Business Structure Database Longitudinal, 1997-2013: Secure Access

<p>The <i>Business Structure Database</i> (BSD) contains a small number of variables for almost all business organisations in the UK. The BSD is derived primarily from the <i>Inter-Departmental Business Register</i> (IDBR), which is a live register of data collected by HM Revenue and Customs via VAT and Pay As You Earn (PAYE) records. The IDBR data are complimented with data from ONS business surveys. If a business is liable for VAT (turnover exceeds the VAT threshold) and/or has at least one member of staff registered for the PAYE tax collection system, then the business will appear on the IDBR (and hence in the BSD). In 2004 it was estimated that the businesses listed on the IDBR accounted for almost 99 per cent of economic activity in the UK. Only very small businesses, such as the self-employed were not found on the IDBR.<br> <br> The IDBR is frequently updated, and contains confidential information that cannot be accessed by non-civil servants without special permission. However, the ONS Virtual Micro-data Laboratory (VML) created and developed the BSD, which is a 'snapshot' in time of the IDBR, in order to provide a version of the IDBR for research use, taking full account of changes in ownership and restructuring of businesses. The 'snapshot' is taken around April, and the captured point-in-time data are supplied to the VML by the following September. The reporting period is generally the financial year. For example, the 2000 BSD file is produced in September 2000, using data captured from the IDBR in April 2000. The data will reflect the financial year of April 1999 to March 2000. However, the ONS may, during this time, update the IDBR with data on companies from its own business surveys, such as the <i>Annual Business Survey</i> (SN 7451).<br> <br> The <i>Business Structure Database Longitudinal, 1997-2013</i> was compiled by Michael Anyadike-Danes, Aston Business School, with support from Economic and Social Research Council funding.<br> <br> Researchers are advised to read the documentation accompanying the main BSD collection held by the UK Data Archive under SN 6697 before applying for or using the longitudinal data.<br> <br> <i>Linking to other business studies</i><br> These data contain IDBR reference numbers. These are anonymous but unique reference numbers assigned to business organisations. Their inclusion allows researchers to combine different business survey sources together. Researchers may consider applying for other business data to assist their research.<br> </p><p>For the second edition (April 2019), the full postcodes have been replaced with only the first part of the postcode (e.g., SW1V rather than SW1V 2QQ) in the two geography data files.  A look up file that includes postcode districts has been added so that users can still aggregate to higher geographies.</p>