Aim of this survey
The Business Register Survey (BRS) is a quarterly survey conducted to update the list of UK businesses that may qualify to complete Office for National Statistics (ONS) business surveys. This will ensure that we minimise respondent burden by only contacting businesses when it is necessary.
All information you provide is strictly confidential.
What you need to know
To complete the survey, you will need the following information:
A corresponding Vat and / or PAYE reference
A breakdown of all your operating sites along with the number of employees, both full-time and part-time
Company Activity
All information you provide is strictly confidential.
Survey information
Selection criteria
UK trading businesses registered for Value Added Tax or Pay As You Earn, or with Companies House.
Sample
Approximately 12000 per year (Split out over 4 quarters, Quarter 3 being the largest).
Frequency
Quarterly.
Dispatch dates
Quarter 1 – 25 July
Quarter 2 – 24 October
Quarter 3 – 23 January
Quarter 4 – 24 April
Return-by date
Quarter 1 – 22 August
Quarter 2 – 21 November
Quarter 3 – 21 February
Quarter 4 – 22 May
Dispatch and return-by dates are a guide. They are subject to change because of national holidays and weekends.
Why you were selected
Your business has been selected from a directory of businesses in the UK that are registered for VAT and/or PAYE or with Companies House. Your response ensures we represent your industry.
The Business Register Survey is conducted under the provisions of the Statistics of Trade Act 1947. Once selected, your business is legally obliged to comply. You cannot appeal your selection.
Why you have received this survey
We survey businesses of all sizes to ensure our statistics are representative of the UK economy. We select large businesses (those with 100 or more employees) for any relevant ONS business surveys because their information is so significant. We select some small and medium businesses, usually for a set period of time, then replace them with other businesses from their industry. They are very important to us as their trading patterns are often very different to large businesses.
How to complete this survey
Please complete and return the questionnaire following the guidelines on the front page.
At the moment this survey is not available to complete online. However, we are developing our processes to better support businesses.
Editable PDFs are available for the paper-based questionnaire and can be requested via the request a business survey form.
Alternatively, you can contact the survey team directly. When contacting us, you will need to provide the survey ID code 241 and your 11-digit reference number; this can be found on any communication you have received from us.
We are currently developing a secure online collection platform. You will receive a letter notifying you when you can complete the BRS online. We appreciate your patience.
Please note that reminders are issued automatically, so you may receive one if you submit data just before or after the return date.
If you need help
If your question is not answered here, you may be able to find the answer in the About ONS business surveys section.
For any other queries, please contact the BRS team on 0300 1234 922 using survey code 241; or you can email surveycomments@ons.gov.uk quoting your reference number beginning with 499 or 500 and survey code 241 in the subject line.
Er mwyn gwneud cais am ffurflen Gymraeg (to speak to someone in Welsh): 0300 1234 921.