Core guidance
New AML/CTF reforms guidance has now been released. Until the laws change on 31 March 2026, we’ll maintain our guidance on existing obligations on these pages.
To understand your obligations from 31 March onwards, please refer to our reforms guidance.
AUSTRAC regulates certain business activities in the financial services, bullion, gambling and digital currency exchange sectors. These business activities are called designated services and have been identified because they pose a risk for money laundering, terrorism financing and other serious criminal activities.
If you provide one or more designated services that have a geographical link to Australia, you are a reporting entity and obligations that you must meet under the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act 2006 (AML/CTF Act).
Below are the major regulatory obligations you must comply with as well as guidance to improve your AML/CTF compliance.
Additional resources
As a reporting entity, you should consider your responsibilities with respect to the following items.
This guidance sets out how we interpret the Act, along with associated Rules and regulations. Australian courts are ultimately responsible for interpreting these laws and determining if any provisions of these laws are contravened.
The examples and scenarios in this guidance are meant to help explain our interpretation of these laws. They’re not exhaustive or meant to cover every possible scenario.
This guidance provides general information and isn't a substitute for legal advice. This guidance avoids legal language wherever possible and it might include generalisations about the application of the law. Some provisions of the law referred to have exceptions or important qualifications. In most cases your particular circumstances must be taken into account when determining how the law applies to you.