22/05/2026
From 1 July 2026, your accounting firm is a regulated entity under Australia's AML/CTF laws.
Not "might be." Not "if you do certain work."
If your firm provides designated services, and most firms do, you are in scope. Full stop.
๐ง๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ง๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ฒ๐
๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ:
โ A written AML/CTF program - approved by your partners, not sitting in a draft folder
โ A nominated AML/CTF Compliance Officer - actually performing the role, not just holding the title
โ Customer due diligence processes - being followed consistently, not improvised by whoever answers the phone
โ Staff who can demonstrate they understand their obligations - not just "๐ธ๐ฆ ๐ต๐ข๐ญ๐ฌ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ข๐ฃ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ต ๐ช๐ต ๐ช๐ฏ ๐ข ๐ต๐ฆ๐ข๐ฎ ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ต๐ช๐ฏ๐จ"
โ An ongoing monitoring system that identifies changes and flags concerns in real time
Most firms we speak to have none of these in place.
Some have started. Very few are operational.
AUSTRAC has been explicit: they do not expect perfection on day one. But they do expect genuine, proactive effort.
A program that sits on a shelf is not genuine effort.
A compliance officer in name only is not genuine effort.
A team meeting with no assessment, no register, and no certificates is not genuine effort.
The question is not whether your firm needs to act.
The question is whether you act before 1 July, or explain to AUSTRAC why you did not.
๐๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฝ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐น๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฎ ๐๐๐ฟ๐ป๐ธ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ ๐/๐๐ง๐ ๐ง๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฎ ๐ง๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฎ๐บ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ป๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฝ๐๐ฏ๐น๐ถ๐ฐ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐ป๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฟ๐บ๐.
๐ง๐ต๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด: ๐ ๐ฎ๐, ๐๐๐ป๐ฒ, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐๐น๐.
๐ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐๐น๐น ๐๐ป๐ฎ๐น๐๐๐ถ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ:
https://bit.ly/Why-the-AUSTRAC-Starter-Kit-is-Not-Enough
๐ฅ ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ฌ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฝ๐น๐ถ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ฏ๐ผ๐ผ๐ธ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ:
https://bit.ly/AML-CTF-Download-Playbook-Here
๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ป ๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ:
https://bit.ly/AML2-Training-Certification