# GwG Art. 9b — Termination of the business relationship - **Rubric (DE):** Abbruch der Geschäftsbeziehung - **Rubric (EN):** Termination of the business relationship - **Status:** In force ## Description Article 9b lets a financial intermediary terminate a reported business relationship. Abs. 1: if MROS does not notify the intermediary within 40 working days of a report under Art. 9 Abs. 1 Bst. a or Art. 305ter Abs. 2 StGB that it has forwarded the reported information to a prosecution authority, the intermediary may break off the relationship. Abs. 2: an intermediary terminating the relationship may permit withdrawal of significant assets only in a form that lets law enforcement trace them. Abs. 3: the termination and its date must be communicated to MROS without delay. Abs. 4: the tipping-off ban under Art. 10a Abs. 1 continues to apply after termination. Since 1 October 2026, Abs. 2bis lets an adviser who has filed a report under Art. 9 Abs. 1ter end the business relationship at any time. ## Context & interpretation Art. 9b, in force since 1 January 2023, resolves a practical bind: once a report is filed, the intermediary cannot simply exit the relationship — that would risk tipping off the client and disrupting the evidentiary trail — yet cannot be expected to remain indefinitely exposed to a client it suspects of money laundering. The 40-working-day silence rule gives MROS and prosecutors a defined window to intervene (e.g. via a criminal freeze order) before the intermediary regains control, while Abs. 2's traceability condition and Abs. 4's continuing tipping-off ban ensure that even a lawful exit does not compromise a subsequent investigation. For advisers, Abs. 2bis (since 1 October 2026) is simpler: an adviser who has reported may end the relationship at any time, with no 40-day wait. ## Serves AMLR - [[AMLR Art. 21 - Inability to comply with CDD|AMLR Art. 21]] — Inability to comply with CDD ## Authoritative text > [!quote]- GwG Art. 9b — German original, SR 955.0, consolidated version of 1 October 2026 (Fedlex) > **Art. 9b Abbruch der Geschäftsbeziehung** > 1 Teilt die Meldestelle nach einer Meldung nach Artikel 9 Absatz 1 Buchstabe a dieses Gesetzes oder nach Artikel 305ter Absatz 2 StGB dem Finanzintermediär nicht innert 40 Arbeitstagen mit, dass sie die gemeldeten Informationen einer Strafverfolgungsbehörde übermittelt, so kann der Finanzintermediär die Geschäftsbeziehung abbrechen. > 2 Der Finanzintermediär, der die Geschäftsbeziehung abbrechen will, darf den Rückzug bedeutender Vermögenswerte nur in einer Form gestatten, die es den Strafverfolgungsbehörden erlaubt, deren Spur weiterzuverfolgen. > 2bis Die Beraterin oder der Berater, die oder der eine Meldung erstattet, kann die Geschäftsbeziehung jederzeit abbrechen. > 3 Der Abbruch der Geschäftsbeziehung und das Datum des Abbruchs sind der Meldestelle unverzüglich mitzuteilen. > 4 Nach dem Abbruch der Geschäftsbeziehung ist das Informationsverbot nach Artikel 10a Absatz 1 weiterhin einzuhalten.