AML/CTF compliance
AUSTRAC's 2026–27 Priorities: What They Mean for Your Firm
26 September 2026 · 5 min read
In brief
AUSTRAC’s 2026–27 priorities focus on embedding reforms, improving SMR quality, strengthening virtual-asset oversight, supporting regional risk management and improving the efficiency of the AML/CTF regime.
AUSTRAC's five regulatory priorities for 2026–27 are:
1. Embedding the AML/CTF reforms. Newly regulated sectors are expected to move from enrolment to running compliance day to day: a working program, a compliance officer in the role, CDD at every onboarding, and reports lodged on time. 2. Improving the quality of suspicious matter reports. Expect scrutiny of whether your SMRs set out clear grounds, link all the parties involved and are lodged within deadline, and of whether you are lodging them at all. (See Blog 2 and Blog 3.) 3. Strengthening oversight of virtual assets. Clients increasingly bring crypto into property purchases and structuring work. Know how to identify digital-asset funding and record wallet details correctly. 4. Supporting stronger regional risk management. Cross-border clients, funds and structures deserve closer attention in your risk assessment and CDD. 5. Improving the efficiency of the AML/CTF regime. AUSTRAC has modernised report formats to reduce complexity. Firms that capture data cleanly at the start will find compliance cheaper and faster.
How AUSTRAC is supervising
Over the past year AUSTRAC ran multi-sector campaigns on common issues and sent letters and questionnaires to understand how businesses meet their obligations. Tranche 2 firms should expect similar engagement, and should be able to answer questions from records rather than from memory.
How Comply.LM helps
Comply.LM keeps your enrolment, program documents, client checks, risk ratings and decisions in one audit-ready workspace. When AUSTRAC asks, the evidence is already there.
General information only, not legal advice.
Authoritative sources
This article draws on current AUSTRAC guidance. Always check the source guidance for updates that apply to your circumstances.
Common questions
What should newly regulated firms prioritise?
Move beyond enrolment to daily operation: approved controls, trained staff, customer due diligence, monitoring, timely reporting and evidence of decisions.
How should firms prepare for AUSTRAC supervision?
Maintain current records that show how risks were assessed, controls were applied and exceptions were reviewed.