How does ClearAML help with AUSTRAC SMR and TTR reporting?

Lodging Suspicious Matter Reports and Threshold Transaction Reports with AUSTRAC is one of the most time-sensitive obligations under the AML/CTF Act. ClearAML's reporting tools are designed to make sure every report is accurate, complete, and audit-logged before you lodge it via AUSTRAC Online.

How the SMR workflow works

1. Flag the suspicion: Mark the client or transaction as suspicious within ClearAML. The platform automatically records the suspicion date and time — critical evidence for meeting the 24-hour terrorism financing deadline.
2. Guided drafting: ClearAML walks you through every required field in the SMR, with prompts that reflect AUSTRAC's published guidance on what constitutes a complete report.
3. Validation: Before you export the report, ClearAML checks for missing or incomplete fields.
4. Audit log entry: The completed draft is time-stamped and stored in your immutable audit log.
5. Lodge via AUSTRAC Online: You lodge the final report directly through your AUSTRAC Online account. ClearAML records the lodgement event in your audit trail.

TTR automation

For Threshold Transaction Reports, ClearAML flags cash transactions at or above AUD 10,000 automatically. This removes the risk of missing a TTR obligation because a transaction was not noticed manually. The 24-hour lodgement deadline for TTRs makes this automation particularly valuable for firms with higher transaction volumes.

Why timestamping matters more than submission

The SMR deadline runs from the moment you form a suspicion— not from when you lodge. If AUSTRAC ever questions your compliance, what matters is being able to demonstrate that you identified the suspicion promptly and acted on it. ClearAML's audit-logged timestamps provide that evidence regardless of when the report was lodged.