Aim of this survey
This survey collects information on the assets and liabilities of your business. The information supplied forms part of the UK’s National Accounts and Balance of Payments, which are used by HM Treasury and the Bank of England to monitor the economy. Data collected also feed into the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF’s) Special Data Dissemination Standards Plus (SDDS Plus) and Data Gaps Initiative II (DGI-2).
What you need to know
To complete the survey, you will need the following information:
- assets
- liabilities
- shareholders’ capital and reserves
- transactions in non-financial assets
- counterparty breakdowns
- breakdown of investments by country of issuance
All information you provide is strictly confidential.
Survey information
Selection criteria: UK active and operational businesses classified within the financial industry
Population: approximately 117,000
Sample: approximately 3,500 [see note]
Frequency: quarterly
Note: We will be gradually building up to this sample size
Dispatch dates
Quarter 1 (Jan to Mar): 7 April
Quarter 2 (Apr to June): 7 July
Quarter 3 (July to Sept): 6 October
Quarter 4 (Oct to Dec): 8 January
Return-by dates
Quarter 1: 25 April
Quarter 2: 25 July
Quarter 3: 24 October
Quarter 4: 24 January
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 Value Added Tax (VAT) and/or Pay As You Earn (PAYE) or with Companies House. Your response ensures we represent your industry.
The FSS 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. Selection depends on several factors, for example, the number of people employed, total assets, turnover, and how many other businesses are operating in the same industry and the size of those businesses.
Generally, large businesses (usually defined as having 100 or more employment) will always be included in a survey sample because the information they provide can be quite significant. We select a number of medium and smaller businesses (usually on a rotational basis) because they perform differently, giving more balance and integrity to our results.
How to complete this survey
The FSS has now moved to our Secure Data Collection platform.
If your business is selected, you will receive an enrolment letter that provides instructions on how to access the survey. You will be asked to complete the survey via Secure Electronic File Transfer (SEFT). You must use the template that appears in the Survey Data Collection (SDC) system for your FSS return. If you return the data in a different format, it will be returned to you to amend and resubmit.
You can view a copy of the spreadsheet-based questionnaire (which includes definitions and extra information) in the ‘Related downloads’ section of this webpage. Please be aware that this version of the spreadsheet is a specimen only and should not be used to return data.
If you have any difficulties enrolling, please email Financial.Services.Survey@ons.gov.uk or call us on 0300 1234 931 providing your company name, reference number and the survey ID code 266.
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 on this page, you may be able to find the answer on the About ONS business surveys page.
Er mwyn gwneud cais am ffurflen Gymraeg (to speak to someone in Welsh): 0300 1234 921.