The Leicester business picture
The Leicester post town had 42,078 active companies on the Companies House register at 1 September 2026, and 7,045 new companies were set up there in the 12 months to August 2026. That is 167.4 new companies for every 1,000 active ones, against 137.5 across the UK, which puts Leicester 36th of the 175 UK post towns with at least 5,000 companies.
The wider LE postcode area covers most of Leicestershire and Rutland, including towns such as Loughborough, Hinckley, Market Harborough and Melton Mowbray. It has 72,241 active companies, and 10,269 new companies were set up there in the same period, which is 142.1 per 1,000. So the city is forming companies noticeably faster than the county around it.
These figures count registered companies only. Sole traders and ordinary partnerships are not on the Companies House register, so a self-employed plasterer or market trader does not appear in them. A company's registered office is also not always where it trades, and addresses holding 1,000 or more companies, such as formation agents, are left out.
How many accountancy firms are there?
The Leicester post town has 490 accountancy firms set up as companies, one for every 86 companies. That is close to the UK figure of one for every 83, and Leicester ranks 74th of 175 towns when they are ordered from the most companies per firm to the fewest. The LE postcode area has 871 firms, one for every 83 companies, exactly the UK ratio. Sole practitioners and LLPs are not in the count.
For someone choosing an accountant, the local count matters less than it used to. Self Assessment, company accounts and VAT returns are all filed online, so the useful questions are whether an accountant understands your kind of work, whether the fee is fixed and whether you can reach the same person when something comes up.
Industries that stand out in Leicester
A location quotient compares how common a trade is locally with how common it is across the UK: 1.58 means the trade makes up 1.58 times the UK share of companies. The figures in this section are for companies with a Leicester registered office, not the whole LE postcode area. Healthcare stands out most.
Dental practices
There are 269 dental practice companies with a Leicester registered office, a location quotient of 1.58. Dental care and treatment is exempt from VAT whether it is provided privately or on the NHS, so most practices cannot reclaim the VAT on their costs. The NHS Business Services Authority also says dentists who have set themselves up as a limited company cannot contribute to the NHS Pension Scheme, which matters when deciding how to structure a practice. See accountants for dentists.
GP practices
GP practice companies have the highest location quotient in Leicester, 2.39, on 521 companies. Read that figure with some care. Companies choose their own industry codes, and a practice or healthcare group can register more than one company, so it does not necessarily mean Leicester has more than twice the UK share of surgeries. Medical care provided by a registered doctor is generally exempt from VAT. For locums, the NHS Business Services Authority says a GP locum cannot join the NHS Pension Scheme as a limited company. Our page on accountants for locum doctors explains the options.
Online retail
Online retail has 2,074 companies, a location quotient of 1.58. Online marketplaces now report information about their sellers to HMRC, apart from goods sellers with fewer than 30 sales totalling 2,000 euros or less in a year, so every sale needs to be in your accounts. VAT registration is required once taxable turnover passes £90,000 in any rolling 12 months, which a growing online shop can reach quickly.
Therapy and other health services
Therapy and other health services have 1,179 companies, a location quotient of 1.39. The VAT exemption for health services only applies to professionals on a statutory register, such as those registered with the Health and Care Professions Council. HMRC says therapists without a statutory register, including psychotherapists, hypnotherapists and acupuncturists, cannot currently exempt their services, so their fees count towards the VAT threshold. See accountants for therapists.
Property letting (1.31), solicitors (1.29) and taxi operation (1.16) are also more common among Leicester companies than across the UK.
Local practicalities in Leicester
Clean air charges
Leicester is not on the GOV.UK list of English clean air zones, which currently covers Bath, Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Portsmouth, Sheffield and Tyneside. A van or taxi driver working in the city therefore pays no clean air zone charge to drive in Leicester.
Taxi and private hire licensing
Leicester City Council licenses hackney carriages, private hire vehicles and private hire operators, and issues one driver licence that covers both types of vehicle. From 1 June 2026 a new one-year driver licence costs £121 and a one-year renewal £98, and a hackney carriage vehicle licence is £224. Applicants must pass HMRC tax checks. When you renew, the tax check confirms you are registered for tax where you need to be; HMRC says you must complete it yourself rather than through an accountant, and the code lasts 120 days. The full list of fees and requirements is on the council's taxi licensing page, and our taxi driver accountants page covers the tax side.
Business rates and small business rate relief
Business rates in the city are billed by Leicester City Council. Under the national scheme, a business using one property with a rateable value of £12,000 or less pays no business rates, and relief tapers away between £12,001 and £15,000. Leicester asks you to download its small business rate relief application form and email it to business.rates@leicester.gov.uk. The council points out that you do not need a rating agent, and applying directly is free.
After the 1 April 2026 revaluation, the supporting small business relief scheme limits the rise in bills for businesses losing some or all of their small business rate relief or retail, hospitality and leisure relief. The increase is capped at £800 or a percentage cap, whichever is greater, and is usually applied automatically. The council also runs a competitive discretionary business rate relief grant scheme with three themes: supporting high-growth businesses, bringing empty properties of significant economic value back into use, and attracting inward investors. All of these are on the council's reliefs and exemptions page.
Business support
The Business Gateway Growth Hub is the single place for businesses across Leicester and Leicestershire to find business support and funding. It signposts support, makes introductions to loan and grant providers, and helps with exporting and innovation. Leicester City Council also offers targeted support for businesses in innovation and technology, the creative industries, and food and drink.
Working with an online accountant in Leicester
GoForma does not have an office in Leicester. We are an online accountancy practice based at 40 Bowling Green Lane, London EC1R 0NE, and we work with clients across the UK by phone, video, email and WhatsApp. Our accountants are ACCA and AAT qualified, and FreeAgent accounting software is included in every package.
If you are self-employed, the Start Sole Trader package gives you a dedicated accountant and your Self Assessment return for £44 a month, with 50% off the first three months. For a limited company, the Start Bundle covers year-end accounts, the Corporation Tax return and payroll for one director for £88 a month, also with 50% off the first three months. Prices exclude VAT, run month to month and are listed on our packages page.