The Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (Amendment) Regulations 2026 change several areas that accountancy firms may need to reflect in their anti-money laundering (AML) controls. The main effect is on how firms word and operate their core AML controls, including customer due diligence (CDD) and enhanced due diligence (EDD), geographic-risk checks, client-account controls, and trust […]
What do AML reviewers look for in an accountancy client file?
An accountancy client AML file is tested when someone outside the practice has to understand it. If the reasoning is thin or trapped in memory, good work can still look weak under supervisory review. This article explains how AML supervisors may read an accountancy client file during a review, monitoring visit, or inspection, and what […]
Will accountants need to register with the FCA for AML supervision?
In-scope accountancy firms are likely to be subject to an FCA registration or onboarding process once the new AML supervision regime is implemented. There is nothing to apply for yet, because the FCA has not confirmed the exact transition details. For the moment, the current AML rules still apply. Most firms remain under their professional […]
Will FCA AML supervision increase fees and costs for accountancy firms?
Accountancy firms should expect FCA AML oversight to make compliance more expensive, especially when current supervision costs are low, bundled into wider professional fees, or hard to identify separately. The funding direction is now confirmed in policy, with the FCA expected to recover day-to-day AML supervision costs from the professional services firms it supervises. The […]
When will the FCA take over AML supervision of accountants?
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) will take over anti-money laundering (AML) supervision of accountants, but there is no confirmed start date yet. Despite the UK government confirming the future AML framework in October 2025, the change still needs legislation before it can take effect. The safest working assumption for accountancy firms is that current supervision […]
The FCA is taking over AML supervision: What accountancy firms should do now
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) will become the single public supervisor for anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorist financing across UK accountancy firms, once the required legislation, funding arrangements, and transition plan are in place. Our FCA transition report for small accountancy firms covers what’s changing, who’s affected, key timelines, and how to prepare. Latest development: […]







