Finding and entering your Companies House authentication code
Companies House gives every company a six-character authentication code. Any software that files accounts or a confirmation statement for the company needs it. Save it on the company once and A4O Accounts uses it for every filing.
Where to find the code
Companies House posts the code to the company’s registered office address. It can take up to 10 working days to arrive, and Companies House won’t give it out by email or phone.
If you’ve lost it, sign in to Companies House WebFiling and request a new one. Don’t leave this until your accounts are due.
Save it on your company
- Go to Overview → Companies, then open your company.
- In the UK Filing - Companies House card, enter the code in Companies House Auth Code.
- Check the other fields in the same card: Company Type (England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland), Accounts Type, and Company is dormant if it applies.
- In Filing Contact Details, add a Contact Name and Contact Email. Companies House filings need them.
- Click Save Changes.
The filing dashboard’s Connections card then shows Companies House as Connected.
Using a different code for one filing
The submit dialog for annual accounts has a Company authentication code field. Leave it blank to use the code saved on the company, or type a code to use for that submission only.
If there’s no code in either place, the submission stops with “Companies House authentication code is required for CH filing.” Add the code and submit again.