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First AML/CTF annual compliance report: due 30 September 2027

What the first Tranche 2 compliance report covers, when it is due, who lodges it, and what happens if it is late.

Short answer: By 30 September 2027

Reporting periods now follow the financial year. The first period for Tranche 2 businesses is 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027, and the report must be lodged in AUSTRAC Online within the 3 months after it ends, so by 30 September 2027 (Act s 47, Rules r 9-9). Then every financial year.

Timeline

DateWhat happens
1 July 2026Tranche 2 obligations start; first reporting period opens
30 June 2027First reporting period closes
1 July – 30 September 2027Lodgement window in AUSTRAC Online
30 September 2027Last day to lodge the first report

What to have ready

  • A named person who prepares and lodges the report; they must be an AUSTRAC Online administrator for the business.
  • Records showing the program was applied during the year: customer due diligence files, the escalations register, suspicious matter and threshold transaction reports lodged, training records and governing body reports.
  • Evidence that the ML/TF risk assessment was reviewed when the business changed.
  • Working papers that support each answer, kept with the AUSTRAC Online receipt.

AUSTRAC moved compliance reporting onto financial years. Its compliance reports page states that the next reporting period runs from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027, with submissions accepted between 1 July and 30 September. At least one vendor guide still gives 31 March as the due date; that is the old cycle.

Who must lodge

Every reporting entity lodges an annual compliance report, including each newly regulated Tranche 2 business: real estate agents and buyer's agents, accountants, lawyers, conveyancers, trust and company service providers, and dealers in precious metals and stones that accept regulated cash or virtual assets.

Separately, the AML/CTF compliance officer must report to the governing body at least every 12 months (Rules r 5-7), except where one person is both the compliance officer and the governing body. Those reports are useful working papers for the annual compliance report.

If the report is late or not lodged

Failing to lodge is a civil penalty provision (s 47(2)) and a designated infringement notice provision (s 186B): $21,840 for a company or $4,368 for an individual per contravention, or a court-imposed civil penalty of up to $36.4M (body corporate). In May 2026 the Federal Court imposed penalties on two businesses that did not pay infringement notices issued for missed 2023 compliance reports.

Check your AML/CTF programUpload the AML/CTF program you already have and get a gap score against the Tranche 2 requirements of the Act and Rules. Personal information is removed before analysis.Primary actionRun the compliance journeyAnswer a short questionnaire about your business and get the obligations that apply to you, with the reason each one applies.

Questions

When is the first AML/CTF compliance report due for Tranche 2?
By 30 September 2027, covering 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027.
Is the compliance report due on 31 March?
No. AUSTRAC moved reporting periods to financial years; the lodgement window is 1 July to 30 September.

Related

Sources

Computed by the Rules Mate applicability engine from the published obligation corpus; facts last checked 3 October 2026. Rules Mate is not a law firm and this is general information, not legal advice. Confirm your position with the regulator source or a qualified adviser before acting.