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Anti-Money Laundering Obligations for Australian Accounting Practices
The AML Readiness Benchmark Report captured how Australian accounting practices prepared for the AML obligations that commenced on 1 July 2026 — what they charged, how they resourced it, and which technology they chose.
Now the obligations are in force, it works as a reference point: what firms actually did, rather than what the guidance said they should.
Includes a 25-point compliance self-assessment checklist, onboarding fee data by entity type, resourcing benchmarks, eIV adoption findings, and closing observations from Michelle Knights.
Based on responses from 51 Australian accounting practices. Published May 2026. Free, delivered by email.
Now free. AML/CTF obligations commenced 1 July 2026. This report is the profession’s pre-commencement baseline.
Before the obligations began, we asked practices across the profession how they were preparing. Now they are live, this is the baseline to measure your own firm against: what others planned to charge, what they committed to, and where they expected it to hurt.
How the profession prepared for AML: staffing, training hours, technology adoption and onboarding fees, drawn from anonymous submissions by firms across Australia.
All SizesWhat firms planned to charge for one-off compliance onboarding across Individuals, Companies and Trusts, for both existing and new clients, and how they intended to recover ongoing AML costs.
Existing & New ClientsA 25-point AML self-assessment checklist, the key dates timeline, and Michelle Knights’ closing observations on what the data means for your practice.
Delivered By EmailNow that the obligations are live, we have made this report available to the profession at no charge. Add it to your cart and the download link is emailed to you straight away.
| Option | What's Included | Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get the ReportFull benchmark report | The full benchmark report, including the 25-point AML self-assessment checklist and key dates timeline | FreeDelivered by email | Firms reviewing their AML fees, resourcing and processes now the obligations are live |
Onboarding and ongoing AML fees are now being charged, and many firms set them with no view of what comparable practices planned. Undercharging and overcharging are both costly.
The real hours are only now becoming clear. Without a reference point, it is hard to tell whether your team is carrying more or less than the profession expected.
Clients are questioning new charges and partners are reviewing the cost. Those conversations are harder without objective data.
Compare what you are charging with the onboarding fees the profession proposed across entity types, for existing and new clients.
Staff hours, training hours, technology and platform choices. See what comparable practices committed to, and where your firm sits.
Take objective benchmarks into fee reviews and client discussions, rather than industry hearsay or guesswork.
More than survey data. The report includes practical tools you can use to review your firm’s AML approach now.
How prepared the profession felt ahead of 1 July, by firm size and location, and who was leading AML implementation inside firms.
Staff hours per existing complex client, internal training hours, and trust-client documentation status across the profession.
Proposed onboarding fees by entity type (Individual, Company, Trust + Corporate Trustee) for existing and new clients, plus ongoing fee recovery.
eIV provider adoption, per-check cost pass-through decisions, AML platform selection, and intentions to disengage from clients.
A practical checklist combining AUSTRAC obligations with profession-wide benchmarks. Score your firm against the data.
A visual timeline of AUSTRAC enrolment, obligation commencement and the enrolment deadline, with the consequences of non-compliance.
The concerns the profession held about commencement, the support firms most wanted, and how the change compared with past compliance shifts.
Closing observations from Michelle Knights on fee setting, partner conversations and the year ahead.
Years benchmarking the Australian accounting profession
Sections covering pricing, resourcing, technology and preparedness, 26 questions in total
Real Australian firm submissions, anonymous and validated
Built on actual submissions from Australian firms, not global datasets or AI-generated figures.
All responses are anonymous. Individual firm data is never disclosed; only aggregated benchmarks are published.
26 questions across practice profile, AML preparedness, workload, pricing, technology, client risk and overall readiness.
Relevant benchmarks regardless of firm size, from smaller practices to larger multi-partner firms.
The AML Benchmark Report 2026. Free, delivered by email.
Get The Report Questions? services@robknights.com.auThe report was published in May 2026 and is delivered by email to the address provided at checkout. There is no charge and no payment details are required.
Survey responses were collected before the obligations commenced on 1 July 2026. The figures show what firms planned and expected at that point, which makes them a baseline for comparing what your firm is doing now.
The report contains aggregated benchmarks across the profession. Individual firm data is never disclosed, and every contributing response is anonymous.
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