Each candidate contesting the election must report the details of their spending to the Returning Officer after the election.1
The spending report is known as a ‘return’.
This should include the following for each item of spending:
what the spending was for – for example, leaflets or advertising
the name and address of the supplier
the amount or value
details of when it was incurred and paid
details of any invoices not received, or payments not made by the deadline
invoices or receipts for any payment of £10 or over
details of any personal expenses
There is more information on the details that you need to report in Candidate spending.
The spending return must be accompanied by a declaration to verify the return.2
It is your responsibility to fully and accurately report candidate spending.
It is a criminal offence to make a false declaration knowingly.3
Forms you will need:
If you have spent money during the campaign, you should use this spending return form and declaration to report your spending to the Returning Officer:
If you have not spent any money during the campaign, the law does still require a return and declaration to be submitted. We have produced a nil return for you to use. By filling this in, you are completing the return and making the declaration at the same time.
You can find the contact details for your Returning Officer through your local elections office using our postcode lookup tool.