UkieLuke at 12:46, 2 August 2021

2021-08-02T12:46:08Z

UkieLuke: /* What are Standard Industrial Classification codes? */

2021-05-14T14:02:04Z

‎What are Standard Industrial Classification codes?

UkieLuke: Created page with "== What are Standard Industrial Classification codes? == Standard Industrial Classification codes (or SIC codes) are the main way in which UK businesses are categorised for i..."

2021-05-13T15:17:18Z

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== What are Standard Industrial Classification codes? ==

Standard Industrial Classification codes (or SIC codes) are the main way in which UK businesses are categorised for inclusion in Government statistics and form the basis of many of the "official" measures of key economic figures such as employment or contribution to UK GDP. Every industrial sector is assigned a number of SIC codes relating to the activities of businesses within that sector.

== Why is it important for get your SIC code right? ==

The UK games industry is a relatively new industrial sector and so the process and language of SICs is not yet ideally mapped to our sector.

SIC codes are attributed to businesses in a number of ways, often by matching key words from company descriptions. This is sometimes inaccurate and results in games business being allocated the wrong the code or simply not being allocated an SIC code at all. Similarly, the language for the developer classification refers to "ready-made interactive leisure and entertainment software" rather than simply "games", which also causes misclassifications, with many developers instead choosing more generic "IT services" or similar descriptions.

As a result, many games business are not counted as such in government statistics and therefore the importance of our sector is at risk of being significantly undervalued in official reporting. In fact, the economic value of misclassified games businesses may be incorrectly attributed to another sector.

Official statistics are important as they are often used to decide which sector might need public support, where that support can be best applied and how existing measures (such as tax relief) are achieving their aims.

Therefore it is essential that every games businesses uses the right SIC code, ensuring Government statistics show the true value of the UK games sector.

== Checking your SIC Code ==

You can see the SIC code assigned to your business with a simple check on Companies House, where it will be listed under 'Nature of Business (SIC)'.

*[https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/ Search the Companies House Register]

== SIC Codes for the Games Industry ==

There are two primary SIC codes assigned to the UK games industry, these are:

*For publishers: '''58.21/0 Publishing of computer games'''
*For developers: '''62.01/1 Ready-made interactive leisure and entertainment software development'''

== Updating your SIC ==

SIC codes are taken from [http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/guide-method/method-quality/specific/business-and-energy/business-population/further-information-about-idbr-sources.pdf 4 different sources] in the following order of importance and, if possible, we recommend making sure that your business has the right code in all four sources:

'''1. The Business Registers and Employment Survey (BRES)'''

An annual survey sent out to a sample of 80,000 businesses. All large businesses with 2.2m UK VAT and/or PAYE based enterprises in Britain are sampled each year. Many smaller businesses won’t receive a questionnaire annually, so for those not included in the survey, updating the HMRC and Companies House data below is important. You will be asked to write in a description, which will then be automatically coded. You should use similar descriptions to those used by the ONS in the list below to match descriptions against.

'''2. HMRC VAT Registration'''

If you’re registering for VAT online, you can just select one of the two games SIC codes above from a drop-down box of codes.
*[https://www.gov.uk/vat-registration/how-to-register Information on registering for VAT online]
*[https://www.access.service.gov.uk/login/signin/creds Login to amend an existing registration]

If you’re using postal VAT registration: you will be asked to describe your ‘business activities’ on the registration in question 20 (page 9) of the [https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/946248/VAT1form-12-20.pdf Application for VAT Registration] form. Here you should use descriptions similar to those in the list below.

'''3. Annual HMRC PAYE Return'''

Use the ‘nature of business’ section to describe your business using the list of descriptions below.

'''4. Companies House and Annual Return'''

Changes to your company can be submitted [https://www.gov.uk/file-changes-to-a-company-with-companies-house directly to Companies House].

Alternatively, every company must deliver an annual return to Companies House at least once every 12 months. Simply add one or both of the appropriate games related SIC codes above in section A3 as classification codes. You may also include a principal activity description with the keywords mentioned below.

== HMRC PAYE Returns Business Descriptions ==

HMRC's PAYE returns will ask you to provide a description of your business in the ‘nature of business’ section, which will be used to assign an SIC. To ensure your business is included as part of the games industry, describe your business using the list of descriptions below.

'''Publishers''' - If your company's main activity is publishing games then use these descriptions (for SIC code '''58.21/0 “Publishing of computer games'''”)

*COMPUTER GAMES PUBLISHING
*ON-LINE COMPUTER GAMES PUBLISHING

'''Developers''' - If your company's main activity is developing games then use these descriptions (for SIC code '''62.01/1 “Ready-made interactive leisure and entertainment software development'''”)

*COMPUTER GAMES DESIGN
*COMPUTER GRAPHICS
*DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF GAME SOFTWARE
*DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF INTERACTIVE MEDIA
*DEVELOPMENT MOBILE PHONE GAMES NON CUSTOMISED
*VIDEO GAMES DEVELOPMENT

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:46, 2 August 2021
Line 73:		Line 73:
	*DEVELOPMENT MOBILE PHONE GAMES NON CUSTOMISED		*DEVELOPMENT MOBILE PHONE GAMES NON CUSTOMISED
	*VIDEO GAMES DEVELOPMENT		*VIDEO GAMES DEVELOPMENT
		+
		+	== Other Resources ==
		+
		+	*[https://onsdigital.github.io/dp-classification-tools/standard-industrial-classification/ONS_SIC_hierarchy_view.html ONS SIC Hierarchy Explorer]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 == What are Standard Industrial Classification codes? ==
-Standard Industrial Classification codes (or SIC codes) are the main way in which UK businesses are categorised for inclusion in Government statistics and form the basis of many of the "official" measures of key economic figures such as employment or contribution to UK GDP. Every industrial sector is assigned a number of SIC codes relating to the activities of businesses within that sector.
+Standard Industrial Classification codes (or SIC codes) are an essential part of Government statistics.
 == Why is it important for get your SIC code right? ==

Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) - Revision history

UkieLuke at 12:46, 2 August 2021

UkieLuke: /* What are Standard Industrial Classification codes? */

UkieLuke: Created page with "== What are Standard Industrial Classification codes? == Standard Industrial Classification codes (or SIC codes) are the main way in which UK businesses are categorised for i..."