Anti-Money Laundering

Notaries are on the front line to block money-laundering setups via companies. Incorporation, merger, share transfer, real estate sale: every act demands enhanced UBO due diligence. Here is the complete checklist to secure an authentic act without burdening practice.

A dormant company can be used for VAT fraud, money laundering, or simply to issue invoices that will never be paid. Here are 9 cross signals — BCE + annual accounts — to detect one before it becomes your problem.

What are the legal obligations of a domiciliation center in Belgium in 2026? Complete guide: SPF Economie registration, domiciliation contract, KYC, UBO, monitoring, CTIF, 10-year retention, training and sanctions (€250 to €5M).

The 2024 European AML package reshapes the fight against money laundering: a single authority (AMLA in Frankfurt), a directly applicable regulation (AMLR), a 6th directive (AMLD6) and the new transfer-of-funds regulation. Critical deadline: 10 July 2027. Here is the roadmap to prepare now.

AML and KYC are often confused. Yet one frames the prevention of money laundering as a whole (AML / CTF), while the other focuses on client knowledge (KYC). Understanding the difference is the condition for real compliance — especially in Belgium, where the Act of 18 September 2017, CTIF, NBB, FSMA and the UBO register form a demanding ecosystem.

Domiciliation companies are now on the front line of Belgian AML enforcement. Since 2024, their obligations have toughened: mandatory registration with SPF Economie, written contracts, enhanced KYC, service register. Overview of what has changed and how to comply concretely.

Reporting suspicious transactions to the CTIF/CFI is the most sensitive obligation of the Belgian AML framework. Here is how to recognise a suspicious transaction, how to draft a useful report without breaching confidentiality rules, and what becomes of the information once submitted.

The overall money-laundering risk assessment is the requirement most scrutinised by Belgian supervisors. Here is a 5-step methodology usable by accountants, notaries, lawyers and real-estate agents to produce a document that holds up under inspection.

The Belgian UBO register has been mandatory since 2019 for all companies, non-profits, foundations and trusts. Here is who must be declared, how, by when, and what happens when a declaration is inaccurate or missing.

3-step UBO cascade, daily-synced sanctions lists, training register, domiciliation contracts: everything required by the Belgian AML Act of 18 September 2017 and the Royal Decree of 31 July 2020 is now wired into Company Belgium.

Accountants, fiduciaries, domiciliation centers, lawyers: your duty to identify ultimate beneficial owners isn't limited to consulting the UBO register. The Belgian 18/09/2017 law mandates a three-tier cascade. Here is how to apply it without missing a category.

"Know Your Customer" is no longer a marketing slogan: it is a legal obligation with heavy penalties. Here is how to build an operational KYC process in Belgium, from the documents to collect to enhanced due diligence and remote identification.

The Belgian Act of 18 September 2017 transposes the EU's 4th Anti-Money Laundering Directive. Here are the concrete obligations for regulated professions, the sanctions for non-compliance, and how to build a robust AML framework.

Comprehensive guide on AML/KYC compliance obligations for Belgian domiciliation centers. Discover legal requirements, verification processes and how Company Belgium facilitates your compliance.

Detailed analysis of the Belgian law of 18 September 2017 on the prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing. Discover the obligations, sanctions and impact for your company.

Comprehensive list of businesses subject to anti-money laundering obligations in Belgium. Discover if your activity is affected and what your legal responsibilities are with Company Belgium.

Complete guide to the Ultimate Beneficial Owners (UBO) register in Belgium. Legal obligations, consultation process and integration with Company Belgium to automate your verifications.

Practical guide on enhanced due diligence for high-risk clients: PEP, sensitive countries, complex structures. Process, documentation and tools with Company Belgium.

Complete guide on reporting suspicious transactions to CTIF. Warning indicators, reporting process, legal obligations and sanctions for non-compliance.

Everything on AML data retention in Belgium: 10-year legal duration (Article 60), start of countdown, admissible format (timestamped PDF/A), GDPR articulation, controlled deletion and litigation impact.

AML/KYC training program for Belgian domiciliation center teams: mandatory content, minimum duration per profile, format (in-person/e-learning), knowledge assessment, traceability compliant with SPF Economie requirements.

Full AML audit methodology for Belgian domiciliation centers: mandatory annual scope, 8 domains to cover, test plan, file sampling, deliverable template, action plan and remediation tracking.

Everything about Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs) in Belgium: legal definition, categories (direct PEPs, close relatives, associates), verification obligations, enhanced measures, official list sources and screening process.

Breakdown of sanctions for AML non-compliance in Belgium: administrative scale up to €5M, criminal sanctions up to 5 years, named publication and cumulative effect with prior sanctions. With case law examples and lessons.

Automating KYC cuts file processing from 2-4 hours to 15-30 minutes. Target architecture, 7 steps to automate, required technical blocks (BCE, UBO, screening, signature, archiving), integration patterns and human control points to preserve.

Five practical cases from a Belgian domiciliation center's daily life: recently-incorporated company with non-resident UBO, repeated director changes, uncollected official mail, domiciliation request for company in cessation, UBO mismatch with register. For each: analysis, decision, documentation.

The 6th Anti-Money Laundering Directive (EU 2018/1673) broadens predicate offenses, reinforces legal-person liability and harmonizes minimum sanctions. Breakdown of the 22 offenses, new obligations for Belgian regulated entities and practical KYC impacts.

Exhaustive 2026 checklist to self-assess the AML compliance of your domiciliation center: 60 control points covering governance, KYC, UBO, monitoring, CTIF reporting, retention and training. With scoring, required documents and common pitfalls observed during SPF Economie inspections.

What must a complete KYC file in Belgium contain to pass an SPF Economie inspection? Exhaustive list of mandatory documents per client type, accepted formats, retention period, timestamped electronic archiving and common mistakes to avoid.

Article 35 of the Belgian Act of 18 September 2017 requires ongoing monitoring. Full methodology to detect suspicious operations: red flags by typology, alert thresholds, scenarios to model, internal escalation and link with CTIF reporting.

2026 landscape of RegTech technologies used by Belgian regulated entities for AML compliance: functional building blocks (KYC, screening, monitoring, archiving), evaluation criteria, integration, cost and ROI.

Forward-looking landscape of AML regulation: AMLA entry into force, 6th directive, 2024-2027 AML package, European harmonization. New obligations to expect, timeline, and how to prepare from 2026.

How Company Belgium supports Belgian domiciliation centers in their AML compliance: functional modules, implementation method, ongoing support, training, preparation for SPF Economie inspections.

Anti-money laundering regulations impose due diligence obligations. Discover how to use BCE/KBO data for your KYC/KYB checks.

What is the UBO register? Who must register? What are the obligations and penalties? Complete guide on ultimate beneficial owners in Belgium.