1
Company Name
Prior to company registration in Malta, a proposed corporate name must be prepared and vetted to check its availability. Company names shall be in English and must not be identical or deceptively similar to names of existing registered entities.
2
Shareholders and Directors
Private Limited Liability Company (Ltd.)
Minimum one shareholder and one director. Shareholders can be natural persons or corporate bodies with no nationality restrictions. No EU resident director is required.
3
Company Secretary
A company secretary must be appointed, and this service is available through our firm.
4
Registered Capital
Minimum registered capital starts from 1,164 Euros. We recommend setting the share capital at 1,200 Euros. Additional registration fees and annual compliance charges will apply if the capital exceeds 1,500 Euros.
5
Capital Verification Requirements
Capital verification is required for Malta company incorporation, with a minimum paid-up proportion of 20% of the registered capital. We recommend setting the registered capital at 1,200 Euros. For capital verification, the share capital shall be remitted from the shareholder’s personal bank account to the temporary capital deposit account of the Maltese company in proportion to each party’s shareholding.
6
Annual Compliance
Maltese companies are subject to annual compliance filings. The first annual return must be completed within 42 days after the company’s incorporation.
7
Tax Filing
All Maltese companies are required to file corporate income tax returns on an annual basis, even if they do not conduct any business operations.
The standard corporate income tax rate in Malta stands at 35%. Nevertheless, foreign shareholders are eligible for a 30% tax refund, resulting in an effective tax rate of 5%.
Maltese companies shall submit financial statements within three months following the end of their financial year (normally January 1 to December 31). If your company adopts a financial year different from the calendar year, the income tax return must be filed within three months upon the close of such custom financial year.
The standard VAT rate in Malta is 18%, with quarterly filings as the regular reporting cycle.
1
Private Limited Liability Company
It is one of the most prevalent business structures for small enterprises due to its tax advantages and high flexibility. A private limited company shall have at least one founder and no more than 50 shareholders. The minimum share capital is 1,164 euros, of which 20% must be paid prior to registration. It requires at least one director and one company secretary, who may be resident in Malta or overseas.
2
Company Limited by Shares
A company limited by shares requires a minimum of two founders and may have more than 50 shareholders. Its minimum share capital is 46,588 (46,000) euros, 25% of which shall be paid up prior to registration. It must appoint at least two directors to its management. This corporate form is more suitable for enterprises with large-scale business operations, whose shares can be listed on stock exchanges.
3
Partnership
A partnership requires a minimum of two partners and there is no minimum share capital requirement.
1
Documents
Power of Attorney
2
Information Collection Form (Natural Person Shareholders)
1. Clear colour scanned copies of passports for individual shareholders and directors of the Maltese company;
2. Address proofs of individual shareholders and Maltese company directors (utility bills or credit card statements bearing residential addresses issued within the latest three months).
3
Information Collection Form (Corporate Shareholders)
1. Business License and Memorandum & Articles of Association of the corporate shareholder;
2. Complete shareholding structure chart;
3. Clear colour scanned passports and address proofs of the legal representative of the corporate shareholder, directors of the Maltese company and ultimate beneficial owners (utility bills or credit card statements with residential addresses issued within the past three months).
4
Notes
The Power of Attorney, shareholder and director documents shall undergo notarization and Apostille certification.
