Guidance for TARAs

This form explains everything we will need from you to prepare your LEEDS tenant and resident association accounts. Download our Leeds form here.

This form explains everything we will need from you to prepare your WAKEFIELD tenant and resident association accounts.  Download our Wakefield form here.

Our free Excel spreadsheet cashbook will help you record your income and expenditure transactions each month, it will also produce a year end report. You’ll find the instructions on the first page. Download our Blank Template here.

We provide free templates for handwritten records which include Excel bank and cash record sheets. Download our template here.

If you’re not sure how to get started take a look at our example sheets with pre-filled information. Download a copy here.

Here are our free templates for travel expenses, general expenses, receipts and payments.   Download a copy here.

Setting up a TARA?  You will need a constitution and a bank account for the group.  It is important that all payments from the bank need two people to authorise them. Ask a few banks if they have an account for community groups or societies. Be wary of having a payment card linked to the account, as that will require only one person to authorise withdrawals or payments.

Recording a transaction? Is it bank or cash? Make sure it’s recorded on its own sheet (bank or cash), and that the relevant receipt is numbered and kept with it in case there are any queries.

Received a grant? Not sure how to monitor the spend and track the balance? Make sure the fund name is chosen e.g. (MICE painting) for each transaction. If easier use a separate manual sheet for each grant so you can see what the running balance is.

When do we need to think about registering as a charity? Is your income over £5,000 and your objects wholly charitable? If so, please speak to your local housing officer about the next step in the process of registering as a Charity.

Received your bank statement?  Check what is on the statement to what is on your records and explain any difference (usually due to uncleared transactions). This is called reconciling your bank account.