The 5-year AML record keeping rule: what it means for UK accountants
Mehmood Rajoka5 min readUpdated May 2026
In brief: Under The Money Laundering Regulations 2017, UK accountants must retain AML records for a minimum of five years from the date the business relationship ends or the transaction is completed — not from when the records were created.
Key points
- The five-year clock starts when the client relationship ENDS — not when the records were created
- Records for a client who leaves today must be kept until at least 2031
- Early deletion is a compliance failure — HMRC can request records up to five years after the relationship ends
- Records must be retrievable within 48 hours on a supervision visit
- Keeping records beyond five years is permissible but subject to data minimisation principles
Understanding the five-year AML record retention requirement — when the clock starts, what records are covered, and what happens if records are missing.