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Practical AML Training for Accountants & Accountancy Firms

Practical, AMLGAS-aligned training that helps accountancy firms meet their ongoing AML obligations, prepare for supervisory monitoring visits, and demonstrate compliance with confidence.

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Aligned with CCAB AMLGAS guidance

For firms supervised by ICAEW, ACCA, HMRC, & more

Practical training tailored to your firm's AML risk profile

Prepare Your Firm for Its Next AML Monitoring Visit

Many accountancy firms undergo an AML monitoring visit from their supervisory body. During these reviews, supervisors assess how effectively your firm is meeting its obligations under the MLRs, including whether relevant staff have received appropriate AML training.

Having written policies in place is only part of effective AML compliance. Supervisors will also want to see evidence that your team understands those policies, can apply them in practice, and that training has been delivered and recorded appropriately in line with Regulation 24.

Accountancy firms are supervised for AML purposes by their relevant supervisory authority. For many firms, this will be their professional body, such as ICAEW, ACCA, ICAS, CIOT, AAT, CIMA, or IFA. Firms that are not supervised by a professional body may instead fall under HMRC supervision.

The CCAB Anti-Money Laundering Guidance for the Accountancy Sector (AMLGAS) provides the recognised framework for applying a risk-based approach to AML compliance across the profession, helping firms understand how regulatory requirements should be implemented in practice.

What Happens During an AML Monitoring Visit?

Supervisors will want to understand how your AML procedures work in practice and whether your approach reflects the risks faced by your firm and clients.

During a review, supervisors may consider areas including:

  • Your firm-wide AML risk assessment
  • AML policies, controls, and procedures
  • Client due diligence and ongoing monitoring processes
  • Staff training records
  • A sample of client files and compliance documentation

For example, your AML manual may set out a strong risk-based approach, but supervisors will want to see that this is reflected in the way your firm manages client relationships day-to-day. Similarly, training records should demonstrate that relevant staff have received appropriate and ongoing AML training in line with their responsibilities.

Where gaps are identified, supervisors may require firms to improve their procedures or address specific areas of non-compliance. By maintaining up-to-date training and clear evidence of compliance, firms can approach monitoring visits with greater confidence.

AML Training for MLROs, MLCOs & Accountancy Practice Leaders

In many smaller accountancy practices, one person carries multiple responsibilities. A partner or director may manage clients, oversee compliance, and act as the firm's Money Laundering Reporting Officer (MLRO) or nominated officer.

For those responsible for AML compliance, keeping knowledge current is essential. Supervisors expect MLROs and nominated officers to understand their responsibilities and demonstrate that the firm's approach remains appropriate as risks evolve.

PDA Legal's MLRO-focused AML training covers key areas including:

  • Understanding MLRO responsibilities and supervisory expectations
  • Managing internal escalation procedures
  • Assessing and handling Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs)
  • Maintaining effective AML policies, procedures, and controls
  • Applying a risk-based approach within an accountancy practice

Whether you are a sole practitioner managing AML compliance yourself or part of a larger firm with dedicated compliance responsibilities, we provide practical training designed around the realities of accountancy practice.

Who Our AML Training Is Tailored For

Effective AML compliance depends on everyone involved in client relationships and internal processes understanding their responsibilities. PDA Legal's AML training supports a wide range of accountancy professionals, including:

  • Chartered and certified accountants
  • Bookkeepers and tax advisers
  • Payroll professionals
  • Partners and directors
  • MLROs, MLCOs, and compliance staff
  • Team members involved in client onboarding and administration
Training is tailored around your firm's services, AML responsibilities, and level of experience. Whether you are a growing independent practice or a multi-office accountancy firm, sessions can be adapted to reflect the risks your team faces in practice.

“PDA’s AML trainer had a great rapport with our team, which made the topic so much more accessible.”

– Client Testimonial, AML Training

Training Designed Around Real Accountancy AML Risks

No two accountancy firms have the same AML risk profile. The services you provide, your client base, your supervisory body, and your internal responsibilities all influence where your firm is most exposed.

This is why PDA Legal does not deliver generic AML training. Each session is tailored around the practical risks your team faces, using accountancy-specific examples and scenarios based on the issues supervisors commonly focus on.

Training can cover areas including:

Understanding Your AML Responsibilities

Helping your team understand the regulatory framework behind effective AML compliance, including:

  • Money Laundering Regulations
  • CCAB AMLGAS guidance
  • Supervisory expectations
  • Risk-based approaches
  • MLRO and MLCO responsibilities

Customer Due Diligence & Risk Assessment

Practical guidance on assessing client risk and applying appropriate controls, including:

  • Identity verification
  • Beneficial ownership
  • Source of funds and source of wealth considerations
  • Ongoing monitoring
  • Client risk profiling
  • Higher-risk clients, sectors, and jurisdictions

Higher-Risk Services & TCSP Work

Firms providing Trust and Company Service Provider (TCSP) services may face increased AML scrutiny. Training can be tailored to help teams understand the risks associated with:

  • Company formations
  • Registered office services
  • Nominee arrangements
  • Overseas ownership structures
  • Complex ownership arrangements

This also includes wider higher-risk scenarios, such as clients with overseas connections, Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs), high-risk jurisdictions, or cash-intensive businesses.

Recognising Accountancy-Specific Red Flags

Rather than focusing on generic financial crime examples, our training explores warning signs relevant to accountancy practices, such as:

  • Unexplained director's loans
  • Capital introduced without a clear source
  • Large round-sum invoices
  • Unusual third-party payments
  • Requests to amend or backdate financial records
  • Sudden unexplained changes in turnover
  • Inconsistent accounting records

Suspicious Activity Reporting (SARs)

Helping staff understand their responsibilities when concerns arise, including:

  • Internal reporting procedures
  • Employee responsibilities
  • Escalation processes
  • MLRO decision-making
  • Confidentiality requirements
  • Avoiding tipping off

Maintaining Evidence of Compliance

Supporting firms in demonstrating that training and AML procedures are embedded in practice, including:

  • Training records
  • AML documentation
  • Evidence suitable for supervisory reviews
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Practical Training That Fits Around Your Practice

AML training is an ongoing requirement, but finding time for it within a busy accountancy practice can be challenging. Pulling fee earners away from client work has a real cost, particularly during peak periods such as January and year-end deadlines.

Our team understands that compliance training needs to work around your practice, not disrupt it. Sessions can be planned around your team's availability, helping you maintain your AML obligations without unnecessary interruption to day-to-day client work.

Flexible options include:
  • Annual AML refresher training
  • Training for new starters and changing responsibilities
  • Remote or online delivery options
  • Sessions scheduled around busy periods
  • Training for specific teams or your whole practice

Whether you need to update your firm's annual AML knowledge, onboard new team members, or provide specialist training for those with compliance responsibilities, PDA Legal can tailor delivery to suit the way your practice works.

What You Receive After Training

The value of AML training is not just the session itself. It is having clear and documented evidence that your firm can demonstrate when required.

Following training, you receive a complete record of your team's participation, including:

  • Tailored AML training session
  • Dated certificates of completion
  • Course outline
  • Training materials and slide pack
  • Training log evidence
  • Records to support your firm's compliance documentation

When a supervisor asks how your team has maintained their AML knowledge, you have the evidence ready.

Rather than having to piece together records after the fact, your firm has clear documentation showing that training has been completed and that your ongoing AML obligations are being actively managed.

Why Accountancy Firms Choose PDA Legal for AML Training

Effective AML training should give your team the confidence to recognise risk, apply AML controls in practice, and demonstrate compliance during a supervisory review.

At PDA Legal, we deliver accountancy-focused AML training that reflects the way firms operate, rather than relying on off-the-shelf content. Every session is tailored to your firm's risk profile and regulatory responsibilities, helping ensure the training is relevant and immediately applicable.

  • AML specialists with experience supporting regulated professionals
  • Aligned with the CCAB Anti-Money Laundering Guidance for the Accountancy Sector
  • Practical, scenario-led delivery using real-world accountancy examples
  • Tailored sessions designed around your firm's specific AML risks
  • Suitable for firms of all sizes, from sole practitioners to multi-office practices
  • Evidence to support compliance, including training records and certificates for monitoring visits

Book Your FREE AML Training Consultation Today

Whether you're onboarding new employees, delivering annual refresher training, or strengthening your firm's wider compliance programme, PDA Legal provides practical AML training tailored to the needs of accountancy practices.

Contact us today to learn more about how we can support your firm.

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FAQs

Is AML training mandatory for accountants under Regulation 24?

Yes, Regulation 24 of the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds (Information on the Payer) Regulations 2017 requires relevant employees to receive ongoing AML training appropriate to their role.

This helps ensure staff understand the law relating to money laundering and terrorist financing, recognise potentially suspicious activity, and know how to respond in line with your firm's procedures.

Can training be tailored to our firm's services?

Yes, since no two accountancy firms have the same AML risk profile. Before delivering training, we take the time to understand your firm's services, client base, supervisory body, and areas of higher risk, allowing us to tailor the session to your team's day-to-day responsibilities.

How often should accountants complete AML training?

The Money Laundering Regulations do not specify a fixed training interval. However, AML training should be provided on an ongoing basis and refreshed whenever there are significant regulatory changes, changes to your firm's risk profile, or changes to an individual's role.

Many accountancy firms choose to deliver annual refresher training to help maintain compliance and demonstrate that staff knowledge remains up to date.

Which supervisory bodies do you provide AML training for?

PDA Legal delivers AML training for firms supervised by a wide range of professional bodies, including ICAEW, ACCA, ICAS, CIOT, AAT, CIMA, and IFA, as well as firms supervised by HMRC.

Is your training aligned with AMLGAS guidance?

Yes, our training is aligned with the CCAB Anti-Money Laundering Guidance for the Accountancy Sector, helping firms apply a risk-based approach to AML compliance in line with current industry guidance. Sessions are also designed to support your obligations under the Money Laundering Regulations.

What evidence do we receive after AML training?

Following your training session, you'll receive clear records to help demonstrate compliance, including dated certificates of attendance. These records can form part of your firm's wider AML compliance documentation and help demonstrate that appropriate training has been delivered.

Do you provide AML training for sole practitioners?

Yes, our training can be tailored to reflect the specific risks, responsibilities, and compliance obligations faced by individual practitioners, providing practical guidance that is directly relevant to the way they work.

Does your training cover TCSP risks?

Yes. Where relevant to your practice, training can cover AML risks associated with Trust and Company Service Provider work, including company formations, registered office services, nominee arrangements, and complex ownership structures. Sessions are tailored to reflect the services your firm provides and the associated AML risks.

Can AML training be delivered remotely?

Yes, training can be delivered remotely, making it easier for firms to meet their AML obligations without unnecessary disruption to day-to-day operations. Sessions can also be scheduled around busy periods and tailored for individual teams or your entire practice.

Can you provide MLRO-specific training?

Yes, we provide specialist AML training for MLROs, MLCOs, nominated officers, partners, and others with responsibility for AML compliance.

Training focuses on the practical responsibilities of these roles, including supervisory expectations, Suspicious Activity Reporting, internal reporting procedures, and maintaining effective AML controls.

Can AML training be combined with an AML compliance review?

Yes, AML training can be combined with an AML compliance review to help ensure your firm's policies, procedures, risk assessments, and staff training work together effectively. This provides a more comprehensive approach to AML compliance and can help firms prepare for future monitoring visits with greater confidence.

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