FOI Reference: FOI/2022/4046
You asked
I am making a freedom of information request with regards the UK bookkeeping industry, and have the following questions:
How many active bookkeeping firms/self-employed bookkeepers are there to-date (30 March 2022)?
How many active bookkeeping firms/self-employed bookkeepers were there as at 30 March 2021, 30 March 2020, 30 March 2019 and 30 March 2018?
How many active employed bookkeepers are there to-date (30 March 2022), whether in a bookkeeping, accountancy, industry, or other business?
In the last 5 years, have the number of UK-based bookkeeping firms/self-employed bookkeepers grown or declined?
What is the average amount of employees UK bookkeeping firms/self-employed bookkeepers employ to-date (30 March 2022)?
Of the current active UK bookkeeping firms/self-employed bookkeepers, how many are under 5 years since starting to trade?
Of the current active UK bookkeeping firms/self-employed bookkeepers, how many are over 5 years since starting to trade, but under 10 years?
Of the current active UK bookkeeping firms/self-employed bookkeepers, how many are over 10 years since starting to trade?
Of the current active UK bookkeeping firms/self-employed bookkeepers, how many are with HMRC as their AML supervisory body?
Of the current active UK bookkeeping firms/self-employed bookkeepers, how many are with another institution as their AML supervisory body?
What are the names of all AML supervisory bodies currently (as at 30 March 2022) supervising UK bookkeeping businesses/self-employed bookkeepers?
Of the current active UK bookkeeping firms/self-employed bookkeepers, how many do not have an AML supervisory body?
How many bookkeeping firms/self-employed bookkeepers are currently based in London (within M25 boundaries)?
How many bookkeeping firms/self-employed bookkeepers are based in the southeast of England?
We said
Thank you for your Freedom of Information request.
For information, we produce an annual publication called UK Business: Activity, size and location. This publication breaks down the number of UK Businesses (registered for VAT and/or PAYE) by geography, employment size-band, industry and legal status. It is created using an extract of the Inter Departmental Business Register (IDBR) taken on 13th March 2021.
The data you have requested regarding the number of bookkeeping businesses within the UK are available using our data dissemination tool for the years 2010-2021. The 2022 data will be available in September/October. The data can be broken-down by Region and Local Authority.
However, with regards to your questions on the number of employees and age of businesses within the bookkeeping industry, this analysis would need to be created and is available to order from our IBDR Customer Service team. Such services are subject to legal frameworks, resources, and agreement of costs. If you would like to request this bespoke dataset, please contact idbrdas@ons.gov.uk to discuss your enquiry further. Please note, there will be a charge for this work which would be subject to our charging policy.
As this information is reasonably accessible via another route, even if only accessible on payment, Section 21(1)(a) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) applies.
Unfortunately, the IDBR does not hold data on AML supervisory bodies. We therefore consider the information for this part of the request as not held by the Office for National Statistics.
The main source of data for the IDBR are VAT and/or PAYE registrations from HMRC, their FOI team can be contacted on the following email address foi.request@hmrc.gov.uk.