You have two weeks to change your Companies House login

The deadline is fast approaching for businesses using a Companies House WebFiling log in to switch over to the GOV.UK One platform.

From 13th October, owners of limited companies will need to use the GOV.UK platform to get access to services that they use the WebFiling platform for. 

These include filing annual accounts; registering a company; making changes to the company’s directors or secretary roles, and authorising who can file for the company online. It is a quick change for companies, but it is also one to be done with some urgency. 

How do companies change their login?

Business owners need to sign into their WebFiling account and make sure that their email address is up to date. If necessary, they can select the ‘Change account details’ option to change this. 

If your business already has a Companies House account for ‘Find and update company information’, this is the email address you’ll need for the changeover, so make sure this email matches up with the WebFiling platform. 

Businesses must create a GOV.UK login if they don’t have one already, and the guidance is to do this ideally before 13th October. This, again, must use the same email address as your WebFiling account. 

The guidance also suggests that this is a great time to check “the list of companies you are authorised to file for in your WebFiling account”, via the ‘Your companies’ tab’ and remove any companies you no longer file for.

Connecting accounts

Once businesses have the basic admin done, they can then connect their WebFiling account to GOV.UK One Login. From 13th October, visitors will be automatically redirected in order to be able to do this. 

Before then, when you create a GOV.UK One Login, you’ll be able to sign in and connect your account. You don’t need to verify your identity to do this, but the guidance adds: “You may need to enter each company’s authentication code to confirm that you are still authorised to file for the company.”

There is the caveat that if you share a WebFiling account with others, each individual will have to create their own GOV.UK One Login using a different email address. They will also no longer be able to access the information in the accounts.

ID verification changes coming in too

There are also other changes afoot in how Companies House interacts with businesses. 

From 18th November, identity verification will become a legal requirement for new and existing company directors and people with significant control (PSCs). 

Business owners can use the ‘Verify your identity for Companies House’ service or use through an Authorised Corporate Service Provider to comply now. Failure to comply could see filings being rejected, so businesses are being encouraged to act now. 

The move is part of a bid to tackle fraudulent business registrations and improve corporate transparency. The ECCTA reforms have also given Companies House given power to reject suspicious filings, query company names, remove inaccurate information from the register, and reject disqualified company directors. It can also now levy financial penalties for non-compliance.

With the deadlines looming for both the log-in and ID changes, businesses need to get a handle on what they need to do so that they can keep operational during the shake-up.