Belfast · Northern Ireland · MLR 2017 + POCA

AML compliance software for Belfast accountants and law firms

Certivus structures every element of the UK AML programme — for 600+ regulated accountancy practices and law firms operating in Belfast and across the wider UK accountancy and legal market.

Belfast, Northern Ireland

TL;DR — Quick Summary

  • Certivus is the AML compliance software for Belfast accountants and law firms — built for MLR 2017 with transparent pricing and a recurring free tier.
  • Covers every element of the UK AML programme — Reg 18 firm-wide risk assessment, Reg 28 CDD, Reg 33 EDD triggers, Reg 35 PEP screening, Reg 40 retention, POCA s.330 SAR pipeline, OFSI sanctions screening.
  • 600+ regulated accountancy practices and law firms operating in Belfast — Certivus is built to serve all of them, from solo practitioners to multi-partner firms.
  • Recurring free tier: 5 verifications per month, no credit card required.
  • Founding 50 program — first 50 UK firms get 50% off for life and a direct WhatsApp line to the founder.

Answer-first summary

Why is Certivus a fit for Belfast practices?

Belfast is Northern Ireland's capital and largest professional-services market. The Belfast practice landscape covers a strong tech-sector accountancy presence (Belfast has one of Europe's largest fintech and cyber-security clusters relative to its size), professional services for Northern Ireland's SME economy, a substantial property and conveyancing legal sector, and continuing post-Troubles regulatory work around cross-border transactions with the Republic of Ireland. Certivus is built for UK MLR 2017 — every workflow maps to a specific regulation. Belfast practices benefit from the same framework support as London or any other UK city, with the supervisory landscape (HMRC, ICAEW, ACCA, SRA, and others) handled consistently.

  • 600+ regulated accountancy practices and law firms
  • Built for UK MLR 2017 + POCA + SAMLA from day one
  • Founder-led — direct WhatsApp line via Founding 50
  • Recurring free tier — 5 verifications / month, no card

The Belfast client mix Certivus is built to handle

Belfast is Northern Ireland's capital and largest professional-services market. The Belfast practice landscape covers a strong tech-sector accountancy presence (Belfast has one of Europe's largest fintech and cyber-security clusters relative to its size), professional services for Northern Ireland's SME economy, a substantial property and conveyancing legal sector, and continuing post-Troubles regulatory work around cross-border transactions with the Republic of Ireland.

  • Tech (fintech, cybersecurity)
  • Property and conveyancing
  • Professional services and consulting
  • Cross-border (NI / Republic of Ireland) commercial
  • Public sector and public-sector supply chain

AML supervisors and Belfast

Belfast accountancy practices are supervised by ICAEW, ACCA, CIOT, or — most commonly — Chartered Accountants Ireland (CAI), which covers both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Legal-sector firms are supervised by the Law Society of Northern Ireland rather than the SRA. The MLR 2017 + POCA framework applies, though cross-border (NI / RoI) client work introduces additional EU AML considerations on the RoI side.

What Certivus covers for Belfast firms

The full MLR 2017 + POCA programme, in one workflow:

Firm-wide risk assessment (Reg 18)

Structured five-dimension assessment including 2022 proliferation financing.

Customer Due Diligence (Reg 28)

Identification, verification, beneficial ownership, purpose, ongoing monitoring.

Enhanced Due Diligence (Reg 33-35)

Six trigger categories with documented escalation and senior management approval.

PEP screening (Reg 35)

UK domestic / foreign distinction under FCA PS24/4, family members, close associates.

Sanctions screening

UK Consolidated List (OFSI), UN, EU, OFAC, with ongoing monitoring.

Training records (Reg 24)

Annual refresher tracking, content control, 5-year retention.

SAR pipeline (POCA s.330)

Internal escalation, MLRO decision, NCA submission, DAML workflow.

Record keeping (Reg 40)

5-year retention with HMRC inspection-ready export.

Customer voices

Trusted by UK practices running real MLR 2017 programmes

Our Founding 50 cohort is open to Belfast firms — first 50 UK firms get 50% off for life and a direct WhatsApp line to Mehmood. UK accountancy practices in the cohort today are running the same MLR 2017 + POCA framework that Belfast firms operate under.

5 / 5
Founding-50 average rating
MLR 2017 + POCA
Built for UK AML from day one
Founder access
Direct WhatsApp line — Founding 50

Certivus replaced our spreadsheet-and-folder AML workflow with a single system. Evidence is consistent across the team and the audit trail is ready when HMRC ask.

Iftikhar Rashid
Managing Partner · RR Accountants
Accounting practice

Onboarding new clients is faster and our compliance evidence is consistent across the team. That's the win — we trust the records.

Suleman Shams
Managing Director · Shams Williams
Accounting practice

Certivus is built for how a UK practice actually runs AML — not how a generic compliance tool thinks it should. That difference shows.

Naz Afsar
Managing Director · Afsar Williams
Accounting practice

The first 50 UK firms get 50% off for life and a direct WhatsApp line to the founder. See the Founding 50 offer →

Belfast FAQ

Common questions from Belfast firms

Answer-first summary

Is Certivus suitable for Belfast mid-market firms?

Yes. Belfast's mid-market accountancy and legal firms — particularly those serving the strong local tech and cross-border commercial sectors — are the primary ICP Certivus is built for. The Practice tier (£349/month unlimited verifications) is calibrated for firms running 1,000-10,000 active clients.

Answer-first summary

Does Certivus support Northern Ireland-specific supervisory bodies?

Yes. Belfast practices supervised by Chartered Accountants Ireland (CAI), the Law Society of Northern Ireland, or any of the other UK-recognised supervisors operate the same MLR 2017 + POCA framework. The supervisory body differs from English firms; the underlying compliance framework is the same UK-wide.

Answer-first summary

What about cross-border NI / Republic of Ireland client work?

Belfast firms with RoI client exposure operate the UK MLR 2017 framework for UK touchpoints, with RoI EU AML directives applying for RoI touchpoints. Certivus structures the UK side cleanly — the RoI side is typically handled within the firm's wider EU compliance framework.

Answer-first summary

Can Belfast firms join the Founding 50?

Yes. The Founding 50 program is UK-wide and includes Northern Ireland firms. Practice tier under Founding 50 = £174.50/month unlimited verifications.

Start Certivus for your Belfast practice

5 free verifications per month, no credit card. Or book a 30-minute walkthrough with the team.

5 verifications / month · No card required