{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/local-government-scotland-act-1973/section-96",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/local-government-scotland-act-1973/section-96.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1973/65",
  "legislation_title": "Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/local-government-scotland-act-1973",
  "path": "section/96",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "96",
  "heading": "Accounts and audit.",
  "text": "(1) Every local authority shall keep accounts of all transactions relating to all funds of the authority and, subject to any provision contained in regulations made under section 105 of this Act, the accounts of the general fund of a local authority shall comprise such current, capital and borrowing accounts as may be necessary for the purpose of distinguishing transactions for different purposes.\n(2) All accounts of a local authority shall be made up in respect of each financial year.\n(3) Every local authority shall, in addition to preparing accounts in respect of any financial year, prepare in duplicate an abstract of the accounts for that year.\n(4) The accounts of every local authority in respect of any financial year shall be audited by a professional accountant, who is either a member of the staff of Audit Scotland or is an approved auditor appointed by the Commission in accordance with the provisions of this Part of this Act.\n(5) The financial year of a local authority shall be the period of twelve months ending with 31st March . . .; and references in this Act and in any other enactment (whether passed or made before or after the passing of this Act) to the financial year of a local authority shall be construed in accordance with the provisions of this subsection.\n(6) The Secretary of State may by order make provision amending, repealing or revoking, with or without savings, any enactment which is inconsistent with or superseded by subsection (5) above; but no order under this subsection shall have effect unless it is approved by a resolution of each House of Parliament.",
  "extent": "S",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in s. 96(4) substituted (1.4.2000) by 2000 asp 1, s. 26, Sch. 4 para. 3(2); S.S.I. 2000/10, art. 2(3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "S. 96(5)(6) substituted for s. 96(5) by Local Government (Scotland) Act 1975 (c. 30), s. 18"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words in s. 96(5) repealed (1.4.1995) by 1994 c. 39, s. 180(2), Sch. 14; S.I. 1995/702, art. 3(e), Sch. 1"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "Ss. 96-102 modified (1.4.2013) by The Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012 (Supplementary, Transitional, Transitory and Saving Provisions) Order2013 (S.S.I. 2013/121), arts. 1(1), 7, sch."
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C2",
      "text": "S. 96(1)(2)-(4) applied (6.3.1992) by Local Government Finance Act 1992 (c. 14), s. 107, Sch. 11 Pt. III para. 25."
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C3",
      "text": "S. 96(2)–(4) extended by Abolition of Domestic Rates Etc. (Scotland) Act 1987 (c. 47, SIF 81:2, 103:2), s. 25(2), Sch. 5 Pt. III para. 24"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1973/65/section/96",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T10:46:26.996319+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}