Nearly six in 10 firms unprepared for incoming AML regulation changes, VinciWorks finds

More than half of regulated firms have yet to prepare for incoming changes to money laundering regulations expected to come into force later this summer, according to research from VinciWorks.

A survey of 334 compliance professionals across the legal, financial services and accounting sectors found that 57% of firms have either not started preparing for the 2026 amendments to the Money Laundering Regulations or are unsure of their current position.

Just 4% said new policies were already in place.

The Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (Amendment) Regulations 2026 were laid before Parliament on 25th March and are expected to come into force in late June or early July, with most changes taking effect around 21 days after approval.

The research also highlighted a gap between firms’ confidence in their compliance processes and their actual preparedness for the changes.

While 77% of respondents said they were fairly or very confident their AML training could quickly adapt to the new regulations, only 4% had updated policies ready to implement. Around 38% said preparation work had started, while 26% had not yet begun.

Nick Henderson-Mayo, head of compliance at VinciWorks, said: “The confidence figures look reassuring until you set them alongside the readiness data.

“Three-quarters of compliance professionals believe their training can adapt quickly, but fewer than one in twenty have policies ready to go. That gap could be where firms get caught.”