Malta: Income Tax

Malta's Global Residence Programme (GRP) will be replaced by a new Individual Tax Programme from January 2027, introducing substantially higher entry requirements including increased minimum tax obligations and stricter property thresholds. Eligible applicants who submit applications before December 31, 2026 can secure grandfathered status under the current, more favorable GRP terms until 2031, potentially saving significant costs on application fees, property requirements, and annual tax minimums.

Malta has introduced a new Individual Tax Programme consolidating four existing residence schemes into a single framework effective January 2027. While maintaining the attractive 15% tax rate on qualifying foreign income, the reforms introduce higher economic thresholds, renewable five-year status periods, and enhanced compliance requirements, signaling Malta's evolution toward attracting genuine international residents committed to establishing meaningful economic presence.

Malta is consolidating four existing tax programmes into a unified Individual Tax Programme framework, effective January 2027. The new rules introduce significantly higher minimum tax thresholds, increased property requirements, and stricter application fees while maintaining the attractive 15% flat tax rate on foreign-sourced income remitted to Malta.

Malta's remittance basis of taxation offers favorable treatment for individuals who are resident but not domiciled in Malta, taxing foreign-source income only when received in Malta while exempting foreign capital gains entirely.

Malta’s tax landscape continues to develop through a series of legislative amendments introduced under the Budget Measures Implementation Act 2026, together with ongoing implementation...

Malta and Bulgaria have amended their double taxation treaty to align the Mutual Agreement Procedure with OECD standards, introducing a justification requirement that was conspicuously absent from the original text. While this change brings the treaty into conformity with international practice, the absence of mandatory arbitration provisions means taxpayers still lack a binding dispute resolution mechanism if competent authorities reach an impasse.

The Tax Treatment of Highly Skilled Individuals Rules, 2026 (L.N. 20 of 2026), (hereinafter referred to as the "Rules") which came into force on 1st January 2026...

Legal Notice 20 of 2026 introduced the Tax Treatment of Highly Skilled Individuals Rules ("Rules") that came into force on 1 January 2026. These Rules confirm Malta's approach to incentivising specialised foreign talent...

Malta has introduced a new legislative framework governing the taxation of highly skilled expatriate professionals through Legal Notice 20 of 2026, titled the Tax Treatment of Highly Skilled Individuals Rules, 2026...