PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Self-employed (11 June 2014)

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people were registered with HM Revenue and Customs as self-employed in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012 and (d) 2013; and how many of them reported net income (i) of zero and (ii) below the threshold for National Insurance in each year.

Asked by:
Sir Stephen Timms (Labour)

Estimates of the numbers of individuals with self employment sources are published in HMRC's National Statistics table 3.10 which is available at the following internet address:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/income-of-individuals-with-self-employment-sources-2010-to-2011

The numbers of individuals making zero profits and at other income levels is also shown in these tables.

Tables for 2009-10 and earlier years are available from the National Archives internet site at the following address:

http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20121102223513/http:/hmrc.gov.uk/stats/income_distribution/menu-by-year.htm

Overall, these show a long term trend of growth in the numbers of self-employed people.

The Survey of Personal Incomes (SPI) for 2012-13 will be available later in the year.

Answered by:
Mr David Gauke (Independent)
16 June 2014