookups are not listed in Sources, and one that does not answer shows none reported in GLEIF, the same as a company with no parent in GLEIF. Confirm a parent on GLEIF's own site if it matters.
A clean check covers only what the check looks at. The panel does not check UK VAT numbers and does not query the AWRS register (it gives you a link). It does not look for politically exposed persons or adverse media. A check records one moment: to see what has changed since, run it again.