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Guide · general information, not legal advice

Tranche 2 key dates: what applied and when

Last checked 25 September 2026 against the AML/CTF Act compilation C2026C00274, the AML/CTF Rules 2025 (F2025L01026) and the Transitional Rules 2026 (F2026L00393)

The tranche 2 dates for accounting practices, real estate agencies, conveyancers and legal practices, from the authorised text. Past dates are marked past. The rolling 28-day and 14-day clocks are listed separately, because they run from your own start date.

The dates at a glance

  1. 31 March 2026

    Schedules 1 to 3 of the 2024 Amendment Act began, including the rewritten program provisions. AUSTRAC says enrolment in AUSTRAC Online started on this date.

    Amendment Act s 2 AUSTRAC starter kit updates
  2. 1 July 2026

    Program, customer due diligence, reporting and record-keeping obligations began for real estate (Table 5), professional services (Table 6) and dealers in precious metals and stones (Table 2 item 2).

    Sch 3 item 11
  3. 29 July 2026

    Enrolment was due for firms that were already providing one of those services before 1 July 2026 and no other designated service. It was also the earliest due date for their compliance-officer notice.

    If you missed it, the obligation to enrol continues until you apply. See If you missed 29 July 2026.

    Sch 3 item 12 s 51B(1) Transitional Rules s 19
  4. 28 August 2026

    AUSTRAC announced it had begun issuing section 167 notices to businesses that appear to provide designated services without being enrolled.

    AUSTRAC media release
  5. 30 June 2027

    The first compliance-report period ends. It began on 1 July 2026. Later periods follow the financial year.

    Rules 9-9
  6. 1 July to 30 September 2027

    You lodge your first annual compliance report, in AUSTRAC's approved online form.

    s 47 Rules 9-9
  7. 30 June 2029 to 31 December 2030

    If your enrolment was due on 29 July 2026, your first independent evaluation is on time if done before one of four dates, set by the last two digits of your enrolment identifier. If you started later, your policies set the date (at least once every 3 years).

    Transitional Rules s 17 s 26F(4)(f)

Obligations began on 1 July 2026 under Schedule 3 of the 2024 Amendment Act. The same Schedule set the 29 July 2026 enrolment date.1 The compliance-report dates come from rule 9-9 of the AML/CTF Rules 2025.2 AUSTRAC links on this page open in a new window. AUSTRAC has not reviewed or endorsed this guide.

The rolling clocks

These deadlines run from something your firm does, not from a fixed calendar date. The enrolment row matters most to a firm that started after 1 July 2026. The others keep applying for as long as you provide designated services.

Deadlines that run from your own start date or event
When this happens You must Source
Before your first designated service Have your risk assessment and policies in place and documented s 26E s 26F(8) s 26N Rules 5-15
You start providing a designated service and are not enrolled Apply to enrol within 28 days s 51B(1)
You start providing a designated service Designate a compliance officer within 28 days s 26K
You designate a compliance officer Notify AUSTRAC within 14 days, in the approved form s 26M
Your enrolment details change Tell AUSTRAC within 14 days s 51F Rules 3-9
You update your risk assessment or policies Document the update within 14 days Rules 5-15
You form a suspicion that must be reported Report within 3 business days (5 business days where some, but not all, of the information may be covered by another person's legal professional privilege), or 24 hours for terrorism financing s 41(2)
A transaction involves A$10,000 or more in physical currency Report within 10 business days s 43(2)

You must not start providing a designated service to a client without an up-to-date risk assessment and your policies in place.3 A senior manager must approve the risk assessment and policies, and every update to them.4 The compliance officer must be at management level, a resident of Australia and a fit and proper person.5 AUSTRAC's page on the AML/CTF compliance officer says you notify it through the enrolment form in AUSTRAC Online.

Your governing body must oversee how the firm identifies its risks and complies with its policies.6 Put these clocks in your compliance calendar, with the name of the person responsible for each one.

If you missed 29 July 2026

The obligation to enrol did not end on 29 July 2026. It continues until you apply, and each day after the deadline counts as a separate contravention.7

Not enrolled yet?

Failing to enrol is a civil penalty provision. It is also an infringement notice provision: an authorised officer can give a notice of 60 penalty units (A$21,840) for a body corporate, or 12 penalty units (A$4,368) for anyone else, unless the Rules set a different number. Those amounts use the A$364 penalty unit that applies from 1 July 2026.8

You enrol directly with AUSTRAC, and you do not need to buy anything from us to do it. Read AUSTRAC's Enrol with us overview and our enrolment guide.

On 28 August 2026 AUSTRAC said it "has begun issuing section 167 notices to businesses that appear to be providing designated services but have not enrolled". It named real estate agents, accountants, lawyers and jewellers among the businesses receiving them.9 A section 167 notice requires information or documents, and not complying can be an offence.10

When the obligations began, AUSTRAC said it would take a "pragmatic and proportionate approach" while businesses move to the new requirements. It also said it expects "sustained effort and progress against your implementation plan".11 That is AUSTRAC's statement of approach, not a legal exemption.

If you are unsure how to handle a late enrolment, get legal advice.

What is due next

  1. Annual compliance report: 1 July to 30 September 2027

    It covers 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027 and is lodged in AUSTRAC's approved online form. After that, each financial year is a reporting period, lodged in the 3 months after 30 June. s 47 Rules 9-9

  2. Compliance officer's report: at least every 12 months

    Your policies must provide for the compliance officer to report to the governing body at least once every 12 months. This does not apply if the firm is an individual, or if the compliance officer is the same person as the governing body. Rules 5-7

  3. Risk assessment review: on triggers, and at least every 3 years

    Review it when something significant changes, and in any event at least once every 3 years. s 26D

  4. Policy review: at least every 3 years

    Your policies must say how often they are reviewed, and it must be at least once every 3 years. s 26F(3)(d)

AUSTRAC's page on annual compliance reports says the submission period is 1 July to 30 September each year.2

Your first independent evaluation

Your program must be independently evaluated at least once every 3 years.12 The evaluator must give a written report to your governing body and to the senior manager who approves your program.13

If the 29 July 2026 enrolment rule applied to you, your first evaluation is on time if it is done before the date that matches the last two digits of your enrolment identifier:14

First independent evaluation, by enrolment identifier
Last two digits of your enrolment identifier Evaluate before
Both odd (for example 35) 30 June 2029
Odd, then even (for example 36) 31 December 2029
Both even (for example 46) 30 June 2030
Even, then odd (for example 47) 31 December 2030

If you started providing designated services after 1 July 2026, this table does not apply to you. Your first evaluation follows the frequency set in your own policies, which must be at least once every 3 years.12

The evaluation must be independent, so the people who wrote your program cannot carry it out. We can help you plan it and refer you to an evaluator, but we do not evaluate our own work. See our guide to the independent evaluation.

Where to go next

Independent. Not affiliated with, or endorsed by, AUSTRAC or the Australian Government.

Sources

Law is quoted from the authorised text on the Federal Register of Legislation, opened 25 September 2026. AUSTRAC pages are guidance, not law.

  1. AML/CTF Amendment Act 2024 (C2024A00110), Schedule 3, items 11 and 12; Schedules 1 to 3 commenced 31 March 2026 (s 2, table item 2). legislation.gov.au/C2024A00110/latest/text

  2. AML/CTF Act s 47(2)–(3); AML/CTF Rules 2025 (F2025L01026), rule 9-9. legislation.gov.au/F2025L01026/latest/text. AUSTRAC guidance: annual compliance reports.

  3. AML/CTF Act ss 26E and 26F(8).

  4. AML/CTF Act s 26P(1).

  5. AML/CTF Act s 26J(2)–(3); AML/CTF Rules 2025, rule 5-14.

  6. AML/CTF Act s 26H(1).

  7. AML/CTF Act s 51B(1), (2B) and (2C). legislation.gov.au/C2006A00169/latest/text

  8. AML/CTF Act s 51B(3); s 184(1) and (1A)(aaa); s 186A(1)–(3). Crimes (Amount of a Penalty Unit) Instrument 2026 (F2026N00424), s 5: a penalty unit is A$364. 60 × A$364 = A$21,840; 12 × A$364 = A$4,368. legislation.gov.au/F2026N00424/latest/text

  9. AUSTRAC, "AUSTRAC issues notices to non-enrolled businesses", published 28 August 2026. Guidance, not law.

  10. AML/CTF Act s 167.

  11. AUSTRAC, "Changes to AML/CTF obligations: What you need to do", published 1 July 2026. Guidance, not law.

  12. AML/CTF Act s 26F(4)(f).

  13. AML/CTF Rules 2025, rule 5-10; AML/CTF Act s 26P.

  14. AML/CTF Transitional Rules 2026 (F2026L00393), s 17(1)–(2). legislation.gov.au/F2026L00393/latest/text

Questions

What is due next?

The first annual compliance report. It covers 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027 and is lodged between 1 July and 30 September 2027 (s 47; Rules 9-9). Your policies must also have the compliance officer report to the governing body at least once every 12 months (Rules 5-7), unless the firm is an individual or one person holds both roles. The risk assessment is reviewed when a trigger occurs, and the risk assessment and policies at least once every 3 years (s 26D; s 26F(3)(d)).

When is our first independent evaluation?

If the 29 July 2026 enrolment rule applied to you, before 30 June 2029, 31 December 2029, 30 June 2030 or 31 December 2030, depending on the last two digits of your enrolment identifier (Transitional Rules s 17). The table is in the section on the first independent evaluation above.

Is 1 October a tranche 2 date?

No, 1 October is not a tranche 2 date. The obligations for real estate and professional services began on 1 July 2026 (Amendment Act Sch 3 item 11), and enrolment was due on 29 July 2026 for firms already providing those services.

We enrolled on 29 July. When was the compliance-officer notice due?

By the later of 29 July 2026 and 14 days after your name was entered on the Reporting Entities Roll (Transitional Rules s 19). From now on, notify AUSTRAC within 14 days after you designate a new compliance officer (s 26M).

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