AUSTRAC Reporting Forms: How To Submit Via AUSTRAC Online
If you’re a reporting entity under the AML/CTF Act, submitting AUSTRAC reporting forms correctly isn’t optional, it’s a legal obligation.
If you’re a reporting entity under the AML/CTF Act, submitting Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC) reporting forms correctly isn’t optional, it’s a legal obligation. From threshold transaction reports (TTRs) and suspicious matter reports (SMRs) to annual compliance reports, each form serves a specific regulatory purpose, and getting them wrong (or missing them entirely) can result in serious civil penalties.
- First
- Enrol with AUSTRACTranche 2 businesses enrol; they do not register.
- TTR
- Within 10 business daysPhysical currency of A$10,000 or more
- SMR
- Within 3 business days24 hours if it relates to terrorism financing
- IFTI
- Within 10 business daysAfter sending or receiving an international funds transfer instruction
- Annual report
- 1 July to 30 September 2027Covers the financial year 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027
- Where
- AUSTRAC Online
Sources: AUSTRAC, Threshold transaction reports; AUSTRAC, Suspicious matter reports; AUSTRAC, International funds transfer reports; AUSTRAC, Annual compliance reports Reviewed
The good news is that AUSTRAC Online makes the submission process fairly straightforward once you know where everything sits. The not-so-good news is that the portal can feel unintuitive the first time around, especially if you’re newly enrolled or handling compliance reporting alongside dozens of other operational tasks.
This guide walks you through the key AUSTRAC reporting forms, how to submit them via AUSTRAC Online, and what to watch out for at each step. At StackGo, we build compliance-ready integrations, like IdentityCheck, that help regulated businesses run know your customer (KYC) and anti-money laundering (AML) verification directly from their existing customer relationship management (CRM), so we understand the compliance workflows these forms sit within. Whether you’re an accounting firm preparing for AUSTRAC’s expanded anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CTF) regime or a financial services business tightening up your reporting processes, this article will help you get each submission right.
What AUSTRAC reporting forms you may need to submit
The AUSTRAC reporting forms you need to submit depend on your business type, the designated services you provide, and the types of transactions you process. Before you log into AUSTRAC Online, you need to understand which obligations apply to you, because submitting the wrong form or missing a required report can trigger compliance failures with significant legal consequences.
Enrolment and registration forms
When you first become a reporting entity under the AML/CTF Act, you must complete enrolment through AUSTRAC Online before you can submit anything else. If your business provides one or more designated services listed in the Act, you’ll also need to register those services separately. Both steps happen inside the portal, and both must be completed before you can access transaction reporting. Think of these as your foundation. Nothing else works without them.
Ongoing transaction and compliance reports
Once enrolled, your ongoing reporting obligations depend on what transactions your business processes. Here is a summary of the core forms you’re likely to encounter:
| Form | When it applies | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Threshold Transaction Report (TTR) | Physical currency (cash) of A$10,000 or more | Within 10 business days |
| Suspicious Matter Report (SMR) | Any matter suspected of being linked to criminal activity | Within 3 business days (24 hours if terrorism-related) |
| International Funds Transfer Instruction (IFTI) | Sending or receiving international transfers | Within 10 business days |
| Annual Compliance Report (ACR) | Required yearly for all enrolled entities | Within 3 months of the financial year ending (1 July to 30 September) |
Your reporting responsibilities don’t stop at enrolment. Each form carries its own trigger and deadline, and AUSTRAC expects you to have internal controls in place to catch them reliably every time.
Get set up in AUSTRAC Online
Before you can submit any AUSTRAC reporting forms, you need an active account in AUSTRAC Online, which is the primary portal for all your regulatory submissions. Setting this up correctly from the start saves you from access issues when a reporting deadline is approaching.
Create your AUSTRAC Online account
To get started, navigate to the AUSTRAC Online portal and select "Register" to create a new account. You’ll need to provide your business details, including your Australian Business Number (ABN), contact information, and the name of your nominated compliance officer. Once submitted, AUSTRAC will send a verification email to the address you provided, and you’ll need to confirm it before you can log in and begin using the portal.
Keep your login credentials secure and restrict portal access to staff who are directly responsible for your AML/CTF compliance obligations.
What you need before you log in
Have these details ready before you start the registration process:
- Your ABN or Australian Company Number (ACN)
- Details of your principal officer (usually a director or senior manager)
- Your business’s registered address and contact details
- A valid email address for account verification
With these details prepared, the registration process moves quickly and you’ll reach the actual submission steps without unnecessary delays.
AUSTRAC video: AUSTRAC Online - Securing your account with multi-factor authentication
Complete enrolment and registration forms in AUSTRAC Online
Once your account is active, enrolment is the first AUSTRAC reporting form you’ll complete inside the portal. Log in, select "Enrol" from the main dashboard, and work through each section using the business and officer details you prepared earlier. AUSTRAC will review your submission and confirm your enrolment status by email.
Register your designated services
After enrolment is confirmed, you must register each designated service your business provides. Inside AUSTRAC Online, navigate to "Registration" and select "Add a designated service." Work through the prompts, selecting the relevant service categories that match your business activities under the AML/CTF Act.
If you provide more than one designated service, register each one separately. Missing a service at this stage creates a compliance gap that can be difficult to correct later.
What happens after you submit
AUSTRAC processes your registration submission and may request additional information before confirming. Once confirmed, your business appears on the AUSTRAC Reporting Entities Register, which is publicly accessible. At this point, your ongoing reporting obligations are active, meaning your TTR, SMR, and IFTI submission windows are live. Do not delay registering designated services once enrolment is complete.
Submit transaction reports in AUSTRAC Online
How long you have after the trigger
- SMR, terrorism financingfrom forming the suspicion24 hours
- SMR, all otherafter the day you form the suspicion3 business days
- TTRafter the day of the cash transaction10 business days
- IFTIafter sending or receiving the instruction10 business days
24 hours is drawn as one day. It is calendar time, not business days.
Sources: AUSTRAC, Suspicious matter reports; AUSTRAC, Threshold transaction reports; AUSTRAC, International funds transfer reports Reviewed
With enrolment and registration complete, you can submit transaction reports directly through the portal. From your AUSTRAC Online dashboard, select "Create Report" and choose the relevant report type: TTR, SMR, or IFTI.
How to submit a TTR or IFTI
For a Threshold Transaction Report, navigate to "Create Report," select "TTR," and enter the transaction date, amount, and customer identification information. Submit within 10 business days of the transaction occurring.
The process for an International Funds Transfer Instruction follows the same path but requires additional fields for the sending and receiving financial institutions. The 10 business day deadline applies here as well.
Double-check all customer details before submitting, as errors in these austrac reporting forms are difficult to correct once lodged.
How to submit an SMR
Suspicious Matter Reports carry the tightest deadlines of all report types. Select "SMR" from the report type menu, then complete these required fields:
- Grounds for suspicion: factual descriptions only, not conclusions
- Persons or entities involved: names, dates of birth, and identification details
- Transaction details: amounts, dates, and accounts
Submit within 3 business days, or 24 hours if terrorism financing is suspected.
Lodge your annual compliance report
Annual compliance report: period and lodgement
- Period reported on: 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027 (12 months)
- Lodge: 1 July to 30 September 2027 (3 months)
Source: AUSTRAC, Annual compliance reports Reviewed
Every enrolled reporting entity must submit an Annual Compliance Report (ACR) within 3 months of the end of each reporting period. AUSTRAC is changing the reporting period to financial years: the next period runs 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027, and you lodge between 1 July and 30 September each year, covering the previous financial year. This is one of the most important AUSTRAC reporting forms you will complete, and AUSTRAC uses it to assess whether your AML/CTF program is functioning as required. Missing this deadline is treated as a compliance breach, regardless of how clean your transaction reporting has been throughout the year.
AUSTRAC’s guidance is not consistent on this. AUSTRAC’s Annual compliance reports page (last updated 1 April 2026) says the reporting period “is changing to financial years”, with the next period running 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027. Its broader Your obligations page (last updated 15 October 2026) still describes the compliance report as covering “the previous calendar year”. We follow the financial year, because the compliance report page is the topic-specific guidance, cites the Rules (section 9-9), and AUSTRAC’s starter kit change log records the move “from calendar year to financial year”.
If you’d like help working out what this means for your practice, we’re happy to talk it through. Get in touch.
What the ACR covers
The ACR asks you to confirm that your AML/CTF program is in place and that you met your ongoing obligations throughout the year. You will need to address key areas including:
- Whether your AML/CTF program was reviewed during the year
- The number of TTRs, SMRs, and IFTIs you submitted
- Whether you conducted appropriate customer due diligence
- Any changes to your business structure or designated services
How to submit your ACR
Log into AUSTRAC Online, select "Create Report," and choose "Annual Compliance Report" from the report type menu. Work through each section carefully, as incomplete responses can flag your business for a follow-up review by AUSTRAC.
Submit your ACR well before the 30 September deadline to allow time to correct any errors your internal review identifies.
Quick recap
Submitting AUSTRAC reporting forms correctly comes down to knowing which forms apply to your business, hitting your deadlines, and using AUSTRAC Online as your single submission point for everything from enrolment through to your annual compliance report.
Your key obligations break down as: enrol and register first, submit TTRs and IFTIs within 10 business days, lodge SMRs within 3 business days (24 hours for terrorism-related matters), and file your ACR between 1 July and 30 September each year. Missing any of these is treated as a compliance breach, not a minor oversight.
For businesses falling under AUSTRAC’s expanded AML/CTF regime, having solid compliance processes in place before you report matters just as much as the reporting itself. StackGo’s IdentityCheck integrates KYC and AML verification directly into your existing CRM, so your compliance workflows run where your team already works. See how IdentityCheck supports AUSTRAC Tranche 2 compliance.