This article answers the most common questions about EngageAML, covering client setup, Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC) obligations, know your business (KYB) and know your customer (KYC) checks, monitoring, engagement letters, credits and billing, policy settings, and technical issues.
Client setup and import
Does importing from Xero Practice Manager (XPM) bring across the full client record?
When you import a client from Xero Practice Manager (XPM), EngageAML brings across the full client record, including relationships, as long as that data is set up and available in your XPM file.
Can you reorder entities using the drag handle?
Reordering entities using the drag handle is coming soon. This feature is partially built but not yet fully functional, and the product team is actively working on it.
How do you change the group client name?
When you import a group, EngageAML shows the group name from your practice manager. To change the group name, update it in your practice manager rather than in EngageAML.
Why aren't groups importing, even though individuals are?
If your groups aren't importing for background monitoring, first check that they're set up correctly in your practice manager. If your groups are set up correctly and they still aren't importing, raise a support request through the MyAccess Help Centre so the team can investigate.
How do you create a client group?
You can create a client group in one of two ways. Connect your Client Import Manager through Company Settings > Integrations, then select and import the group at the start of the engagement. Alternatively, use manual entry and add entities to the group one by one.
Do you need to add a trustee company and its trust as two separate clients?
Yes, add the trustee company and the trust as two separate clients. The directors of the trustee company are likely ultimate beneficial owners (UBOs) because they control the flow of funds through the trust, and the trust itself requires its own KYB check.
Can you filter out non-current clients when importing from an Access desktop or server database?
Filtering out non-current clients during import from an Access desktop or server database isn't currently available, but improvements to the Access data integration — including this filtering — are on the product roadmap.
Is there a way to bulk upload clients from XPM or Xero?
There's no bulk upload option currently. Clients are added individually as you start each engagement. For XPM or Xero, connect via Company Settings > Integrations. For APS, Handisoft, Access Tax or Access Elite, complete the two-step data loader process.
AUSTRAC customer status, KYB and beneficial ownership
How do you add beneficial owners for monitoring on an existing company or trust?
To add beneficial owners for monitoring on an existing company or trust, complete the panels in Step 3 (KYB) of the engagement workflow.
Should you select 'New Client' for an existing client so the KYB step appears?
No, keep existing clients marked as 'Existing'. The key distinction in EngageAML is between a new or existing client and a new or existing service. Select 'New Service' when a new designated service starts for that client. The KYB step appears automatically when the entity is a company with a new service.
Can you run a know your business (KYB) check on a trustee company with no Australian Business Number (ABN)?
This is a known issue for trustee companies that firms act as Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) agent for, since these often have no ABN. The product team is aware of the issue and a fix is in progress.
How do you determine the ultimate beneficial owner (UBO) when a trust has a listed public company as a beneficial owner?
Where a beneficial owner is a listed public company — for example on the ASX, NZX or LSE — a regulatory carve-out in the AML/CTF Rules 2025 applies. You can rely on the listed company's public disclosure regime rather than tracing through to individual UBOs, since those disclosure rules already make ownership transparent.
How do you add settlors and appointers for a trust, including where the trust deed is old?
Follow the on-screen prompts in Step 3 (KYB) of the engagement workflow to add settlors and appointers for a trust.
If a director isn't a client but needs monitoring, do you remove them from the engagement letter?
Yes. Directors who aren't clients still need customer due diligence (CDD), but they won't appear individually on your engagement letter — only the company they are a director of appears. This is one of the benefits of combining AML checks with the engagement letter workflow in EngageAML.
How do you onboard a company that isn't registered yet, including running checks on its directors?
For a company that isn't yet registered — with no ABN, Tax File Number (TFN) or company registration — add the directors through the system now and run their KYC checks. Once the company is officially registered, add the company entity and link the directors to it.
Risk assessment and customer due diligence (CDD)
How do you determine if a trust is 'complex' for risk assessment purposes?
Click the information (i) tooltip on the risk assessment question about trust complexity. It links through to AUSTRAC's own example of what makes a trust 'complex'.
What should you do if you're unsure how to answer a risk assessment question?
If you're unsure how to answer a risk assessment question, start with the help icon on that question. If you're still unsure, use your best judgement and document your reasoning in the notes, since AUSTRAC expects a documented, auditable process. You should also check your firm's own AML policy for guidance.
KYC and identity verification
Where do you run internal staff checks in EngageAML?
To run internal staff checks, use Step 1's manual add option, create a group called 'Staff' or 'Team', and select Employee as the entity type.
What service do you select when entering staff as clients for identity checks?
Selecting Employee as the entity type in Step 1 lets you skip the service selection in Step 2 entirely, so no service needs to be shown for staff checks. This step is expected to be automated further in future.
Do you need written authorisation from clients before running checks?
No separate pre-authorisation is required. Your engagement letter now includes notification that checks will be run, but no check can actually run until the client consents through the text-message verification link.
How do you run verification checks on staff?
Run verification checks on staff the same way as any client. Select Employee as the entity type in Step 1, then proceed through the normal engagement workflow. Ongoing monitoring for staff is optional.
Does manual identity verification, such as sighting a driver's licence, comply with AUSTRAC requirements?
Both manual citing of identification and electronic KYC checks through Frankie One are supported and comply with AUSTRAC requirements. If a client fails even enhanced or biometric checks, they should attend your office for physical ID sighting, in the same way banks require. Always document the outcome of the check for your audit trail.
Do clients need to approve ongoing monitoring?
No, clients don't need to approve ongoing monitoring. The AML/CTF Act gives firms the authority to conduct ongoing monitoring using publicly available information without requiring separate client approval.
AML monitoring
Do pre-existing registered office clients need to be entered into EngageAML on day one?
No, you don't need to enter every existing client into EngageAML on day one. Existing clients who receive a designated service need monitoring, but you can add them as you work through their engagements. New clients are added as they come on board.
If you no longer provide a designated service to an existing client, do you still need to monitor them?
This depends on your specific ongoing-monitoring obligations under the AML/CTF Rules, and firms should check the Rules directly to confirm their position. In the meantime, refer to your firm's own AML policy for guidance.
What does AML ongoing monitoring look like, and how do you turn it on during an engagement?
AML ongoing monitoring is a toggle that appears for each entity in the final step of the engagement workflow, after KYC, KYB and CDD have been completed. Turn the toggle on to enable AML monitoring for that entity, then confirm to activate it. Monitoring costs $1 per entity per year.
Can you use EngageAML for monitoring only, without using it for engagement letters?
Yes, you can use EngageAML purely for monitoring. To do this, simply don't send the engagement letter to the client.
Do you need to import all clients into EngageAML today to begin pre-commencement monitoring?
No, you don't need every client in the system on day one. Existing and pre-commencement clients can be added as you work through their engagements in the normal course. New clients onboarded from 1 July 2026 should be added to EngageAML now.
If a director appears across multiple client groups, will you be charged twice for monitoring them?
Within the same client group, Frankie One recognises that a director is already under monitoring and won't charge twice. For directors who sit across separate, unlinked engagement groups, this is still being confirmed, and firms will be updated by email once that's resolved.
Engagement letters
Does creating a client group conflict with per-entity engagement letter requirements under the Tax Agent Services Act (TASA)?
No. You can run a separate engagement with its own AML workflow for each entity in a group, or set up one combined engagement that lists all entities being engaged. Choose whichever approach suits your firm's process.
How do you change the engagement letter sign-off to the correct principal or partner?
Use the Send As dropdown in the engagement wizard to select the correct partner or director for sign-off. This overrides the details of whoever is currently logged in.
Can you delete an engagement letter if a mistake was made, rather than archiving it?
No, engagement letters can't be deleted, only archived. Firms are obligated to retain records of their AML program for 7 years after the designated service is completed, so only archiving is offered.
Should Step 6 (AML) appear for existing clients with no designated services?
No. If there's no designated service for a client, Step 6 (AML) is skipped automatically in the engagement workflow.
Does the engagement letter require an end date?
A start date is required to accept the engagement, but an end date isn't mandatory. Engagement letters aren't a legal requirement under the Tax Agent Services Act (TASA), though the Tax Practitioners Board (TPB) recommends that recurring or ongoing engagements be reconfirmed or reviewed regularly, preferably annually. There's no maximum length, so a multi-year engagement — for example, from 1 July 2026 to 31 December 2027 — is fine.
Do existing clients need a new engagement letter every year?
Yes, existing clients need a new engagement letter each year. This is a requirement under the Tax Agent Services Act (TASA) for tax agent services.
Why does an engagement letter still show as 'Draft'?
If an engagement letter is stuck showing 'Draft', this could be a bug. Raise a support request through the MyAccess Help Centre and share a screenshot or specific example so the team can check and fix it if needed.
If a firm uses Ignition for engagement letters and invoicing, do they need to run Ignition and EngageAML in parallel?
No, you don't need to run two separate processes. EngageAML is an end-to-end engagement letter and AUSTRAC compliance solution, so you no longer need to run Ignition alongside it.
For a pre-commencement client where the original onboarding date is unknown, can you use 30 June as the date?
Yes. When you don't have the original onboarding date, use your best judgement — for example, 30 June — and document your reasoning. This is the recommended approach where the exact date isn't available.
If a firm doesn't use FuseSign, how do they mark an engagement as accepted?
There's currently no manual method to mark an engagement as accepted in the system. Without FuseSign, export the engagement letter to Word or PDF and send it via your usual method. A manual mark-as-accepted option is a feature request the product team is tracking.
If engagement letters are completed outside EngageAML, do you need to acknowledge the details in the system?
The recommended approach from 1 July 2026 is to run engagement letters through EngageAML directly. If you have an existing engagement letter, copy and paste its content into the EngageAML template and customise it — the default wording provided isn't mandatory.
Where do you find the ChangeGPS engagement letter template?
Find your engagement letter template under Company Settings > App Settings > Engage Settings, then scroll down to Engagement Letter Templates. Templates were pushed on 30 June 2026, so if the section still appears blank, refresh your browser.
Credits and billing
Can you purchase credits while on trial, or do you need to be live first?
Credits work the same whether your account is on trial or live, since it's the same account either way. Credits couldn't be purchased immediately on launch day while accounts were being turned live, but this was expected to resolve within a day or so.
Where do you view your credit balance?
Check your credit balance in the ChangeGPS Service Credits app.
What should you do if credits were paid for but the balance still shows as nil?
If your credit balance still shows nil after payment, raise a support request through the MyAccess Help Centre so the team can investigate.
Are credits included in the monthly subscription, or purchased separately?
Credits are purchased on top of your subscription, in bundles. All customers received a starter credit allocation of either 500 or 1,000 credits, depending on subscription tier. Refer to your firm's go-live email for the specific details that apply to your account.
Policy, settings and compliance documents
Where is the assign-responsibilities form?
Use the AUSTRAC Starter Kit to access the assign-responsibilities form, and make sure your Compliance Officer settings are configured in Engage Settings.
How do you upload a different version of your Policy document?
Go to Company Settings > App Settings > Engage Settings, then scroll down to AUSTRAC Policy. Click to open the policy, then edit or replace the policy text.
How do you populate the 'person in charge' and dispute resolution contact fields in the policy?
Click the edit (pen) icon within your policy to update the person in charge and dispute resolution contact details directly.
When will hourly rates be available?
Hourly rates are live now in EngageAML.
System and technical issues
Who do you contact if learning management system (LMS) or learning module access hasn't been activated?
If your LMS or learning module access hasn't been activated, raise a support request through the MyAccess Help Centre.
Will disconnecting from the v1 integration to reconnect in v2 break anything?
No. You can safely disconnect from the v1 integration and reconnect in v2. Doing this will not break your v1 connection if you need to revert.
What should you do if your XPM integration isn't re-syncing, won't disconnect or reconnect, or isn't pulling correct information?
Raise a support request through the MyAccess Help Centre if your XPM integration isn't re-syncing, won't disconnect or reconnect, or isn't pulling the correct information from XPM.
Is there a demo or sandbox client available to practise on?
There's no pre-loaded demo client available. You can create your own dummy client to practise with, but stop before running any KYC or KYB checks, since those steps use real credits.
At what step should you stop when practising with a dummy client, to avoid using verification credits?
When practising with a dummy client, stop before running any KYC or KYB checks, since those steps use real credits and treat the entity as a real client. Manual citing of identification does not use credits and is safe to use for practice.
What should you do if you see an Error 403 when trying to add additional pages?
Raise a support request through the MyAccess Help Centre and share a screenshot if you see an Error 403 when trying to add additional pages.