Summary DIA has published an updated Sector Risk Assessment for accounting practices, replacing earlier sector guidance Trust and company services and managing client funds via trust accounts are rated medium-high risk, above the rest of the services offered in the…
Summary The Omnibus Amendment Bill is before Parliament and is likely to become law in late 2027 or early 2028. Customer due diligence (CDD) becomes more risk-based, with wider use of simplified CDD and no automatic Enhanced customer due diligence…
Summary The AML/CFT Act requires an independent audit of your risk assessment and compliance programme at least every three years, or when the supervisor requests it Your auditor must be suitably qualified and independent of whoever wrote or last updated…
Summary: From 1 July 2026, the DIA becomes New Zealand’s sole AML/CFT supervisor If the DIA already supervises you, your annual report process doesn’t change If you’re moving across from the FMA or Reserve Bank, you’ll file through AML Online…
Where things stand today Right now, Anti-Money Laundering & Countering Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) supervision in New Zealand is split across three regulators depending on your industry: • The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) looks after banks, life insurers…
Privileged Communications and Suspicious Activity Reporting: A Practical Summary for Law Firms The Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) has released guidance on privileged communications and suspicious activity reporting under New Zealand’s AML/CFT regime. This article summarises the main points for…
Staying on top of AML obligations can feel like a juggling act. Between keeping your Risk Assessment and Compliance Programme (RA/CP) up to date, which outlines your risks and how you manage them, managing Customer Due Diligence (CDD) processes, and…
Updated 2 December 2025: This post provides clarification on our earlier update regarding recent AML/CFT legislative changes. The Statutes Amendment Bill passed its final reading on 18 November 2025 and received Royal assent on 26 November 2025. As a…
The Government has committed to a major overhaul of New Zealand’s AML/CFT regime. The goal? To make AML more agile, truly risk-based, and better aligned with the needs of both industry and the community. At the centre of these reforms…
All AML/CFT reporting entities in New Zealand are required to submit their annual AML/CFT report between 1 July and 31 August 2025. This post outlines who needs to report, what information is required, how to prepare effectively, and where to…
