Parish & City Councils ✦ BC&A Specialist
BC&A provides dedicated accounting, internal audit and governance support to local councils across the region, ensuring compliance with the Accounts and Audit Regulations and proper practices at every stage.
Local councils are not commercial businesses and cannot be treated as such. The accounting framework governing parish and city councils — including the Annual Governance and Accountability Return, the Practitioners' Guide to Proper Practices and the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015 — is entirely separate from standard business accounting.
Clerks and Responsible Finance Officers carry significant responsibility, and the consequences of errors in the AGAR or failures in internal control are public, formal and enforceable.
BC&A provides specialist accounting and compliance support designed specifically for local councils. We understand the AGAR process, the distinction between receipts and payments and income and expenditure accounting, the requirements for internal and external audit, and the transparency obligations that come with managing public funds. Our role is to take the complexity off your desk and give your council confidence in its financial governance.
Standard accounting software and general practice accountants are not designed for the local council sector. The AGAR requires specific knowledge of governance statements, accounting statements, the exercise of public rights and the internal audit report — all of which must be completed, approved and published in the correct order and to strict statutory deadlines.
Getting any part of this wrong creates real reputational and regulatory risk for the council and its councilors.
Every parish and city council is required to have an independent internal audit carried out before the AGAR can be finalized. BC&A provides this service as an independent internal auditor, reviewing your accounting records, internal controls and governance arrangements and producing the formal internal audit report required for AGAR completion.
Our involvement gives your council, your external auditor and your local electors the assurance they need that public funds are being managed correctly and transparently.
We do more than keep your books in order. Our approach is proactive — we review your numbers regularly, flag opportunities and ensure you are always ahead of deadlines.
We prepare and submit all accounts and filings well ahead of every deadline — you will never face a penalty with BC&A.
Cloud accounting means your numbers are always current — giving you the clarity to make faster, better business decisions.
We agree fees upfront before any work begins. No hourly billing, no unexpected invoices — just clear, transparent pricing.
Speak to our team today for a no-obligation conversation about how BC&A can support your business. We'll recommend the right services for your situation.
