Please see the relevant section below for the UK regime and the Republic of Ireland regime.
UK
The Money Laundering Regulations 2017 set out your obligations under the UK’s AML/CTF regime. HM Treasury has determined that there should be one piece of AML/CTF guidance for each regulated sector that it will approve. The guidance for the accountancy sector can be found here. It has been updated to reflect the 2017 Regulations.
CIMA has produced the below materials to assist members in the UK in complying with their AML/CTF obligations:
Practice Risk Assessment
The AML/CTF regimes in the UK requires a risk assessment of your practice to be conducted and documented, in order to identify what money laundering and terrorist financing risks your practice may face and how you will control them. The templates below can be amended to suit your own practice:
Practice Risk Assessment Template (UK)
Practice Risk Assessment Template (UK) (Mac version)
Your assessment must take into account information made available by your supervisory authority. CIMA has worked with the other accountancy bodies to produce the below assessment of circumstances where there might be a high risk of money laundering or terrorist financing:
Circumstances where there might be a high risk of ML or TF
AML/CTF Policy
The AML/CTF regime in the UK requires you to have AML/CTF policies that cover specified areas. The sample policies below can be amended to suit your own practice:
Sample AML/CTF Policy (UK)
CDD and Client Risk Assessment Processes
The AML/CTF regime in the UK requires you to perform CDD. This includes gathering information on the intended purpose and nature of the business relationship. The below CDD forms can be used to formally record information you obtain.
You are also required to demonstrate that the level of CDD you have applied to a business relationship is appropriate to the level of risk. When assessing the level of risk you are required to take into account certain factors. The below CDD forms also contain a client risk assessment process to assist you in demonstrating how you have assessed the level of risk.
CDD and Client Risk Assessment – Corporates (UK)
CDD and Client Risk Assessment – Individuals (UK)
Republic of Ireland
For members in Ireland, your obligations are set out in The Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) Act 2010, as amended by part two of the Criminal Justice Act 2013. Please see the amended Act. Please also see the CCAB Guidance for Ireland. Ireland’s AML/CTF regime is due to be further amended by the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) (Amendment) Bill. (CIMA’s below materials for Ireland are informed by the proposed amendments in the Bill.)
CIMA has produced the below materials to assist members in Ireland in complying with their AML/CTF obligations:
Practice Risk Assessment
The AML/CTF regime in Ireland requires a risk assessment of your practice to be conducted and documented, in order to identify what money laundering and terrorist financing risks your practice may face and how you will control them. The templates below can be amended to suit your own practice:
Practice Risk Assessment Template (Ireland)
Practice Risk Assessment Template (Ireland) (Mac version)
AML/CTF Policy
The AML/CTF regime in Ireland requires you to have AML/CTF policies that cover specified areas. The sample policies below can be amended to suit your own practice:
Sample AML/CTF Policy (Ireland)
CDD and Client Risk Assessment Processes
The AML/CTF regime in Ireland requires you to perform CDD. This includes obtaining information on the purpose and intended nature of a business relationship. The below CDD forms can be used to formally record information you obtain.
You are also required to perform a risk assessment of the business relationship that takes into account certain factors and keep a record of this assessment. The below CDD forms contain a client risk assessment process to assist you in demonstrating how you have assessed the level of risk. The level of CDD you apply must be appropriate to the level of risk.
CDD and Client Risk Assessment – Corporates (Ireland)
CDD and Client Risk Assessment – Individuals (Ireland)
Failure to comply with the regulations
It is a criminal offence under the UK and Ireland regimes to fail to comply with your AML/CTF obligations. CIMA’s materials aim to assist you in complying. However, they are intended as a sample only, and your obligations go beyond the areas they cover. Therefore members must still familiarise themselves with their obligations under their respective legislation and the guidance for their sector.
Further information
Page last updated February 2018.