§ Mr. Laws:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many businesses were (a)above and (b)below the VAT registration threshold in each year from 1988–89 to 2003–04; and if he will make a statement. [130544]
§ John Healey:The information requested is not available.
Details of the total number of businesses registered for VAT are published in HM Customs and Excise Annual Reports, copies of which are available in the Library of the House. These figures include registered businesses whose turnover is below the VAT registration threshold, and do not include businesses whose turnover is above the VAT registration threshold who are not registered for VAT. Data are not available for the number of unregistered traders with turnovers below the VAT registration threshold, as they are not required to register for VAT.
Data are not available on the number of registered traders who are above the threshold. However, VAT Factsheets, published three times a year by Customs, copies of which are available in the Library of the House, show the numbers of VAT-registered traders by turnover bandings.