Each business, big or small, is liable to pay tax to the UK government through HMRC and register at the Companies House. The Companies House keeps a record of the companies in the UK and issues a unique code called the webfiling authentication code. This code is as important as the company tax number. This article gives detailed information on what is webfiling authentication code and why it is important for a company in the UK. Talk to our best accountants and bookkeepers in the UK at CruseBurke. You will get instant help about webfiling authentication code. What is Webfiling Authentication Code? The web filing authentication code is a 6-character alphanumeric code. It is unique and issued by the Companies House to each company in the UK. The Companies House includes the webfiling authentication code in the official letter of the company. The Companies House sends the letter containing the webfiling authentication code to the address provided by the company owner. You must ask for the webfiling authentication code if you do not find it in the letter sent by the Companies House. This code serves multiple purposes for a company. This code serves as a digital password to the company’s information stored at the Companies House. The web filing authentication code is used to authorise someone to update the company information or view it at the Companies House portal. Web filing authentication code is similar to the signature of a company official and holds similar authenticity significance. The web filing authentication code of your company must be kept secure, and irrelevant persons or employees should not know what the web filing authentication code of your company, otherwise someone may change the company details. How Long will it Take to Receive My Company Authentication Code? The time taken to receive your web filing authentication code depends on how you form your company. If you are forming your company using the “inform direct approach,” you may get your webfiling authentication code on the spot. If you are incorporating your company through the Companies House, then you should receive your webfiling authentication code within 5 days of incorporation. How to Use Your Web Filing Authentication Code? The webfiling authentication code is used by the company or data-entering software to file the company information on the online Companies House webfiling portal. To file and update the company information on the Companies House webfiling portal, this unique 6-character alphanumeric code is required along with the company registration number and account password. The online webfiling portal is used for various important tasks such as Filing the annual return of the company, which is now known as the confirmation filing Update the confirmation statement on the Companies House webfiling portal Filing the annual accounts information. This includes information about the dormant company accounts. Updating the registered office address if you have moved to a new location Informing Companies House about the SAIL address Updating the information about newly appointed company officers or those who have resigned or fired. This involves company directors and secretaries. Updating the data of company officers at the Companies House portal. The webfiling authentication code is for the security of the company information and to avoid any unauthorised access to the confidential company information without consent from the company officials. Therefore, the webfiling authentication code must be kept confidential. How to Change or Cancel Your Code? It is a common observation that people usually forget their codes or passwords. This can happen with the webfiling authentication code as well. The company owner has the authority to change the webfiling authentication to something not easily forgettable, and he can easily guess while working on the Companies House portal. If the code is changed, you must inform the third party who is involved in updating and adding company information at the Companies House portal. If the stakeholders are uninformed, you may lose important information updates about your company, as without the webfiling authentication code, the company information is inaccessible. How to Look After Your Code? The security and secrecy of the webfiling authentication code are as important as the secrecy of your debit/credit card PIN. To keep your webfiling authentication code secure, you should take the following measures: The code should consist of mixed letters and numbers so that it is difficult to guess. Share the webfiling authentication code with the relevant and limited persons only, and make sure they are trustworthy. Change the webfiling code if you sense the code is not secure anymore and is known to someone you don’t trust. Change the code if the relevant officer or third-party software is no longer involved in adding and updating data at the Companies House portal. For example, if an officer leaves the company or your previous accountant. The UK government never asks for the webfiling authentication code. If you receive a call asking for your webfiling authentication code, you should immediately report it to the Companies House fraud report section. Will Companies House Change My Code? Companies House might change your webfiling authentication code. This happens if the letters sent by the Companies House eat the registered company address are not received and repeatedly returned to the Companies House office. The Companies House will change your webfiling authentication code to protect your company and staff details. The letters are returned to the Companies House if you change your office location without updating the Companies House. Retrieving your Webfiling Authentication Code You may forget and start recalling what is webfiling authentication code of your company. You should have a web filing authentication code that is associated with something memorable. If you have forgotten the webfiling authentication code, you can request a reminder from the Companies House. For this purpose, sign in to the Companies House portal and select the “request an authentication code” option. Conclusion As a company owner, you should know what is webfiling authentication code and what importance it holds for your company. This code is issued by Companies House …

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