Global Connections Survey: guidance

Guidance for sales and exports

When filling out sales information in the survey, if exact information is not readily available, please provide your best estimate.

Where an answer is 0, please indicate this and do not leave the box blank.

Please enter all monetary values in £thousands and excluding VAT (e.g: for sales of £150,000 please enter 150).

Figures provided should include indirect taxes, duties and levies (except VAT) invoiced to customers.

Please note, exports include goods and services. We are interested in exports from Scotland to the rest of the UK, as well as outside the UK.

International exports of goods are the sales of products where the first destination is outside the UK, regardless of where the goods leave the UK.

International exports of services are the provision of services to customers not resident in the UK.

Where sales involve a combination of goods and services that cannot be separately valued, please classify as either goods or services based on the majority of the value. If you have no information to provide goods and services separately, please provide a total sales figure only.

Question 5a is only applicable if your company has branches outside Scotland. Please leave this question blank if you are unsure.

For question 6, customers based in the rest of the UK are those that are not normally resident in Scotland. Direct transactions with companies and individuals in the rest of the UK, or sales to residents of another part of the UK while they are visiting Scotland are both counted. If you do not know exactly what proportion of your custom came from the rest of the UK, please provide your best estimate. Exports to the UK continental shelf should be treated as exports to the rest of the UK as this survey relates to onshore activities.

Customers based outside the UK are those that are not normally resident in the UK. So, for example, a resident of the USA visiting Scotland and using services would be considered as a customer based outside the UK. As far as possible please allocate sales of goods based on the delivery address, not invoice address if different.

EU includes Republic of Ireland, and countries that joined the EU in 2004, 2007 and 2013 – see Countries by region for the full list of EU members.

If your company has sales to the rest of the UK, please provide a breakdown as a percentage split in question 6a. This should relate to your total sales of goods and services to the rest of the UK. In other words, this percentage breakdown should sum to 100% (total sales to the rest of the UK). If you do not know exactly what proportion of your rest of the UK sales went to each part of the UK, please provide your best estimate.

Sales of goods or services to temporary visitors to Scotland should be included as exports. This includes (1) all purchases made by tourists in shops, bars, restaurants, hotels, and leisure facilities, (2) fees received from overseas based students, and (3) charges to non-residents for other services such as transport, medical and dental fees, and hairdressing. Where exact amounts are not available, your best estimates would be appreciated.