The 4 SIC codes that get flagged at Companies House

Since the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act provisions came fully into force in 2025, Companies House has tightened review of new incorporations. Most still complete in 24 hours. A subset are flagged for additional verification — which adds days or weeks to incorporation, and occasionally triggers full identity review.

Four SIC codes account for the majority of flag-triggered delays. Three of them are usually a misclassification by the founder — pick the right code instead and you avoid the flag entirely.

1. SIC 64.20 — Activities of holding companies

This is the code most often mis-selected. Founders use it because the company is "a holding company for my other businesses." Companies House flags it because pure holding companies (no trading) are a well-known vehicle for opaque ownership structures.

Use it when: the company is genuinely only holding shares in other companies, not trading itself.
Don't use it when: the company trades or provides services. Even if it also holds subsidiaries, pick the trading SIC and add 64.20 as a secondary code if relevant.

2. SIC 82.99 — Other business support service activities not elsewhere classified

The default "I don't know which one to pick" code. Companies House knows this and reviews it more closely as a result. It's not a problem per se — but if your business actually fits a more specific code, use that.

Better alternatives: 70.22 (Business and other management consultancy), 73.11 (Advertising agencies), 62.02 (Information technology consultancy), 74.90 (Other professional, scientific and technical activities n.e.c.).

3. SIC 64.92 — Other credit granting

This code covers most non-bank lending. If you're operating any kind of credit-granting activity, you almost certainly need FCA authorisation in addition to incorporation — Companies House flags this code to make sure you've thought about that. The flag isn't blocking incorporation per se; it's a regulatory nudge.

If you're flagged: confirm your FCA position before responding. Most flagged 64.92 incorporations need to provide additional context about the planned activity before approval.

4. SIC 96.09 — Other personal service activities n.e.c.

Catch-all code for services that don't fit elsewhere. Companies House reviews it because it's the favoured code for shell company formations. Like 82.99, the flag isn't fatal — it just slows incorporation.

Better alternatives: most "personal service" businesses fit better under 96.04 (Physical well-being activities), 96.02 (Hairdressing and other beauty treatment), or — if you're actually a professional consultant — under one of the consultancy codes.

Two minutes of SIC-code work pays for itself

The right SIC code rarely costs you anything (the code itself has minimal regulatory consequence at incorporation). The wrong SIC code can add 5–15 days to incorporation, occasionally trigger a full identity verification round, and signal to your bank or accountant that they should review your structure more carefully.

If you're not sure which SIC code fits, run FormSnap before clicking incorporate. Two minutes, free, 90% of the time it surfaces a better code than the one the founder had in mind.

How Incorpwise handles SIC review

Every Incorpwise formation includes a SIC-code sanity check before submission. Where the chosen code is one of the four flagged codes above, we either confirm it's appropriate or suggest a better-fitting alternative before filing. Total cost: zero extra. Time saved: typically 3–10 days vs the same incorporation filed without the check.

Start a formation from the home page. £99 standard, £299 Business in a Box.