Home topics news via pexels News News Twelve major compliance changes hitting businesses on January 1 Yajush Gupta January 12, 2026 Australian businesses are navigating twelve major regulatory changes from merger approvals to privacy sweeps Australia has entered a new era of business regulation. From 1 January 2026, companies across the country must navigate a complex web of compliance changes that touch everything from corporate acquisitions to corner shop cash registers. The centrepiece is Australia’s mandatory merger control regime , which came into effect on 1 January 2026 and aims to identify and prevent anti-competitive acquisitions. For the first time, businesses contemplating an acquisition that meets certain thresholds must notify the ACCC and wait for approval before their proposed acquisition can proceed. The thresholds are precise. Where a transaction meets monetary thresholds including when the sum of revenue of the acquirer and target is 200 million dollars or more, and either the revenue of the target is 50 million dollars or more, or the transaction value is 250 million dollars or more, it must be notified for approval by the ACCC prior to completion. Assessment timelines stretch from 15 business days minimum to potentially 90 business days for complex Phase 2 reviews. Completing a notifiable acquisition without ACCC approval is a breach of the Competition and Consumer Act and could trigger enforcement action and large penalties up to 50 million dollars or 2.5 million dollars for individuals. Privacy under scrutiny Simultaneously, Australia’s privacy regulator began 2026 with its first-ever compliance