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Australian Electoral Commission
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A federal account is a designated Australian bank account used for electoral expenditure. All monetary gifts made for a federal purpose must be credited into a federal account. Entities can have more than one federal account, as long as they notify the AEC.
A federal account must be with an authorised deposit-taking institution (examples may include banks, building societies or credit unions) and kept in Australia.
The following entities and individuals must have a federal account:
Donations to entities must be deposited into a federal account, and the federal account must be used for electoral expenditure. This ensures funds used for federal electoral purposes are tracked and reported on in a transparent manner.
Expenditure is electoral expenditure if it is for a federal purpose, i.e. it is incurred for the dominant purpose of creating or communicating electoral matter (e.g. advertising or campaign materials).
The person responsible for the federal account must provide relevant details to the AEC within 7 days of either:
If the account was opened on or after 1 July 2026, the notification must state whether the account had an opening balance of more than $20,000. If this is the case, it must be investigated by the AEC.
Civil penalties apply if obligations relating to the use of federal accounts are breached.
Entities holding federal accounts have different requirements regarding the role of the responsible person and how long they must use their federal account.
| Entity type | Responsible person | Period account required |
|---|---|---|
| Registered political party (RPP) | Agent of the party | While the party is registered |
| MP or Senator | The MP or the Senator | While the person is an MP or Senator |
| Candidates in an election | The candidate's agent | While they are a candidate in an election |
| Associated entities (AE) | Financial controller | While the entity is an AE |
| Nominated entities (NE) | Financial controller | While the entity is an NE |
| Significant third parties (STP) | Financial controller | While the entity is an STP |
| Third parties (TP) | The third party | Beginning on the day the person/entity becomes a TP and ending at the end of the calendar year |
The responsible person must take reasonable steps to ensure each relevant gift of money is credited to a federal account. They must also ensure only required or permitted amounts are credited to that account. Failure to do so may result in a civil penalty.
An RPP’s agent must also ensure that, where the AEC pays election funding to the RPP by cheque, an equivalent amount is credited to the relevant federal account within 7 days.
New parties, STPs, AEs and NEs cannot be registered without a federal account.
Funds from federal accounts can only be:
All other uses of funds from federal accounts are prohibited.
Disclaimer: The information on this page is intended to provide general guidance only. It does not constitute legal, financial, or other professional advice. Persons and entities should seek their own professional advice to find out how the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 applies to their particular circumstances. The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) has made every reasonable effort to provide current and accurate information, but it does not make any guarantees regarding the accuracy, currency, or completeness of that information. Parties who wish to re-publish or otherwise use the information on this page must check this information for currency and accuracy prior to publication.
The AEC acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and recognises their continuing connection to land, waters, culture and community. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.