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Audit of Financial Statements

The National Audit Office (NAO) audits the financial statements of all central government departments, agencies and other public bodies and reports the results to Parliament. In 2009-10, we audited expenditure and revenue amounting to some £950 billion across 475 accounts. The NAO produces technical information, guidance and good practice material that can be used by others, particularly those in public sector organisations.

Disclosure and compliance guides

FReM, NDPBs disclosure guide, Compliance guide IPSAS

Disclosure guides are designed to ensure that audited bodies have prepared an account in the appropriate form and have complied with all disclosure requirements. The guides available on these pages are intended for use by both NAO auditors and clients, who may find them useful in the course of preparing their financial statements.

Disclosure guides

General Reports of the Comptroller and Auditor General

This report is published each year, and summarises the results of the financial audit work undertaken by the NAO in each financial year. The most recent are listed here.

International Financial Reporting Standards readiness toolkit

October 2008

The toolkit is designed to be used to assess the impact of the transition from UK Accounting standards to International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) on business and financial statements.

Whole of Government Accounts

Whole of Government Accounts (WGA) will be audited consolidated accounts for the Public Sector, prepared by HM Treasury. It is anticipated that the first set of accounts will be published in the 2009-10 accounting year, and will be in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).

Full details about the WGA programme, including Treasury's guidance for departments, is available from the Treasury WGA Team's website, HMT WGA website.

Audit of Whole of Government Accounts

The NAO work with auditors of other WGA bodies (the Audit Commission, Audit Scotland, Wales Audit Office, Northern Ireland Audit Office, and private sector firms) to establish Group audit instructions for Whole of Government accounts, and strategies are available for the different types of bodies that make up WGA.

If you are an auditor of a WGA body, but do not have details of the Group audit instructions, or you have any questions or comments, please telephone the NAO WGA team on 020 7798 7727. Alternatively, email the team using our contact us form selecting Whole of government accounts as the topic, marking it for their attention in the subject field.