Questions and Answers

Do I have to complete the form(s)?
Can you remove my company from your selection panel?
How was my company selected?
I supply other government departments with similar information. Why can't you use it too?
How long will I have to complete these forms for?
What if the number of people employed by my company changes?
Will the Office for National Statistics (ONS) pay for the completion of my form?
My accounting year does not end until after the deadline set on the form. What should I do?
I do not have the information to answer all of the questions on the form. What should I do?
The information I give you is confidential to my business. Can you guarantee it will remain so?
I have not been trading for a full year (within the dates stated on the form). Do I have to complete the form?
The company is in liquidation or receivership. Do I still have to complete the form?
The company is dormant. Do I still have to complete the form?

Do I have to complete the form(s)?
Yes. You are required to complete the ABI forms under the Statistics of Trade Act 1947. Failure to return the completed form(s) could result in your company being referred to the Enforcement Unit, who may take legal action to obtain a response. There is a maximum fine of £2,500 for non-completion of the form, which will still need to be completed.
Statistics of Trade Act

Can you remove my company from your selection panel?
No. Once a company has been selected to complete an inquiry they cannot be taken out of the selection.

How was my company selected?
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) uses the Interdepartmental Business Register (IDBR) to hold details of businesses operating within the UK. The IDBR is compiled using information from Customs and Excise, Inland Revenue and completed inquiry forms. Using this information the ONS is able to select businesses by type of activity, number of employees, turnover or location. This enables us to compile statistics covering all types of economic activity and size, which is necessary for the various economic indicators used by the Government, e.g. Retail Sales Index.

I supply other government departments with similar information. Why can't you use it too?
This apparent duplication of information is something we examine repeatedly, as part of our continuing efforts to minimise the burden of survey forms on businesses. Our Survey Control Unit tries to eliminate obvious duplication, encouraging discussion between Government Departments and within the Office for National Statistics. However, the use of different reporting arrangements, timeliness of results, and current legislation often prevents other government information being used instead of our surveys.

How long will I have to complete these forms for?
ONS categorise business by industry (Standard Industrial Classification - SIC), size (number of employees), turnover and geographical location. For this inquiry, size and industry are the most important classifications used.

Selection for this inquiry is broadly based on the number of people employed:

^*Some businesses will be selected more frequently or for a longer period than stated in the above table. This is because of the type of industry the business is in and the geographical location of it. We need to include a sample of businesses across Britain and across all industries and all size-bands, to be able to provide the best statistical information. If there are only a few similar businesses in your size-band, you may be required to complete the form again the following year.

In order that our statistics are truly representative of the whole economy, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) needs to collect information from businesses of all sizes. Returns from all businesses are equally important to ensure our results are representative and accurate. For further information, click on:

SIC 2003 Classification

Interdepartmental Business Register (IDBR)

Compliance plan

What if the number of people employed by my company changes?
If your employee numbers change, you will still be expected to complete the forms. However, as the number of employees is a factor in determining which forms are sent to you in the future you should contact the person named on the front of the ONS form to notify them of any changes.

Will the Office for National Statistics (ONS) pay for the completion of my form?
No. The Acts of Parliament make no provisions to pay accountants or companies to complete the ABI forms. However, if you contact the person named on the form, they can offer advice on how to complete it.

My accounting year does not end until after the deadline set on the form. What should I do?
It is important that the forms are returned by the deadline. If you cannot return your form to us by the date specified on the front of the form(s), you should contact the person named on the form. Remember, we can accept estimated data.

I do not have the information to answer all of the questions on the form. What should I do?
Although the Office for National Statistics (ONS) would prefer to have actual data we will accept estimated data, which is preferable to returning a blank form or leaving a heading blank. You are better placed to estimate figures for your business than the ONS.

The information I give you is confidential to my business. Can you guarantee it will remain so?
Yes. Staff are bound by the strict confidentiality provisions of the Statistics of Trade Act 1947. Data is released as totals and would therefore reflect what is happening in a particular industry, rather than a specific company.

Please click here for further information on our Code of Practice, which outlines our confidentiality requirements.

I have not been trading for a full year (within the dates stated on the form). Do I still have to complete it?
Yes. Complete as much of the form as possible, and write a note in the comments box towards the end, stating the length of time the company has been trading.

The company is in liquidation or receivership. Do I still have to complete the form?
Yes, if the company was trading during the period mentioned on the form. Complete as much of the form as possible, and write a note in the comments box towards the end, stating the length of time the company was trading for in the year.

The company is dormant. Do I still have to complete the form?
Yes. If the company has traded for part of the period mentioned on the form, complete as much as possible. Write a note in the comments box towards the end of the form, stating the length of time the company was trading. If the company has been dormant for all of the period stated on the form, please write this in the comments box. Also, please mention when the company is likely to resume trading in the future.

This page last revised: Monday 19 January 2004