There is no register covering all businesses in the UK. The Registrar of Companies registers a subset of businesses and provides online registration for those businesses that register as companies or limited liability partnerships. HMRC registers sole traders for tax purposes.<\/p>
Online incorporation via software filing agents was introduced in July 2001, followed in April 2010 by the launch of the Citizen Incorporation service via Companies House Webfiling. The number of companies on the register has almost doubled, from 1.66 million at the end of March 2001 to 3.25 million at March 2014. In the financial year 2013/14, 98% of all new companies were incorporated electronically.<\/p>
Companies House has carried out several studies to identify the main factors contributing to the increasing trend for company incorporations. This is attributed to a number of combined factors, such as the benefits of limited liability, changes to tax legislation and developments in the wider UK economy. There is no indication that the electronic enablement of company registration in itself has acted as a direct driver for the increase in new company registration rates, as just one of the methods the Government has used to help reduce the burden on business and the costs of running a company. This in turn has helped to make the UK one of the best places to set up and run a company.<\/p>
Electronic services have also enabled Companies House to absorb the significant additional workload resulting from the growing register, make organisational efficiency savings and pass these efficiencies on to customers in the form of lower fees. For incorporation, the UK charges some of the lowest fees in the World.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/88", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Michael Fallon"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Sevenoaks"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Michael Fallon"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-07-07", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-07-07T16:05:48.5739461Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "26"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Innovation and Skills"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Innovation and Skills"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2014-06-30", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Business: Registration"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the effect of online business registration on registration rates; and if he will make a statement.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1586", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Adam Afriyie"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Windsor"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Adam Afriyie"} ], "uin" : "202986"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/628933", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "HM Treasury"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/628933/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The current UK registration process for non-VAT registered traders to obtain an Economic Operator Registration Identification scheme number (EORI) takes on average 19 hours for the EORI number to be issued and ready for use. Applicants are advised to allow 3 working days for an EORI to be granted. This timescale is based on HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) being provided with all the information necessary on the application form and this information being validated successfully. The application form is accessed through the Gov.uk web pages, which hosts all the information related to Customs activities, and is available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/economic-operator-registration-and-identification-scheme-supporting-guidance.<\/p>
<\/p>
HMRC is also developing a new Customs Declaration Service which should significantly reduce the time taken to finalise an application for an EORI.<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3918", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Jane Ellison"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Battersea"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Jane Ellison"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2016-11-14", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2016-11-14T17:03:29.28Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "14"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Treasury"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "CaTreasury"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2016-11-04", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Business: Registration"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the time taken to issue Economic Operator Registration Identification scheme numbers to non-VAT registered traders.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4521", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Liz Saville Roberts"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Dwyfor Meirionnydd"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Liz Saville Roberts"} ], "uin" : "51941"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/636981", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "HM Treasury"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/636981/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Full implementation of the new Customs Declaration Service is planned for January 2019. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) currently has a target of processing Economic Operator Registration Identification applications within 3 working days. However, HMRC expects the new service to process the majority of applications within a much shorter time period.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3918", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Jane Ellison"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Battersea"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Jane Ellison"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2016-11-23", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2016-11-23T15:56:29.79Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "14"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Treasury"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "CaTreasury"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2016-11-15", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Business: Registration"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 14 November 2016 to Question 51941, when the new Customs Declaration Service will come into effect; and what estimate he has made of how long an Economic Operator Registration Identification application will take to process under that service.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4521", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Liz Saville Roberts"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Dwyfor Meirionnydd"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Liz Saville Roberts"} ], "uin" : "53134"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1138411", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Treasury"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1138411/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
In December 2018, there were 431,553 active UK Economic Operator Registration and Identification (EORI) numbers. Since December 2018, HM Revenue & Customs have issued approximately 74,000 new UK EORI numbers, up to 23 June.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3991", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Jesse Norman"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Hereford and South Herefordshire"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Jesse Norman"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-07-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-07-19T12:53:27.283Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "14"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Treasury"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Treasury"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-07-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Business: Registration"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many Economic Operator Registration and Identification numbers were held by UK firms in (a) December 2018 and (b) 23 June 2019.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4679", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Neil O'Brien"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Harborough"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Neil O'Brien"} ], "uin" : "276289"} ], "itemsPerPage" : 10, "page" : 0, "startIndex" : 1, "totalResults" : 4, "type" : "http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#Page"} }