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Written question asked by Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru) on Monday, 18 May 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 20 May 2026. It was answered by Blair McDougall (Labour) on Wednesday, 27 May 2026 on behalf of the Department for Business and Trade.

Economic Crime

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, since the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 came into force, how many companies have been (a) investigated by Companies House for filing dormant accounts whilst conducting active trading, (b) referred by Companies House to HMRC for suspected VAT non-compliance, and (c) referred by Companies House to the Insolvency Service for suspected fraudulent trading.

Answer

Companies House does not hold data that matches the specified categories requested. However, since the introduction of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, intelligence led targeted activity has been used to identify companies filing dormant accounts where indicators suggest active trading.

Furthermore, Companies House also works closely with HMRC and the Insolvency Service to enable effective intelligence sharing and coordinated enforcement action. Referrals to HMRC span multiple tax regimes, including VAT non-compliance, while referrals to the Insolvency Service typically focus on more serious misconduct, such as false filings, which supports disqualification and wider enforcement outcomes.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
2288
Session
2026-27
Subjects
Companies Insolvency Service Companies House VAT Economic crime
Legislation
Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk