Course overview

Designing and running an AML-compliant accounting practice is designed for Australian accounting practices preparing to operate under the expanded AML/CTF regime. The course focuses on converting legal and regulatory obligations into practical systems, controls, workflows and documented decisions that can operate in real client matters.

Across five lessons, the course moves from practice design and governance through to onboarding, CDD, monitoring, implementation, assurance, remediation, cross-border risk and continuous improvement. It is intended for accountants, BAS agents, tax practitioners, partners, managers, AML/CTF compliance officers, onboarding staff and operations leaders who need to build and maintain an AML/CTF framework that is workable, evidence-based and defensible.

Course learning objectives

By the end of this course, learners should be able to:

Design an AML/CTF operating model for an accounting practice
Identify how designated service triggers, governance roles, risk appetite, engagement terms, client money boundaries, and ethical obligations should be incorporated into the practice’s operating framework.
Map accounting services into AML/CTF workflow controls
Distinguish routine advisory or compliance work from matters that may require AML/CTF triage, CDD, enhanced CDD, approval, escalation or service restriction.
Apply risk-based client onboarding and due diligence procedures
Design and apply onboarding, beneficial ownership, representative authority, PEP, sanctions, source-of-funds, source-of-wealth and customer risk-rating procedures.
Embed AML/CTF controls into client and matter workflows
Translate program requirements into CRM fields, workflow gates, document controls, approval pathways, monitoring triggers and recordkeeping processes.
Manage post-implementation compliance risk
Identify exceptions, control failures, documentation gaps, staff capability issues and remediation needs after go-live and respond through structured escalation and corrective action.
Assure and evidence the effectiveness of the AML/CTF program
Apply quality assurance, internal review, independent evaluation, partner reporting, breach handling, remediation tracking and retesting to demonstrate that controls are operating effectively.
Make defensible practice decisions under pressure
Decide when to proceed, pause, escalate, restrict scope, report, disengage or remediate, and document the reasoning in a way that supports regulatory, ethical and professional accountability.

Lesson overviews

Lesson	Lesson title	Lesson overview
1	Designing the AML-compliant accounting practice	Establishes the operating model for an AML-compliant accounting practice, including designated-service triggers, governance responsibilities, firm-wide risk assessment, engagement terms, ethical architecture, client-money boundaries and practice culture.
2	Embedding AML/CTF controls into client and matter workflows	Shows how to translate AML/CTF program requirements into practical workflow controls across client intake, onboarding, CDD, enhanced CDD, transaction review, escalation, reporting, recordkeeping and staff capability.
3	Assuring, sustaining and evidencing AML/CTF compliance	Focuses on proving that AML/CTF controls work in practice through quality assurance, control testing, independent evaluation, breach handling, remediation, partner-level oversight, reporting follow-up and continuous improvement.
4	Implementation rollout, systems integration and go-live readiness	Treats AML/CTF implementation as a business transformation project, covering rollout planning, CRM and onboarding system integration, vendor control, change management, training, pilot testing, go-live readiness and regulator preparedness.
5	Post-go-live exception management, remediation and regulator readiness	Explains how to manage the first operational pressure points after go-live, including workflow exceptions, partner overrides, remediation projects, regulator requests, evidence collation, vendor resilience, retraining and competency revalidation.

CPD compliance mapping

This course is designed to support verifiable professional development for accounting practices that need to operationalise AML/CTF obligations in live workflows. It develops intermediate capability across governance, risk assessment, client onboarding, customer due diligence, monitoring, assurance, remediation, regulator readiness and cross-border risk management.

Professional body or framework	Relevant CPD/CPE alignment	How does this course support the requirement
CPA Australia	Maintaining professional competence, ethics, governance, risk management and public interest obligations.	The course develops practical capability in AML governance, risk controls, client due diligence, ethical escalation, assurance and continuous improvement.
Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand	Maintaining competence, quality of professional services, ethics and public trust.	The course supports applied learning in firm-level controls, client acceptance, evidence standards, suspicious-matter escalation, and responsible governance.
Institute of Public Accountants	Technical knowledge, professional skills, practice management, ethics and regulatory compliance.	The course addresses operational compliance capability for public practitioners, BAS agents, tax practitioners and practice leaders.
Tax Practitioners Board	Relevant continuing professional education for tax agents and BAS agents, including reasonable care, records and conduct obligations.	The course links AML/CTF controls with tax-practice workflows, client records, risk of false or misleading statements, remediation and escalation.
AUSTRAC readiness and competency expectations	AML/CTF program readiness, staff training, ML/TF risk assessment, CDD, reporting, recordkeeping and governance accountability.	The course trains learners to build, operate, test and improve the controls expected in a regulated accounting practice.
APESB professional standards	Ethics, client monies, taxation services, professional competence, confidentiality, NOCLAR and professional behaviour.	The course embeds ethical judgement into client-money controls, engagement terms, escalation, communication and disengagement decisions.

Mapping of lessons to CPD and AUSTRAC capability areas

Lesson	Key capability developed	CPD/CPE relevance	AUSTRAC-aligned capability area
Lesson 1: Designing the AML-compliant accounting practice	Establishes the operating blueprint for identifying designated-service triggers, governance accountability, firm-wide ML/TF risk assessment, client-money boundaries, engagement terms and ethical culture.	Governance, risk management, professional standards, regulatory compliance and practice management.	AML/CTF operational capability, staff competence, CDD, monitoring, assurance, reporting or cross-border control as relevant.
Lesson 2: Embedding AML/CTF controls into client and matter workflows	Shows how to place AML/CTF controls into intake, onboarding, CDD, transaction review, escalation, reporting, recordkeeping and staff capability workflows.	Governance, risk management, professional standards, regulatory compliance and practice management.	AML/CTF operational capability, staff competence, CDD, monitoring, assurance, reporting or cross-border control as relevant.
Lesson 3: Assuring, sustaining, and evidencing AML/CTF compliance	Develops assurance capability, control testing, breach response, remediation, governance oversight, reporting follow-up, regulatory engagement and continuous improvement.	Governance, risk management, professional standards, regulatory compliance and practice management.	AML/CTF operational capability, staff competence, CDD, monitoring, assurance, reporting or cross-border control as relevant.
Lesson 4: Implementation rollout, systems integration, and go-live readiness	Addresses implementation as a business transformation project, including rollout planning, systems integration, training, pilot testing, readiness checks and go-live controls.	Governance, risk management, professional standards, regulatory compliance and practice management.	AML/CTF operational capability, staff competence, CDD, monitoring, assurance, reporting or cross-border control as relevant.
Lesson 5: Post-go-live exception management, remediation, and regulator readiness	Focuses on post-implementation exception handling, remediation, regulator request management, evidence collation, vendor resilience, retraining and continuous improvement.	Governance, risk management, professional standards, regulatory compliance and practice management.	AML/CTF operational capability, staff competence, CDD, monitoring, assurance, reporting or cross-border control as relevant.