Short answer
A rejection means Companies House did not accept the submitted filing. Keep the reference and rejection response, identify the failing condition, correct the source information in Balansix, then regenerate or revalidate the filing where required.
Investigation order
- Open the rejection response and record the submission reference.
- Identify whether the issue relates to company data, authentication, filing identifiers or the accounts payload.
- Correct the underlying source data in Balansix.
- If the accounts output changed, regenerate it and run validation again.
- Submit a new filing only after the cause has been corrected.
Do not bypass validation
If the rejection relates to the accounts payload, the corrected filing should pass the Balansix validation workflow before it is sent again.
Useful support information
Provide the submission reference, rejection message, client company number, reporting framework and the point in the filing workflow where the problem occurred. Never send passwords or MFA codes.
Common rejection causes
Companies House rejections usually fall into a few groups: an incorrect company authentication code; a company number or name that does not match the register; a period end that does not match the accounting reference date; the wrong accounts type for the company; or technical errors in the iXBRL accounts.
A rejected filing has not been delivered. The accounts are only filed when Companies House accepts a corrected submission, so deal with the rejection promptly, particularly close to the filing deadline.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I find the company authentication code?
Companies House sends it to the company's registered office address. The client should give it to the practice; do not guess or reuse an old code if it has been changed.
What if the period end does not match Companies House records?
Check the accounting reference date on the register. If the year end has been changed, the change must be filed with Companies House before accounts for the new period are accepted.
Do I need to regenerate the accounts after a rejection?
Only if the fix changes the accounts themselves. If it does, regenerate and validate the output again before resubmitting.