{"id":3962,"date":"2024-02-22T11:45:16","date_gmt":"2024-02-22T11:45:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sawaryn.com\/?p=3962"},"modified":"2026-10-23T08:32:09","modified_gmt":"2026-10-23T08:32:09","slug":"who-must-implement-aml-poland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sawaryn.com\/en\/publikacje\/who-must-implement-aml-poland\/","title":{"rendered":"Who Must Implement AML in Poland?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Not every company must apply anti-money laundering (AML) rules. The obligation applies to specific industries and situations, especially financial institutions, accountants, real estate agents and any business that accepts cash payments of EUR 10,000 or more. This guide sets out the full list of obliged entities, their duties and the penalties for failing to comply.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>This article continues our earlier post on <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/sawaryn.com\/publikacje\/jak-wdrozyc-w-firmie-procedury-aml\/\">general principles for implementing AML procedures<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h2>Is your company an obliged entity under the AML Act?<\/h2>\n<p>The Act on Counteracting Money Laundering precisely identifies which entities must implement AML procedures. These entities are called <strong>obliged entities<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Since 31 October 2021, the list of obliged entities has been expanded. It currently includes, among others:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Banks and financial institutions.<\/li>\n<li>Insurance intermediaries.<\/li>\n<li>Investment funds, alternative investment companies and investment fund management companies.<\/li>\n<li>National payment institutions, small payment institutions and payment service offices.<\/li>\n<li>Businesses that operate currency-exchange services.<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/sawaryn.com\/en\/publikacje\/virtual-currency-register-poland\/\">Cryptocurrency exchanges<\/a><\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Notaries.<\/li>\n<li>Advocates, legal advisers and tax advisers.<\/li>\n<li>Virtual offices.<\/li>\n<li>Businesses operating gambling activities.<\/li>\n<li>Lending institutions.<\/li>\n<li>Pawnshops.<\/li>\n<li>Accountants and all entities providing tax-advisory and tax-accounting services, including one-person accounting firms.<\/li>\n<li>Art galleries and auction houses.<\/li>\n<li>Real estate intermediaries, except for intermediation in leases or rentals with monthly rent of EUR 10,000 or less.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Businesses accepting cash payments with a value equal to or greater than EUR 10,000.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3>Cash payments of EUR 10,000 or more: rules for every industry<\/h3>\n<p>Most industries on the list are named expressly. There is also a general category: any business, including a foundation or association, that accepts cash payments of EUR 10,000 or more. In this case, the industry does not matter.<\/p>\n<p>Remember two rules:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Related transactions are added together.<\/strong> If you settle a series of cash transactions with one counterparty and their total reaches or exceeds EUR 10,000, you become an obliged entity.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The AML obligation applies only to this specific relationship.<\/strong> You do not have to apply AML procedures to your other counterparties or to other unrelated transactions with the same counterparty.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Decision rule: when does AML apply to you?<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>If your company operates in an industry on the list<\/strong> \u2192 you must apply AML to all customers.<\/li>\n<li><strong>If your company accepts cash of EUR 10,000 or more<\/strong>, in one payment or in related transactions \u2192 you must apply AML to that specific counterparty and transaction.<\/li>\n<li><strong>If neither condition applies<\/strong> \u2192 AML does not apply to you.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/sawaryn.com\/app\/uploads\/2024\/02\/SP_Infografika_17_03_aktualizacja-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Infographic showing AML-obliged entities and the EUR 10,000 threshold for cash transactions\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>Why must you apply AML? What are your obligations?<\/h2>\n<p>The legislature considers industries covered by AML to face particular risks of money laundering and terrorist financing. That is why additional requirements were imposed on them: to make money laundering more difficult and ensure that suspicious activity is reported to the relevant authorities.<\/p>\n<h3>Obligations of an obliged entity<\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Appointing an AML-responsible person<\/strong>: a member of senior management is responsible for implementing and carrying out the obligations.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Customer identification and verification (KYC, Know Your Customer)<\/strong>: the \u201cknow your customer\u201d procedure. Read more in our post about the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/sawaryn.com\/en\/publikacje\/what-is-the-kyc-procedure-know-your-customer-aml\/\">KYC procedure<\/a><\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Monitoring customer transactions<\/strong> to detect suspicious activity. How do you do this in practice? See our <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/sipbiznes.com\/kursy\/aml-odcinek-3-video\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">video, \u201cHow to apply financial security measures?\u201d<\/a><\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Developing and implementing internal AML procedures<\/strong>, and monitoring compliance with them on an ongoing basis.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Reporting suspicious transactions<\/strong> to the relevant authorities and implementing an anonymous internal breach-reporting procedure. More in our <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/sipbiznes.com\/kursy\/aml-odcinek-5-video\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">video, \u201cWhat are suspicious transactions and where should they be reported?\u201d<\/a><\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Maintaining confidentiality<\/strong> toward the customer and third parties regarding the security measures used.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>This is a recurring process. That is why it is worth using <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/sipbiznes.com\/produkty\/?category=aml\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">AML management software<\/a><\/strong> that automates these tasks in day-to-day operations.<\/p>\n<h2>Penalties for failing to apply AML<\/h2>\n<p>Two types of sanctions may apply for AML violations, such as failing to appoint a responsible person, assess risk or implement an internal procedure:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Administrative sanctions<\/strong>: a financial penalty of up to EUR 1 million.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Criminal sanctions<\/strong>: a fine and\/or imprisonment for between 3 months and 5 years.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>What to know about enforcement<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>The list of penalized entities is published on the Ministry of Finance website.<\/li>\n<li>Penalties imposed to date have ranged from PLN 100,000 to PLN 200,000 at the lower end, up to several million PLN.<\/li>\n<li>Typical penalties range from several thousand to tens of thousands of PLN.<\/li>\n<li>The cost of implementing AML is many times lower than the risk of a penalty.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>What is the SiP AML Program?<\/h2>\n<p>Implementing AML requirements and meeting them on an ongoing basis takes time, especially when KYC procedures are performed manually. Based on our experience, we developed our own tool, the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/sipbiznes.com\/aml\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">SiP AML Program<\/a><\/strong>, which lets you carry out all the obligations imposed by the Act yourself.<\/p>\n<h3>Watch an introduction to the SiP AML Program<\/h3>\n<iframe class=\"cookieconsent-optin-marketing\" data-sip-videopress-player=\"true\" data-cookieblock-src=\"https:\/\/videopress.com\/v\/Ko8p6p0J\" data-cookieconsent=\"marketing\" title=\"VideoPress video player\" width=\"100%\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"1\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><div class=\"cookieconsent-optout-marketing\" role=\"note\"><p>To watch this video here, enable marketing cookies.<\/p><div class=\"button-cluster\"><div class=\"button-cluster__items cluster\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"button\" data-button-size=\"small\" data-cookiebot-renew><span class=\"button__label\">Cookie settings<\/span><\/button><a class=\"button\" data-button-variant=\"ghost\" data-button-size=\"small\" href=\"https:\/\/videopress.com\/v\/Ko8p6p0J\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span class=\"button__label\">Open on VideoPress<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<h3>What you will find in the SiP AML Program<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Online forms<\/strong>: editable document templates and instructions needed to carry out AML obligations, including KYC.<\/li>\n<li><strong>An AML guide<\/strong>: an explanation of what AML is and how to navigate it.<\/li>\n<li><strong>An interactive Risk Assessment form<\/strong>: meet the customer-risk assessment requirement in a few steps. Read more about <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/sawaryn.com\/en\/publikacje\/how-to-assess-customer-risk-aml-procedure\/\">assessing customer risk<\/a><\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Checklists<\/strong>: to check that all required steps have been completed.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Six video recordings<\/strong>: they supplement the documents and answer frequently asked questions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Whenever you have a question, check whether one of the videos explains how to solve the problem.<\/p>\n<p>See how your company can join the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/sipbiznes.com\/aml\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">SiP AML platform<\/a><\/strong> and operate in compliance with the law.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>Do you want to be sure your company complies with the AML Act? Check whether AML applies to you and, if you are unsure about implementation, write to me.<\/p>\n<h2>Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n<p><strong>How can I tell whether my company has to implement AML at all?<\/strong> Check two things. First, does your company operate in an industry listed in the statutory register of obliged entities, such as banks, accountants, currency exchanges, real estate intermediaries, pawnshops, virtual offices, notaries or art galleries? Second, do you accept cash payments from any counterparty totaling EUR 10,000 or more, even if your industry is not on the list? If neither condition applies, your company is not subject to AML.<\/p>\n<p><strong>If I accept more than EUR 10,000 in cash from a customer, am I automatically subject to AML?<\/strong> Yes, with an important qualification: the AML obligation arises only for that specific counterparty and transaction, not for your entire business. Related transactions are also added together: if a series of cash settlements with one counterparty reaches or exceeds EUR 10,000, you become an obliged entity for that relationship.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Must I apply AML to all customers or only to a specific cash transaction?<\/strong> It depends on the basis for the obligation. If your company operates in an industry expressly listed as an obliged entity, such as an accounting firm, currency exchange or real estate intermediary, you must apply AML to all customers. If you are subject to AML only because you accepted cash of EUR 10,000 or more, the obligation applies only to that specific relationship with the counterparty, not to your other customers or unrelated transactions.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What AML obligations does an obliged entity have in practice?<\/strong> An obliged entity has six obligations: appoint an AML-responsible person from senior management; identify and verify customers (KYC); monitor customer transactions for suspicious activity; develop and implement internal AML procedures; report suspicious transactions to relevant authorities, including through an anonymous internal breach-reporting procedure; and maintain confidentiality toward customers and third parties about the security measures used. This is an ongoing process that requires regular monitoring, not a one-time task.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What penalties can a company face for failing to implement AML?<\/strong> Two types of sanctions may apply: an administrative financial penalty of up to EUR 1 million, and criminal sanctions consisting of a fine and\/or imprisonment for between 3 months and 5 years. Penalties imposed on companies in Poland to date have ranged from PLN 100,000 to PLN 200,000 at the lower end, up to several million PLN, and the list of penalized entities is public on the Ministry of Finance website. Implementing AML costs many times less than the risk of a penalty, so it is worth acting before an inspection.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A guide to AML-obliged entities in Poland, the EUR 10,000 cash-payment threshold, required duties and penalties.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":1896,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","sip_alt_url":"","sip_en_pl_url":"","sip_pair_uuid":"","sip_pair_state":""},"categories":[1576],"tags":[1611,1448,1627],"specialization":[1206],"practice_area":[],"class_list":["post-3962","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-anti-money-laundering","tag-aml-en","tag-compliance","tag-pranie-pieniedzy","specialization-aml"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sawaryn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3962","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sawaryn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sawaryn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sawaryn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sawaryn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3962"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/sawaryn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3962\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4100,"href":"https:\/\/sawaryn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3962\/revisions\/4100"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sawaryn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1896"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sawaryn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3962"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sawaryn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3962"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sawaryn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3962"},{"taxonomy":"specialization","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sawaryn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/specialization?post=3962"},{"taxonomy":"practice_area","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sawaryn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/practice_area?post=3962"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}