The number of enterprises registering for VAT each year. This is an indicator of the number of business start-ups. It excludes most of the very smallest one-person businesses.

The number of businesses de-registering from VAT each year. This is an indicator of the number of closures. Again, it excludes most of the very smallest one-person businesses. Businesses de-registering from VAT do so due to closure, or (in a minority of cases) because turnover has fallen below the registration threshold. Closure does not necessarily involve bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings, which make up only around one in four closures.

The number of enterprises registered for VAT at the end of the year (31 Dec / 1 Jan). This is an indicator of the size of the business population. Since the vast majority of VAT-registered enterprises employ fewer than 50 people, it is also an indicator of the small business population. However, it should be noted that only 1.9 million of the estimated 4.3 million UK businesses are registered for VAT.

Net gain or loss in the stock of registered enterprises during the calendar year - equal to registrations less de-registrations.