Accounts

Financial regulations govern the conduct of financial management of a Parish Council and may only be amended or varied by resolution.

A Parish Council is responsible in law for ensuring that its financial management is adequate and effective and that the council has a sound system of internal control which facilitates the effective exercise of the Parish Council’s functions, including arrangements for the management of risk.

Accounting control systems must include measures for:

  • the timely production of accounts
  • providing for the safe and efficient safeguarding of public money
  • preventing and detecting inaccuracy and fraud
  • identifying the duties of officers

To ensure this, at each Parish Council meeting invoices for expenditure are submitted for approval. Once approved, payments will be made, either by cheque or BACS electronic transfer using online banking.


Annual Audit (Current Year)

The Annual Audit takes the form of an Annual Governance and Accountability Return (AGAR) form, which is completed after the financial year end on 31 March each year. The current year’s form is available below under ‘Publication Requirements’.

The form is completed over a number of stages:

  • Certificate of Exemption (page 3): Any Parish Council with an annual turnover of less than £25,000 is entitled to declare itself exempt from the requirement to submit the accounts to an external auditor.
  • Annual Internal Audit Report (page 4): All Parish Council’s accounts must be inspected by an internal auditor, appointed by the Parish Council. The Internal Auditor completes this Report.
  • Annual Governance Statement (page 5): A Parish Council declares that it has ensured that there is a sound system of internal control in place. Once the Council has approved the declaration, it is signed by the Chair and Clerk.
  • Annual Accounting Statement (page 6): A Parish Council declares its income and expenditure over the financial year. Once the Council has approved the declaration, it is signed by the Chair and Clerk.

Publication Requirements (2022/23)

Smaller authorities must publish various documents on a publicly available website as required by the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015, the Local Audit (Smaller Authorities) Regulations 2015 and the Transparency Code for Smaller Authorities. These include:

The Annual Governance and Accountability Return (AGAR)Download
Analysis of VariancesDownload
Bank ReconciliationDownload
Notice of Public Rights
Any local government elector interested has the right to inspect and make copies of the AGAR, the accounting records for the financial year to which it relates and all books, deeds, contracts, bills, vouchers, receipts and other documents relating to those records must be made available for inspection by any person interested. This Notice sets out details of how to arrange an inspection.
Download
All items of expenditure over £100Download
List of Councillor responsibilities
Details of Public Land and Building AssetsDownload
Minutes, agendas and papers of formal meetings [see Meetings page]Visit

Annual Audit (Previous Year)

Yearly Audit Account Statements for the previous financial year can be found below.

The Annual Governance and Accountability Return (AGAR)Download
Analysis of VariancesDownload
Bank ReconciliationDownload
Notice of Public Rights
Any local government elector interested has the right to inspect and make copies of the AGAR, the accounting records for the financial year to which it relates and all books, deeds, contracts, bills, vouchers, receipts and other documents relating to those records must be made available for inspection by any person interested. This Notice sets out details of how to arrange an inspection.
Download
All items of expenditure over £100Download
List of Councillor responsibilitiesDownload
Details of Public Land and Building AssetsDownload
Minutes, agendas and papers of formal meetings [see Meetings page]Visit