!!!Rechnungshof

Court of Audit, auxiliary organ of the  Nationalrat (National Council) 
and the  Landtag (provincial diets) to examine the financial 
administration of the Federal Government and the governments at the 
provincial and municipal level, as well as districts with more than 
20,000 inhabitants. The Court of Audit is directly subordinated to the 
Nationalrat; the president of the Court of Audit is elected by the 
Nationalrat for 12 years and is sworn in by the Federal President. The 
President of the Court of Audit is not re-eligible. The Court of Audit 
also audits foundations, funds and institutions which are administered 
by territorial authorities, social security institutions, the ORF 
(Austrian Broadcasting Corporation) and companies in which territorial 
authorities hold at least 50 % interest; the audit is usually 
carried out ex officio. The Court of Audit examines the accounts of 
these institutions according to the criteria of mathematical 
correctness, legality, economy, efficiency and effectiveness. It has 
to report to the National Council on its activities during the 
previous year by December 31 of each year. The report is published 
after approval by the National Council. The Court of Audit also 
prepares the Federal annual accounts and has to countersign documents 
by which the Federal government contracts financial debts.

\\
The forerunner of the Court of Audit was the Allgemeine Schatzkammer 
(National Treasury) established by Maximilian I in 1496. Maria 
Theresia introduced the Hofrechnungskammer (Court Auditing Chamber) in 
1761; called Supreme Court of Audit from 1867, it was replaced by the 
Staatsrechnungshof (State Court of Audit) in 1919. The Court of Audit 
was dissolved in 1938 under the Nazi regime and re-established in 
1945. In some provinces there are Provincial Courts of Audit, which 
control the financial management of the provinces side by side with 
the Court of Audit. In large towns and cities, the functions of the 
Court of Audit are exercised by Comptroller's Offices.

!Literature
J. Hengstschlaeger, Der Rechnungshof, 1982.


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