Up to about A$36.4 million per contravention for companies and A$7.28 million for individuals (from 1 July 2026). Remediation costs and reputational damage are separate considerations.
The four likely cost lines
- Remediation cost — engaging external consultants to fix a flagged program: A$15,000–A$60,000.
- Lost client cost — institutional clients (developers, lenders) increasingly require AML attestation; failure means losing the panel position.
- Insurance premium impact — PI insurers are starting to ask AML questions at renewal.
- Reputation cost — AUSTRAC enforcement is published; trade press reads it.
The cheap insurance
A defensible program costs A$2,000–A$10,000 per year for an SME. Compared to any single line above, the ROI is unambiguous.