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<p>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><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><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><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>
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