Benchmark Survey of Transactions in Selected Services and Intellectual Property with Foreign Persons (Form BE-120)

Firm level surveys for universe of firms.

Survey (self- or interviewer-administered)

Every five years, but six years between the 2011 and 2017 surveys

Fiscal year that ended in the calendar year of the survey

Only responses to benchmark specific questions are available since the transactions data from this survey are incorporated into the BE-125 quarterly survey data for same year. For the 2011 survey this includes additional information about transactions associated with contract manufacturing services, intellectual property, and merchanting services. For 2017, it includes information about sales of contract manufacturing services, sales of merchanting services, and share of transactions performed remotely. There were no benchmark specific questions in the 2006 survey, so no data are available for 2006.

Varies by year and survey question. For example, at least 2,100 firms responded to some benchmark specific questions in 2011 and 3,700 responded to benchmark specific questions in 2017.

Varies by year.

These linkage capabilities are for linking specific firms in two different data sets. Additional linkages of more general firm characteristics of (ex. location or industry specific information) can also be made to the extent the information is available in the survey. See "Crosswalks involving BEA microdata" ( https://www.bea.gov/system/files/2023-01/ssrp-bea-crosswalks-microdata.pdf ) for a description of crosswalks available between different BEA data sets and the Census Business Register. Data may also be matched to firm level data with name, EIN, and other identification fields as part of research proposal for approved data sources. Typically only the primary EIN for the enterprise is available.

• Employer Identification Number (EIN)
• Company/Firm/Business Name
• Company/Firm/Business Address
• Company/Firm/Business Email Domain
• Other (see Linkage Capabilities description)