Your financial scheme

Your party must submit a financial scheme as part of your application to register which sets out how the party will comply with the legal controls of the political finance rules under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act (PPERA).

The financial scheme you provide must have been adopted by the party.

We produce a template scheme that you can use to create your party’s own financial scheme. You do not have to use this template scheme. It is a template only and the scheme that the party submits with its application must accurately reflect how the party actually operates in practice.

If you use our template scheme, you should check carefully that it accurately reflects the party’s own procedures. For example, if the party has a campaigns officer, you should include their name at the appropriate places in the scheme in addition to the party treasurer. If your financial year will not run from 1 January to 31 December then you should amend this within the template scheme as well.

We must be satisfied that your financial scheme sets out the arrangements for regulating the financial affairs of the party for the purposes of PPERA, and that it has been adopted by the party, for your application to be approved.

One way you can demonstrate that the scheme has been adopted is to have all of the proposed registered officers of the party sign the scheme.

Minor parties are not required to adopt a financial scheme or submit one as part of their application.

Last updated: 24 November 2022