Money Laundering Compliance Manual

A complete overview of the anti-money laundering regime, including:

• Definition of money laundering 
• Money laundering offences 
• An overview of obligations 
• Sanctions 

Clear guidance on firmwide obligations, including:

• Management responsibilities 
• Procedures 
• Training 
• Record keeping 
• Firm-wide risk assessment 

Robust support for client due diligence (CDD), including:

• Understanding your client 
• Risk assessment 
• Verification 

Step-by-step reporting guidance, including:

• Suspicious activity reporting (SAR) requirements 
• Tipping off 
• Defence against money laundering (DAML) 

Ready-to-use templates and forms

Save valuable time and ensure consistency with a comprehensive suite of ready-to-use AML templates and forms, designed to help you implement procedures quickly and effectively:

• Firm-wide risk assessment form 
• AML policies and procedures (including prevention of Bribery and Tax evasion) 
• Annual confirmation of anti-money laundering awareness 
• AML training and communication register 
• Newsletters for new and existing staff 
• Know your client checklist (individual) 
• Know your client checklist (entity) 
• AML risk assessment (individual) 
• AML risk assessment (entity) 
• Verification form (individuals) 
• Verification form (companies) 
• Verification form (charities and places of worship) 
• Verification form (clubs and societies) 
• Verification form (pension schemes) 
• Verification form (trusts) 
• Verification form (professional firms) 
• Verification form (partnerships and sole traders) 
• Verification form (FCA authorised firms) 
• Verification form (government departments, local authorities) 
• Verification form (probate or administration) 
• Verification form (LLPs) 
• Annual review for changes form 
• Assignment commencement checklist 
• Assignment finalisation checklist 
• Internal suspicious activity report (SAR) 
• Internal acknowledgement of suspicious activity report (SAR) receipt 
• Internal suspicious activity report (SAR) register.

April 2026
The principal technical changes in this update include:

• Updated Joint Money Laundering Steering Group Guidance;
• The AASG Risk Assessment issued in September 2025 to take account of changes in the 2025 National Risk Assessment;
• Update to the table of recent changes to the Money Laundering Regulations 2017; and
• Additional guidance on best practice.

October 2025
The principal technical changes in this update include:

• The National Risk Assessment of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing 2025 (NRA 2025);
• The introduction of a new ICAEW web area to support MLROs;
• The launch of the new Office of Trade Sanctions Implementation;
• The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023;
• Updated Joint Money Laundering Steering Group Guidance;
• The release of FG25/3: Treatment of politically exposed persons; and
• The Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) (Threshold Amount) Order 2025.
  

October 2024 
The principal technical changes in this update include:  

• Updates to reflect the revised Accountancy AML Supervisors Group (AASG) Risk Outlook. 
• Changes to the list of high-risk third countries. 
• Additional guidance on meaningful completion of the CDD forms. 
• Restructuring, to aid navigation around the manual. 

January 2024 
This update principally incorporates: 

• Changes to reflect the latest version of the CCAB Anti-Money Laundering Guidance for the Accountancy Sector (AMLGAS) issued in June 2023; 
• Updates to reflect changes to the discrepancy reporting regime and the economic crime levy now being in force; 
• Changes in the sanctions regime; and 
• Other minor updates to AML guidance and regulation.