Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Regulations in the UK

AML

Laws and procedures designed to prevent criminals from disguising illegally obtained funds as legitimate income through UK businesses.

The UK's anti-money laundering framework is primarily governed by the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds (Information on the Payer) Regulations 2017 (MLR 2017), as amended. These regulations implement EU Anti-Money Laundering Directives and apply to a wide range of businesses.

Regulated businesses must conduct customer due diligence (CDD), maintain records, report suspicious activity to the National Crime Agency (NCA) via Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs), and register with an appropriate supervisory authority. HMRC supervises over 30,000 businesses for AML compliance.

Key AML obligations include verifying customer identity, understanding the nature of the business relationship, monitoring transactions for suspicious activity, and conducting enhanced due diligence for high-risk customers such as Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs).

BORSCH.AI integrates HMRC's AML Supervised Business Register covering 26,500+ matched companies, alongside UK sanctions data, ICIJ offshore records, and OpenSanctions data to provide comprehensive financial crime risk assessment.

26,538
HMRC AML Signals
24,276
AML-Supervised Companies

Frequently Asked Questions

Which businesses need AML registration?

Estate agents, letting agents, high-value dealers, money service businesses, trust and company service providers, accountants, tax advisors, and art market participants must register with HMRC for AML supervision.

What is a Suspicious Activity Report (SAR)?

A SAR is a report made to the National Crime Agency when a business suspects a transaction or activity may involve money laundering or terrorist financing. The UK receives over 900,000 SARs per year.

What are the penalties for AML non-compliance?

Penalties include unlimited fines, up to 14 years imprisonment for money laundering offences, and regulatory sanctions including public censure and removal from the supervised register.

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Data sourced from 53 official UK government and regulatory bodies including Companies House, FCA, HMRC, and Land Registry. Updated daily.