What KYC for an AU accountant needs to cover
Identity verification of natural persons: full name, date of birth, residential address, photo ID. For AU residents this typically uses the AU Document Verification Service (Medicare card, driver licence, passport). For overseas residents documentary verification supplemented by a secondary check.
Beneficial ownership of companies and trusts: 25 percent threshold for company buyers, full trustee / settlor / beneficiary capture for trust customers. Each natural person in the ownership chain is identified independently. Sanctions and PEP screening runs against each named natural person.
Risk rating: based on customer type, services requested, geography, and behavioural indicators. The rating drives the cadence of ongoing CDD; high-risk customers are re-screened every 6 months, medium-risk annually, low-risk every 3 years.
Where Caltury fits in the stack
Caltury is the AML layer alongside your existing practice management system (Xero Practice Manager, MYOB AE, Class Super, BGL). The PMS holds matter files, time and billing. Caltury holds the AML customer record, the screen, the Program and the report log. Customers are imported by CSV; direct PMS integration is on the roadmap.
Sanctions and PEP screening runs server-side against the OpenSanctions database (DFAT, OFAC, EU, UN consolidated lists plus PEP coverage). Identity verification uses Stripe Identity. Both are bundled in the Caltury price; there are no per-screen or per-verification surcharges on the Starter, Practice or Firm tiers.
- Identity verification via Stripe Identity (AU DVS supported)
- Sanctions / PEP screening via OpenSanctions (DFAT, OFAC, EU, UN)
- Beneficial-owner capture branched by entity type
- Risk rating and ongoing CDD cadence per customer
- Append-only audit log for the 7-year retention period
Pricing and limits
Starter (A$99/mo plus GST) suits a sole practitioner. Practice (A$249) suits 2 to 5 person practices. Firm (A$499) suits 6 to 15. Every tier includes unlimited customers, unlimited screens, unlimited reports. There is no per-customer or per-screen surcharge.
Founding-10 program: first 10 paying customers across Caltury get 50 percent off for three years on their chosen tier. Several slots are taken; current count is on the founding page.
Common questions
Does Caltury support FIRB and beneficial-owner cross-checks for offshore clients?
Beneficial owners are captured at engagement and screened against the OpenSanctions database which includes coverage for over 150 lists. FIRB cross-check is a separate workflow outside the AML/CTF Act scope; Caltury does not run FIRB checks directly but the customer file holds the data you would need for a FIRB enquiry.
Can we integrate Caltury with Xero Practice Manager?
Direct API integration is on the roadmap. Today, customer data is imported by CSV. A typical workflow is a bulk CSV import of current clients at setup, then individual customer creation in Caltury at the point of designated-service engagement.
How is identity verification charged?
Verification is bundled in the Caltury subscription on every tier with no per-verification surcharge. Stripe Identity's underlying cost is absorbed by Caltury. The exception would be unusually high-volume cases (thousands of verifications a month) which would be discussed before the volume hits.
What happens to customer data if I cancel?
Customer records, screening history, the Program and the audit log are all exportable to CSV or PDF at any time, including immediately before cancellation. There is no lock-in and no fee for export. Caltury retains the data for the 7-year period required by the Act unless you instruct otherwise on cancellation.
This page is general information about Australian AML/CTF obligations. It is not legal advice. AUSTRAC has not reviewed this content. For situations specific to your practice consult an Australian-qualified lawyer or AML/CTF adviser.