This paper is divided into two parts. In the first part, we attempt to analyze the new concepts of accountability and rendering of accounts that have been adopted in the business world over the last few years and their application to public institutions. Aspects involved in defining stakeholders, corporate governance, intermediate financial information, performance indicators, publication of reports on external control and channels for publication of financial information are also dealt with. The second part of the paper consists of an empirical study of how Catalan municipalities of more than 50,000 inhabitants render accounts to citizens by means of the Internet. Copyright International Atlantic Economic Society 2006H83, M41,