Companies House guide
It is one of the most common reasons accounts and confirmation statements go in late. Here is how to get a new code, what to do if the deadline is close, and how to stop it happening again.
Step 1
Ask the director, the previous accountant and look in old correspondence. The code is six characters and does not change unless a new one is requested.
Step 2
The replacement code is always posted to the registered office. Check the address on the Companies House register before requesting it.
Step 3
Sign in to your Companies House account or WebFiling and request a new authentication code for the company. The old code stops working once the new one is issued.
Step 4
Look at the accounts and confirmation statement due dates. If the new code will not arrive in time, consider applying for an extension before the deadline.
Step 5
Once it arrives, save it against the client record with restricted access so the same problem does not happen next year.
If you cannot sign in, reset your password from the Companies House sign-in page. If the email address on the account is no longer used, contact Companies House. Access to a company is separate from your own login: you still need that company's authentication code to file for it.
Remindoo pulls filing dates from Companies House onto each client, sets internal targets well before the deadline and chases the client for anything missing, so a lost code shows up weeks early rather than on deadline day. Remindoo does not file at Companies House for you.
Procedures and timings change. Always confirm current guidance on GOV.UK Companies House.
Companies House posts a new code to the company's registered office address. It usually arrives within about five working days, so ask early if a filing deadline is close. Check GOV.UK for current timings.
Anyone with WebFiling access can request a new code, but it is always posted to the registered office address, not to the person asking. If the registered office is your practice address, it will come to you.
The code will go to the old address. The company needs to update its registered office first, which itself needs the authentication code or a paper form, so allow extra time.
Possibly. Late filing penalties apply automatically from the day after the deadline. If the delay is outside the company's control, you can apply to Companies House for an extension before the deadline, but approval is not guaranteed.
Companies House is bringing in identity verification and new account requirements under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act, which will change how filings are authorised over time. Check GOV.UK for the current position and dates.
Remindoo keeps client details on the client record with role-based permissions, so you can control who in the firm can see sensitive details. Treat the code like a password and limit access to the people who file.
Start with the workflows that cause the most chasing, then bring leads, AML, proposals and clients into the same calm operating system.
When client details, deadlines, documents and conversations are spread across inboxes and spreadsheets, time goes on searching instead of on client work.
Everyone sees the same services, contacts, deadlines and notes for each client.
Companies House sync brings in company details and filing dates, reducing manual errors.
A full timeline means anyone can answer a client question with the history in front of them.
A client portal is safer than sending financial documents as email attachments.
Written and reviewed by Waqas Sagar ACA FCCA FMAAT, Chartered Accountant with 18+ years in practice. Founder and MD of Accotax, an ICAEW, ACCA and AAT regulated London practice that has served over 5,000 clients, and founder of Remindoo. Guidance is general; check current GOV.UK and professional body guidance for your firm.
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