Summary of captured services

Whether you are captured by the new AML/CTF reforms depends on whether you provide a ‘designated service’.

Designated services are defined under section 6 of the amended AML/CTF Act.

They include certain services, such as assisting clients to:

• buy, sell or transfer real estate,
• buy, sell or transfer legal entities,
• receive, hold, control or manage their funds and/or property, for example, money, accounts, securities or assets,
• sell or transfer a shelf company,
• carry out some transactional work, including equity and debt financing, and
• create or restructure a legal entity or legal arrangement.

For information, see our FAQs Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing (AML/CTF) Reforms.

AML/CTF Core Guidance

AUSTRAC is currently developing Core Guidance that will detail the scope of new regulated services, core obligations for reporting entities and practical implementation strategies for AML/CTF compliance.  This will be relevant for reporting entities including the newly covered Tranche 2 entities.  AUSTRAC expects Core Guidance to be available in October 2025.   Following that, AUSTRAC expects to release sector-specific guidance in December 2025.