The Nottingham business picture
At the Companies House snapshot of 1 September 2026, the Nottingham post town had 41,995 active companies. In the 12 months to August 2026, 6,386 new companies were incorporated there, which is 152.1 for every 1,000 active companies against 137.5 for the UK. That ranks Nottingham 58th of 175 post towns with at least 5,000 companies for the rate of new incorporations, where 1st has the highest rate.
The wider NG postcode area, which takes in much of Nottinghamshire as well as the city, holds 65,008 active companies. It saw 9,117 new companies in the same 12 months, or 140.2 per 1,000.
The Nottingham post town has 440 accountancy firms registered as companies, which works out at 95 companies for every firm. The UK figure is 83, so each incorporated practice in Nottingham has more companies around it than the national average. Nottingham ranks 43rd of the 175 towns on this measure, where 1st has the most companies per firm. The NG area as a whole has 682 firms and the same ratio of 95.
Two caveats matter when you read these numbers. They count registered companies only: sole traders and ordinary partnerships are not on the Companies House register, and neither are sole practitioner accountants. They also exclude registered addresses that hold 1,000 or more companies, such as formation agents, and a registered office is not always where a company trades.
In practice, a company owner in Nottingham does not need to limit the search to a practice in the city centre. Bookkeeping, payroll, the Company Tax Return and filing accounts at Companies House can all be done online, so the useful questions are whether an accountant knows your trade and how quickly they answer.
Industries that stand out
A location quotient compares an area's share of companies in a trade with the UK share, so 1.34 means 1.34 times the UK share. Measured across the NG postcode area, four trades stand out.
Electrical installation (1.34)
There are 1,031 active electrical installation companies in the NG area. Electricians who work for contractors usually fall under the Construction Industry Scheme: the contractor deducts 20% from payments to a registered subcontractor, or 30% if the subcontractor has not registered, and those deductions count towards the subcontractor's tax and National Insurance. A VAT-registered electrician also has to use the VAT domestic reverse charge for most construction services reported within CIS. More on accounting for electricians.
Dental practices (1.28)
The NG area has 338 active dental practice companies. Dental care and treatment by a registered dentist or dental care professional is exempt from VAT whether it is provided privately or on the NHS. Items that are separable from treatment, such as toothbrushes and toothpaste, are usually standard-rated, and cosmetic work is exempt only where it forms part of oral health treatment. That line matters as private and cosmetic income grows. See our page for dentists.
GP practices (1.25)
There are 426 active GP practice companies in the area. For GPs who also take locum sessions, structure has a pension consequence: the NHS Business Services Authority lists work by a freelance GP locum who trades as a limited company as not pensionable. Weigh that before incorporating locum work. More on accounting for locums.
Letting property (1.24)
With 7,296 active companies letting their own or leased property, this is the largest group on the list. Individual residential landlords get relief for mortgage interest and other finance costs only as a basic rate tax reduction, and HMRC's manual confirms that companies carrying on a property business are not affected by that restriction. Whether a company suits you depends on far more than interest relief, including how you take the income out. Our property accountants page covers the wider picture.
Local practicalities for Nottingham businesses
Workplace Parking Levy
Nottingham City Council charges employers a Workplace Parking Levy on parking they provide at premises inside the city council boundary. For the licensing year running from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027, the charge is £592 per liable workplace parking place. It rises each year with inflation, and the council used an RPI figure of 3.8% for 2026/27.
- Employers with 10 or fewer liable places must still hold a licence, but get a 100% discount on those places.
- Employers with 11 or more liable places pay for every one of them, including the first 10.
- Places used by disabled Blue Badge holders are left out of the count.
- VAT is not payable on the levy itself, but any parking charge you pass on to employees is subject to VAT.
- You can pay by annual Direct Debit, by 10 monthly Direct Debits from April to January, or by annual invoice.
The levy only applies inside the city boundary, so premises elsewhere in the NG postcode area are not covered. The council's address checker shows whether a site is covered. If you are growing past 10 staff spaces in the city, budget for the charge on every space.
Business rates
Inside the city, business rates are billed by Nottingham City Council, which takes small business rate relief applications online. The relief removes the bill on a single property with a rateable value of £12,000 or less and tapers to nothing at £15,000. Rateable values changed at the 2026 revaluation. If you lost some or all of your relief as a result, the council says the 2026 Supporting Small Business scheme caps the rise in your bill at £800 a year and is applied automatically.
Business support
The council runs the Nottingham City Business Growth Service, which offers free adviser support, events and help with grant applications to businesses in the city. Businesses elsewhere in the county can use the EMCCA Growth Hub, run by the East Midlands Combined County Authority for Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.
Working with an online accountant in Nottingham
GoForma has no office in Nottingham. 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, our sole trader packages start at £22 a month. If you run a company, our limited company packages include year-end accounts, the CT600 and director payroll, and the Start Bundle is £88 a month with 50% off for the first 3 months. Every price excludes VAT and runs on a rolling monthly basis. Compare them all on our packages page, or talk it through first in a free consultation.