Business preparation guide · 29 October 2026
How should a business brief an AML compliance adviser?
Use this guide to prepare a focused business enquiry and agree a useful professional engagement. It covers information gathering and project planning. Entity-specific tax, legal and accounting conclusions require qualified review of the facts and current requirements.
What should I provide for an AML advisory scoping discussion?
Describe the business activities, customer types, jurisdictions and existing compliance arrangements. List current policies, training and systems. Ask the adviser to assess the applicable framework; this checklist does not determine whether a particular obligation applies to your business.
How should existing AML policies be prepared for review?
Collect the current approved versions, update history and evidence of how the procedures are used. Identify process owners and known issues. This gives the adviser a factual starting point for discussing gaps and the appropriate review scope.
How should an AML improvement plan be tracked?
Record each agreed action, responsible person, target date and completion evidence. Separate immediate operational changes from technical decisions requiring approval. Schedule management review so the plan becomes part of the business process rather than a one-time document exercise.
What should an AML advisory engagement exclude or clarify?
Ask whether the work includes policy drafting, training, implementation support or ongoing monitoring. Clarify management responsibilities and any specialist input required. Avoid assuming an advisory report guarantees compliance or replaces the business's own controls.
Turn the discussion into an agreed scope
Write down the objective, the entity and period involved, the information already available and the decisions still needed. Ask the proposed engagement team to identify the next information request and the person responsible for each response. Keep technical assumptions separate from verified facts.
Before work starts, confirm the deliverables, review process, fees and exclusions in writing. Ask how additional work will be approved and how confidential documents will be exchanged. This preparation supports an informed proposal; it does not determine the business’s legal or tax position.
Authoritative reference
Consult the relevant authority or reporting-standard source for current requirements. This guide provides preparation steps and does not reproduce the authority’s full rules.
Prepared by DSB Chartered Accountants LLC Technical positions, calculations, thresholds and filing decisions should be reviewed by the appointed professional for the relevant period.
Discuss the scope with our AML compliance advisory team.