The East London company picture
The figures on this page cover the E postcode area only. Postcode areas do not follow borough boundaries: E postcodes include addresses in Tower Hamlets, Hackney, Newham and Waltham Forest, and some in Redbridge, such as E11 and E18. Outer London postcodes, for example IG, RM, UB, TW, CR, BR, KT and SM, are not included, so companies registered in Ilford (IG) or Romford (RM) are not counted here.
On 1 September 2026 there were 108,492 active companies with a registered office in E postcodes. Of those, 19,414 were incorporated in the 12 months to August 2026, which works out at 178.9 new companies for every 1,000 active companies. The UK figure is 137.5, and London as a whole (the E, EC, N, NW, SE, SW, W and WC areas) is 132.6. A bigger share of East London's companies are in their first year than in the capital or the country overall.
The same area has 1,444 accountancy companies, one for every 75 active companies. Across the UK there is one for every 83, and across London one for every 98.
How the figures are counted: each company is placed by its registered office postcode, and any postcode holding 1,000 or more live companies (such as formation agent and virtual office addresses) is left out. Sole traders and ordinary partnerships are not on the Companies House register, so self-employed people do not appear, and sole-practitioner accountants are missing from the firm count. A company whose registered office is outside E postcodes, for example at an EC1 address, is counted in that area instead. The full method is on our methodology page.
In practice, a young company base means many companies facing their first confirmation statement, first annual accounts and first Company Tax Return. There is no shortage of accountancy firms registered locally, so the choice is really about service, price and how you like to work.
Industries that stand out in East London
A location quotient compares the share of companies in a trade here with the share across the UK: 1.5 means the trade is one and a half times as common. It is based on the SIC codes companies choose for themselves at Companies House.
Artistic creation (1.99)
East London has 1,641 active companies registered for artistic creation, almost twice the UK share. Self-employed creators whose profits come from selling their own works or from royalties can claim averaging for creators, which spreads profits over two years so that one strong year is not taxed as if it were typical. It cannot be claimed if you used the cash basis. Our accountants for musicians page covers royalties and equipment in more detail.
Online retail (1.89)
There are 6,346 active online retail companies in E postcodes, and 2,462 of them were incorporated in the 12 months to August 2026. Digital platforms report sellers' income to HMRC by 31 January for the previous calendar year, and must give the seller a copy, so marketplace sales need to match your records. VAT registration is required once taxable turnover goes over £90,000 in the last 12 months, or is expected to in the next 30 days. That test is on sales, not profit, which catches low-margin sellers early.
Advertising agencies (1.83)
1,635 active advertising agency companies are registered here, 450 of them new in the last 12 months. An agency that is not yet VAT registered must add services bought from overseas suppliers under the general reverse charge rule to its own taxable supplies when it tests the £90,000 threshold. On the VAT Flat Rate Scheme, advertising is 11%, but a limited cost business pays 16.5%. See our accountants for marketing agencies guide.
Taxi operation (1.62)
721 active taxi companies are registered in E postcodes, and drivers who work as sole traders are not in that number. Transport for London licenses taxi drivers and vehicles, and private hire drivers, vehicles and operators, across the capital. Renewing a taxi driver licence needs a tax check code from HMRC, which TfL says is valid for 120 days. Black cabs cannot use the simplified mileage rate (55p a mile for the first 10,000 business miles in 2026/27), so cab drivers claim actual vehicle costs. More on our accountants for taxi drivers page.
Local practicalities
ULEZ and the Congestion Charge
The Ultra Low Emission Zone operates across all London boroughs, 24 hours a day, every day except Christmas Day. Cars, motorcycles and vans up to 3.5 tonnes that do not meet the standards pay £12.50 a day. For cars the standard is Euro 4 for petrol and Euro 6 for diesel. London-licensed taxis are exempt.
Driving into the central zone, the Congestion Charge is £18 a day (£21 if paid by midnight on the third day after travel), from 7am to 6pm on weekdays and from noon to 6pm at weekends and on bank holidays. Electric vehicles now pay too: since 2 January 2026 the Cleaner Vehicle Discount is 25% for electric cars and 50% for electric vans, and only with Auto Pay. Licensed taxis are exempt, while standard private hire vehicles pay.
Blackwall and Silvertown tunnels
Crossing the river by either tunnel is charged. For cars and small vans on Auto Pay it is £1.50 off-peak and £4.00 at peak, rising to £1.55 and £4.20 from 21 September 2026. Peak is 6am to 10am northbound and 4pm to 7pm southbound on weekdays, and there is no charge from 10pm to 6am. Small businesses and sole traders registered in Newham, Tower Hamlets or Greenwich, with fewer than 50 employees and turnover up to £10.2m or a balance sheet up to £5.1m, can apply for £1 off the off-peak charge for up to three vehicles.
Business rates
Your borough council bills business rates: Tower Hamlets, Hackney, Newham or Waltham Forest. Small business rate relief means no rates on a single property with a rateable value of £12,000 or less, tapering to nothing at £15,000, and you apply through the council. For 2026/27, properties below £51,000 rateable value are billed at 43.2p in the pound (38.2p for retail, hospitality and leisure). The Greater London Authority's Crossrail business rate supplement of 2p in the pound only applies above £92,000.
Free business support
Grow London Local, delivered by London & Partners, offers free support and consultations for small business owners across London.
Working with an online accountant in East London
GoForma is an online accountancy practice. Our office is at 40 Bowling Green Lane, London EC1R 0NE, in Clerkenwell, and we work with clients across London and the rest of the UK by phone, video, email and WhatsApp. Our accountants are ACCA and AAT qualified, and FreeAgent accounting software is included in every package.
Sole traders start from £22 a month on Lite Sole Trader. For limited companies, the Start Bundle is £88 a month (50% off for the first three months) with a dedicated accountant, year-end accounts and Corporation Tax return, payroll for one director and an IR35 review on every contract. If you are just starting out, our limited company set-up service is the place to begin. We also offer a London virtual office with an EC1 business address. Compare everything on our packages page, or go back to accountants in London.