Use the correct reporting period
AUSTRAC’s current guidance says annual compliance reporting is moving to financial years. It identifies the next period as 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027, with submission within three months of the period ending. The guidance also explains special circumstances and reporting-group arrangements. Check which applies to the entity. Do not reuse an old calendar-year timetable without review. Section 47 of the Act supplies the reporting framework. An annual report is different from a transaction report and is not a certificate of compliance.
Who submits for a reporting group
AUSTRAC says one group member should lodge the annual compliance report on behalf of the reporting group. The submitting member should tell the others because AUSTRAC does not notify each member. A member can submit its own report if its circumstances are substantially different, using the override process described in the guidance. Submission also requires administrator access in AUSTRAC Online. These details matter when assigning responsibility: group membership and an internal approval do not, by themselves, establish that the report was lodged.
- Member information
Collect the relevant information from group members.
- Submitting member
Check the group arrangement, access and any applicable override.
- Submission evidence
Retain the receipt and tell the other members that the report was submitted.
From group information to a submission record
Read this visual with the source conditions and explanation in this section.
Follow the process from top to bottom.
Worked example: a change of compliance officer
Imagine a small business changes its compliance officer during the reporting period. The incoming officer should not assume that an empty training folder means no training occurred. In the example review, they check attendance records, earlier reports and the handover notes. They distinguish missing evidence from a confirmed control failure. Where the record is incomplete, the answer and internal follow-up should reflect that limitation. The purpose is an accurate account of the period, not a favourable narrative assembled from the newest documents.
Review the answer before submission
A practical review checks that the answer concerns the reporting entity and period named in the form. It also checks whether a group member is submitting on the entity’s behalf. Keep a record of who prepared and reviewed the answers. If different teams disagree about an answer, resolve the evidence question before submission. Do not use a planned improvement as evidence that a control already operated. An honest distinction between implemented work, incomplete work and proposed work makes the record easier to understand and maintain.
Keep a useful submission record
The example workflow retains the submitted report, confirmation and supporting evidence references. It assigns each identified improvement to an owner with a realistic due date. The next reporting cycle can then test whether that work was completed. Keep AUSTRAC account access and contact details under review so that staff changes do not obstruct submission. These are suggested operating steps. Consult the current guidance for eligibility, reporting-group rules and any special circumstances rather than assuming every business must complete the same questions in the same way.