Insolvency Service Shuts Down UK Business Registration Services

Companies House Latest News

Filed February 5th, 2026

Detected February 11th, 2026

Summary

The UK Insolvency Service has shut down three companies that facilitated the registration of over 11,000 UK businesses for overseas clients, primarily from China. These companies operated without proper registration and failed to conduct anti-money laundering checks, creating a false impression of UK presence for their clients.

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What changed

The UK Insolvency Service, in conjunction with Companies House, has successfully wound up three companies: Yunma Tianlong International Consulting Co., Limited, Busy Secretary Service Limited, and J&C Business (UK) Co., Limited. These entities provided company secretary and registration services to over 11,000 UK businesses, predominantly for clients based in China. The companies operated outside anti-money laundering regulations by failing to register as trust and company service providers (TCSPs) and misled customers by creating a false impression of genuine UK business presence. This action was taken to protect the integrity of the Companies House register and prevent the misuse of UK company structures.

This enforcement action has significant implications for businesses that rely on third-party registration services and for the integrity of the UK's corporate register. Companies that were clients of these wound-up entities, particularly those selling products like pet supplies and women's clothing, have also faced enforcement action, with investigations ongoing for over half of them. Regulated entities and TCSPs should ensure they are fully compliant with anti-money laundering regulations and accurately represent the presence of their clients in the UK. Failure to do so could lead to similar enforcement actions, including company winding-up and potential penalties.

What to do next

Review registration services used for overseas clients to ensure compliance with UK anti-money laundering regulations.
Verify that all third-party service providers are properly registered and conducting necessary checks.
Ensure accurate representation of business presence in the UK to avoid misleading customers.

Penalties

Companies wound-up in the public interest. Client companies have also faced enforcement action.

Source document (simplified)

Press release

UK business factory linked to registration of thousands of companies for China-based clients is shut down

Companies wound-up in the public interest following Insolvency Service investigations

From: The Insolvency Service and Companies House Published 5 February 2026

Three connected companies have been shut down after providing company secretary and registration services to more than 11,000 UK businesses for overseas clients, predominantly from China
The companies operated an unregulated business model, failing to register as trust and company service providers, not conducting anti-money laundering checks, and creating a false impression that their clients had a genuine UK business presence
The Insolvency Service brought the case to protect the integrity of the Companies House register and prevent potential misuse of company structures by businesses with little to no actual presence in the UK Three companies have been shut down after helping to set up thousands of businesses which had no real presence in the UK.

Yunma Tianlong International Consulting Co., Limited, Busy Secretary Service Limited, and J&C Business (UK) Co., Limited supported overseas clients, mainly from China, to register businesses in the UK.

None of the companies were registered with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) as trust and company service providers (TCSPs), meaning they operated outside anti-money laundering rules.

Several of their client companies, which sold products such as pet supplies and women’s clothing, have also already been shut down by the courts after investigations found they gave customers a false impression of being genuine UK businesses.

More than half of the client companies have had enforcement action taken by Companies House and investigations are ongoing.

Yunma Tianlong International Consulting Co., Limited, Busy Secretary Service Limited, and J&C Business (UK) Co., Limited were all wound-up at the High Court in London on Thursday 29 January.

This action follows thousands of companies being removed from the Companies House register last year as part of a crackdown involving government and law enforcement agencies.

Mark George, Chief Investigator at the Insolvency Service, said:

If you are buying something from what looks like a UK business, you expect it to actually be based or have some presence here. These companies helped create a false picture for their overseas clients.

We’ve taken this action to protect the public and stop this kind of misleading activity.

The Companies House register is a vital public record that underpins trust in UK business. When that register is abused, it’s not just a technical breach - it affects ordinary people and businesses who deserve to know who they are dealing with. We will continue working with our partners to protect its integrity.
Business Minister Blair McDougall said:

Consumers deserve to know that they’re buying from a genuine business operating within the law.

I strongly support the Insolvency Service getting these companies shut down, sending a clear message that we will not allow the Companies House register to be exploited by those seeking to abuse it.
Martin Swain, Director of Intelligence and Law Enforcement Engagement at Companies House, said:

Most third-party agents provide legitimate services and play an active role in the creation and management of UK companies.

We know however that some agents fail to comply with the rules and are careless, even reckless, in carrying out their duties.

We will continue to step up our efforts with our law enforcement partners to crack down on this type of activity and protect the integrity of the register.
TCSPs are firms or individuals that offer services such as forming companies, acting as directors, secretaries or trustees, and providing registered office addresses. They must be registered with HMRC and follow strict anti-money laundering rules.

However, Insolvency Service investigations revealed that the three companies did not carry out background checks or anti-money laundering due diligence on clients wishing to register UK companies.

They also had no genuine operational office presence in the UK. One address on Brighton Road in South Croydon had more than 8,500 companies registered to it alone as of April 2024 but post piled up uncollected, reaching as high as the letterbox.

The companies filed dormant accounts at Companies House despite conflicting information suggesting active trading which could not be verified. They also did not appear to follow UK data protection rules and did not fully co-operate with Insolvency Service investigations.

The Official Receiver has been appointed liquidator of Yunma Tianlong International Consulting Co., Limited, Busy Secretary Service Limited, and J&C Business (UK) Co., Limited.

All enquiries concerning the affairs of the three companies should be made to the Official Receiver of the Public Interest Unit: 16th Floor, 1 Westfield Avenue, Stratford, London, E20 1HZ. piu.or@insolvency.gov.uk.