-
Financial statements audits
Financial statements audits
-
Financial statement reviews
Financial statement reviews
-
Financial statements compilations
Financial statements compilations
-
IFRS
IFRS
-
Audit quality monitoring
Audit quality monitoring
-
Global audit technology
Global audit technology
-
Systems and risk assurance
Systems and risk assurance
-
Programmes
Grant Thornton is authorised and regulated by the Government of Malta to handle and submit applications for both citizenship applications as well as residence permits under the various residence programmes available in terms of Maltese law.
-
Ordinary residency in Malta
Any EU, EEA or third country national who resides in Malta for more than 3 months is obliged to apply for a Residence Permit. There are various grounds upon which an applicant may apply to require a residence permit, including: Self-Sufficiency, Employment or Self-Employment, Family Members, Permanent Residence, Study Purposes.
-
Qualifying Employment in Aviation Rule
Malta provides qualified persons employed in the field of aviation with an opportunity to enjoy a 15% flat personal tax rate on income generated from their direct employment in Malta. For a candidate to qualify, their annual income must exceed €45,000. This does not include the value of fringe benefits and applies to the derived income received from an eligible office.
-
Qualifying Employment in Innovation and Creativity (Personal Tax) (Amendment) Rules, 2019
These Rules allows persons employed in a role directly engaged in carrying out, or management of research, development, design, analytical or innovation activities, to enjoy a 15% flat personal tax rate on income generated from their direct employment in Malta.
-
Qualifying Employment in Maritime and Offshore Oil & Gas Industry Rule
Malta provides qualified persons employed in the field of aviation, with an opportunity to enjoy a 15% flat personal tax rate on income generated from their direct employment in Malta.
-
Nomad Residence Permit
The nomad residence permit, which was launched in June 2021, allows third-country nationals who would normally require a Visa to travel to Malta, to retain their current employment based in another country whilst legally residing on the island.
-
Citizenship by naturalisation
The Maltese Citizenship Act (Cap 188) establishes who may become a citizen of Malta by naturalisation, provided that the applicant satisfies the relative provisions.
-
Citizenship for Exceptional Services by Direct Investment
With the continuously changing global dynamics and evolving geopolitics, there is an ever-growing number of highly-talented high-net-worth individuals who are willing to invest and relocate to give themselves and their family members the chance to broaden their horizons and become part of a welcoming community.
-
Grant of Citizenship for Exceptional Services
Malta has enacted legislation which extends to individuals providing excellent or manifestly superior contributions in the fields of science, research, sports, arts and culture as well as people of exceptional interest to the Republic of Malta, the right to become Maltese citizens.
-
Acquisition of citizenship by registration
The Maltese Citizenship Act (Cap 188) establishes who can register as a citizens of Malta. The Act was amended on 1st August 2007, this making it possible for second and subsequent generations born abroad to acquire Maltese citizenship by registration.
-
Internal audit
Internal audit
-
Risk management and internal controls consulting
Risk management and internal controls consulting
-
Governance and risk management
Governance and risk management
-
Regulatory services
Regulatory services
-
Risk modelling services
Risk modelling services
-
Forensic and investigation
Forensic and investigation
-
Compliance audit
A compliance audit is a detailed review which focuses on whether an organisation is in conformity with statutory laws as well as internal rules and decisions. This type of audit also assesses the effectiveness of an organization’s internal controls by identifying weaknesses in compliance processes whilst finding measures to enhance such processes.
-
General business consulting
General business consulting
-
Business planning and performance improvement
Business planning and performance improvement
-
Change and program management
Change and program management
-
Business intelligence and analytics
Business intelligence and analytics
-
Business valuation and litigation support
Business valuation and litigation support
-
Business process outsourcing and consulting
Business process outsourcing and consulting
-
Family business consulting
Our business solutions for family businesses center on alignment of all aspects of the family and business, including culture, vision, mission, values, governance, ownership, leadership, communication and policy development.
-
Quantitative small caps
Grant Thornton has a wide professional network with a vast array of technical skills that is coupled with a drive to understand the business problem; we can set up the most efficient financial risk management structure that fits your underlying business structure and your risk appetite.
-
Data analytics
Data analytics is the process through which businesses leverage data to gain actionable insights and enhance their performance. This is based on a solid foundation of well-organised and accurate data. Many businesses have a large amount of data at their disposal however, most of them do not have the expertise to analyse the available data.
-
Maltese Family Businesses Resource Centre
For over 30 years Grant Thornton’s advisory teams have assisted family businesses in navigating the challenges of leadership and succession across generations
-
Grooming
Preparing the next generation for leadership and ownership is an integral part of any succession process. Grant Thornton can help formulate the necessary grooming plan for all the potential successors.
-
Tax services
Using a combination of reason and instinct, we can work with clients to develop a strategy that helps them understand and manage their tax liability in a transparent and ethical way.
-
Access to finance
Like all companies, family businesses need finance. As an ongoing business concern looking at expanding, when it comes to raising capital, it’s important that this is done wisely to minimise the risk of collateral damage.
-
Governance
Having a proper governance structure is essential to ensure that the family and business strategies are achieved. Grant Thornton can advise on this, and facilitate the implementation of the ideal governance structure based on the exact scenario.
-
Ownership succession
Letting go of your family business is difficult for all owners and even more so for founders; however, in a family business the additional challenge presented by the family component increases the complexity of this process. Our team of family business advisors will ensure that such ownership issues are dealt with in an effective and structured approach.
-
Exit strategies
There are many 'exit strategies' that need to be considered to minimise the risk of conflict. They can arise from the eventual exit of a family member from the ownership ranks and can have many causes. See how we can help.
-
Management succession
By implementing our family business guidelines to family succession and a proper governance structure, the management succession process can be completed with minimal conflict and will result in the most competent successor being chosen.
-
GDPR consultancy
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is the EU's data protection law which brings a lot of changes for your business to prepare. Grant Thornton can help your business make sure it complies to the new regulation.
-
Cyber security consultancy
Cyber security consultancy
-
IT business consultancy
IT business consultancy
-
Technology implementation
Technology implementation
-
ESEF Reporting
We are providing a service for listed companies that fall in scope to report in xHTML. Our service includes the mapping of the taxonomy, as well as the output of the audit/regulator ready xHTML report
-
IT Audit and Assurance
Information systems strengthens an organisation’s financial and operational processes. Grant Thornton Malta strengthens your organisation’s need for IT and information assurance.
-
Human resource consultancy
Human resource consultancy
-
Brand development
Brand development
-
Marketing and communications consultancy
Marketing and communications consultancy
-
Market research
Market research
-
EU funding
EU funding
-
Bookkeeping & financial accounting
Bookkeeping & financial accounting
-
Payroll and personnel administration
Payroll and personnel administration
-
Direct and Indirect tax compliance
Tax compliance within outsourcing
-
Compilation of financial statements
Compilation of financial statements
-
Business process outsourcing
Business process outsourcing including back office and secretarial
-
Family business consulting
Family business consulting
-
Startups
Startups
-
Company formation
Company formation
-
BOR
Entities in Malta, including companies, partnerships, foundations, trusts and associations, have an obligation to disclose the ultimate beneficial owner/s (physical person) of the entities. A beneficial owner is defined as the individual (s) who ultimately owns or controls a legal entity or arrangement through direct or indirect ownership of a sufficient percentage of the shares or voting rights or ownership interest in that entity.
-
Operational and financial restructuring and reorganisation
Operational and financial restructuring and reorganisation
-
Recovery
Recovery
-
Direct international tax
Direct international tax
-
Indirect international tax
Indirect international tax
-
Global mobility services
Global mobility services
-
Transfer pricing
Transfer pricing
-
Estate planning
Estate planning
-
Wealth advisory
Wealth advisory
-
Regulatory and legal
Regulatory and legal
-
Corporate tax services
Corporate services
-
VAT
At its simplest, VAT is a tax on consumption and is a multi-stage tax (ie applied at every stage of the production process), which is applied to both goods (ie tangible property) and services. Additionally, although the tax is ultimately borne by the consumer (by getting included in the price paid), responsibility for charging, collecting and passing the tax on to the tax authorities, rests with the supplier.
-
2018 Amendments of the Income Tax Act
The following is a brief overview of the new tax provisions introduced in 2018 by the Budget Implementation Act (Act VII of 2018) and other legislative enactments
-
Mergers and acquisitions
Mergers and acquisitions
-
Prospects MTF
As of 2016, small and medium-sized enterprises in Malta can access the capital markets through Prospects - a market of the Malta Stock Exchange (MSE) designed specifically for Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SME). Prospects offers a cost-effective opportunity for entities looking to raise up to €5 million per issue.
-
Project financing
Project financing
-
Due diligence
Due diligence
-
Valuations
Valuations
-
Foreign direct investment
Foreign direct investment (FDI) is the category of international investment that echoes the objective of obtaining a lasting interest by an investor in one economy in an enterprise resident in another economy.
-
Wholesale Securities Market
WSM is a joint venture between the Malta Stock Exchange and the Irish Stock Exchange, combining the best of each partner’s processes and technical skills.
-
Investment Support
The government of Malta has made available several incentive programmes, aimed at supporting Maltese SMEs and start-ups. These support schemes are targeted at different stages of a company’s lifecycle and cover from the start-up to the consolidation and expansion phases. Such incentives are usually promoted and managed by Malta Enterprise, while Trade Malta focuses on supporting businesses to penetrate foreign markets.
-
Financial regulatory services
Financial regulatory services
-
Ship and aircraft registration
Ship and aircraft registration
-
Medical cannabis licensing in Malta
A study published in 2018 by market intelligence and strategic consultancy firm Prohibition Partners, has forecasted that the European cannabis market will be valued €115.7 billion by 2028. According to the same study, while patient numbers are currently below 100,000 across the region, their number is set to grow to over 30 million in the next decade. In 2018 Malta introduced a bill to legalise the use of medical marijuana and attract companies willing to produce high-grade medical cannabis for the European market.
-
Trust and trustee services
As an entrepreneur, business owner, parent or guardian, you will want to ensure that whatever happens in the future, the rewards from your hard work can be protected as efficiently as possible. Grant Thornton Fiduciaire Limited (Grant Thornton) understands this and provides a professional and holistic trust management service.
-
Family trusts
The law establishes the requirement of a license for one to be able to act as a trustee subject to certain limited exceptions. One such exception is found in the Rules for Trustees of Family Trusts which provide for an exception to this rule where a trust is set up to hold property settled by a settlor or settlors for the present and future needs of family members or of family dependants who are clearly identifiable.
-
Aviation
The Maltese Government is constantly remaining to improve the position as the best place to do business within the aviation industry through exhaustive tax agreements, powerful legislation, and many aviation professionals. This is the best time for airlines, financiers and aircraft owners to be located in Malta.
-
Maritime
For Maritime, Grant Thornton provide direction with regards to VAT guidelines for yacht leasing, as well as ship and aircraft registration.
-
Automotive
We offer a broad range of services relating to automotive, ranging from Transaction advisory, access to finance, business advisory, process and inventory management, tax advisory, audit and advisory, outsourced support services.
-
SME Growth
SME Growth
-
Startup investment
Start-up investment
-
SME Diversification and Innovation
SME Diversification and Innovation
-
SME Internationalisation
SME Internationalisation
-
SME Consultancy services
SME Consultancy services
-
SME eCommerce
SME eCommerce
-
Blockchain technology
Blockchain technology
-
The Malta Virtual Financial Assets Act
The Virtual Financial Assets Act provides a sound legislative framework for Malta to regulate and responsibly promote the use of cryptocurrencies, crypto-exchanges and other crypto-related services, through which Malta aims to promote further technological innovations and growth, and continue building on its robust financial services industry.
-
Our role as a VFA agent
Our role as a VFA agent consists to assist, monitor and provide guidance throughout the full licensing process, and beyond the licensing stage. The VFA agent will be required to apply for the VFA license on behalf of the issuer.
-
Initial Coin Offerings
Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) in Malta have risen to prominence as a method to raise capital from the public, institutions or venture capitalists by selling a percentage of cryptocurrency to investors in the form of tokens in exchange for legal tender (smart contracts).
-
Gaming Regulations
Malta recently overhauled the framework regulating the iGaming sector. Going forward operators will still be required to obtain authorisation to carry out regulated activities.
-
Licensing Process
Prior to submission all applicants are advised to go through a pre-application process with one of the MGA’s Licensing Officers. This will ensure that the application has been correctly compiled and all the key ingredients are present.
-
Malta Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT)
As part of the 2019 budget, the government has pledged to introduce a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) framework in Malta.
-
The Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID) II
MiFID II aims to protect investors and make sure that financial markets operate in the fairest and most transparent way possible. Building on stock and investment trading regulation introduced in 2007 it sets to ensure a more integrated financial market.
-
Taxation of Malta Collective Investment Schemes
Malta-registered collective investment schemes (CISs) are generally not subject to Malta tax. Given that CIS are properly structured, such schemes generally can take advantage of a number of tax benefits. When it comes to taxation of investors in collective investment schemes, this will depend on what type of income is being received, whether the investor is a Malta resident or not, and if the shareholder is an individual or a body-corporate?
Across the board, in the second half of 2022 plans to invest were slightly down compared to H1 2022. Investment in staff skills has fallen by 2% to 53%, research and development intentions are down by four points to 51% and investment in technology is down by 3% to 57%.
While it's understandable that some businesses are being more wary during the current economic and geopolitical uncertainty, the fact that more than half of mid-market businesses are maintaining investment in skills, R&D and tech demonstrates their desire to keep moving forward. Business leaders that maintain focused investment during the current economic headwinds are likely to be better positioned to sustain value and grow once economic uncertainty lifts.
Global investment in tech, R&D, and skills over last five years
Oupa Mbokodo, Head of Advisory, Grant Thronton South Africa (SNG Grant Thornton)
“It rarely makes sense to hold back on investment during an economic slowdown. The bigger risk for businesses is that, when the uncertainty ends, you may be behind your competitors. Business leaders may also miss out on an opportunity to create (invest in) new revenue streams."
"While it is important to hold on to cash, it is equally important to have a robust investment strategy for an organisation. You need to understand the market in which you operate, understand the cycles of the economy, and know exactly under what circumstances your specific organisation can thrive.”
Business leaders who will be best positioned for growth when economic conditions improve will be those that scenario plan and can see past the immediate challenges to the opportunities beyond. Organisations need to be future focused to ensure they remain sustainable over the long term. In this light, innovation can lead to higher productivity and new markets, which then has a positive impact on the wider economy, can improve the social impact of the organisation and can benefit the environment, if done sustainably.
Claire Scott, Partner, Grant Thornton Australia
“Many mid-market businesses are only at the beginning of their ESG journey. We’re not yet at the stage where a firm’s sustainability significantly impacts their attractiveness for investment, but we’re certainly heading that way. And, when it does come, it will actually happen quite quickly, not least because there are regulatory changes coming in that are going to force a shift in thinking."
"This is already happening with the ‘Social’ element of ESG. A lot of the clients we work with are actively working to address diversity and inclusion issues and do more to support different groups across society. Done right, this isn’t only the right thing to do, but can also improve decision making, increase productivity, and make the firm more attractive to investors.”
Productivity remains elusive, but firms with the right strategy will find ways to evolve
Over the last several years, productivity growth has been sluggish in many developed markets. As the World Economic Forum demonstrates, for some firms digitalisation has been a gamechanger,[i] though not all businesses have been able to reap the gains from digital investment. New technologies, including AI, may well offer a new boost for certain businesses, but identifying the areas which will have the biggest impact on productivity is key.[ii]
Ian Pascoe, CEO and managing partner, Grant Thornton Thailand says “Over the last 20 years global productivity growth has been virtually stagnant. It has either flatlined or, even worse, actually declined. This is all during a period where we have had some of the greatest technological changes ever seen, we're more connected than we've ever been, and yet that has not led to an increase in productivity. Firms making investments in these areas really need to think about how it will impact productivity, because so far it often hasn't happened as business leaders would have hoped.
“Businesses absolutely need to be looking at technology, and working out how they can make investments that keep them ahead of their competitors. But they also really need to interrogate what that technology will bring and how it's linked to productivity.”
Investment in technology remains the priority for business leaders, at 57%, with investment in staff skills the next highest on the list at 53%. Investment in plant and machinery is not seen as key for many firms, at 44%, while investment in new buildings remains at the bottom of the list, cited by 36% of businesses (down from 40% in H1 2022).
Shona O’Hea, Partner, Grant Thornton Ireland, adds “Mid-market firms have become much more savvy about how they invest in technology. A few years back there was more appetite to do large scale transformations, buying chunky pieces of software which were sold as silver bullets to solve all your company’s problems. Since then, firms have learnt a lot about the implementation of tech, and they’re using this knowledge to make better use of the latest developments available in artificial intelligence, robotics, machine learning, and virtual reality.
“Now business leaders have realised you can’t get everything done in one push of the button. So there is more deliberation before embarking on large tech transformations that may take years to implement and being much more tailored in how they invest in tech, business leaders are getting added value with less cost.”
Poor access to cash remains a real concern
According to Grant Thornton’s latest data, business leaders’ fears over a shortage of finance have eased somewhat over the last year, but it remains a real concern for many. Just under half (47%) of business leaders cited access to cash as a constraint on their growth, compared to 50% in the second half of last year.
Global percentage concerned by access to cash (data over time - last 11 years)
“As interest rates go up in several markets, chief executives and chief financial officers are finding themselves in an unfamiliar situation. For years it’s been relatively easy for businesses to get money. But, as interest rates have gone up, the model has changed, and the pricing of risk has gone up too, says Ian Pascoe, CEO and managing partner, Grant Thornton Thailand.
“Underperforming businesses will fail because they won’t have access to the debt market as the risk is just too high. So firms really need to get the fundamentals right. They need to test their business plans and make sure they’re demonstrating just how robust they are.”
When inflation is brought back under control, advanced economies’ central banks are likely to bring real interest rates back towards pre-pandemic levels. The IMF suggests that recent increases in real interest rates are likely to be only temporary.[iii] But this is little solace for business leaders now.
Globally, just under 12% of firms see interest rates and funding as a significant threat. This challenge, along with ongoing economic uncertainty, events in the banking sector and stubborn inflation, will continue to undermine firms’ investment ambitions, meaning they need to plan carefully to make sure they are as attractive as possible to investors.
Percentage that see interest rates and funding as a significant threat per region
Kalpana Balasubramanian, CEO and chief thinker, Grant Thornton dGTL, explains “When funding investment, business leaders need to think a bit more laterally than they have previously. For example, many banks have created sustainable finance targets which they are looking to fulfil. At the same time, both venture capital funds and private equity funds have developed criteria including ESG metrics. There may be pools of cash available for those firms that can show they meet certain sustainability or social criteria. Firms that can demonstrate that they are sustainable over the long term will find it easier accessing finance.”
Roy Nicholson, Principal, Grant Thornton US, says “It’s absolutely right that, faced with the challenges we see today, business leaders are taking a second look at their organisations and thinking of the investments they need to make in order to emerge stronger in the future. The truth though is that firms should be making these decision on an ongoing basis, and they should be constantly trying to identify ways of operating more efficiently so that they can leverage those cost efficiencies to innovate in the future.”
This should be a continual improvement activity. Firms need to harness a mid-market mindset and their entrepreneurial spirit so that they remain focused on continually improving their processes and constantly innovating. Leaders that can achieve this and put in place the right plan to weather the challenges of persistent inflation, rising costs, and skills shortages, will be in a position to grow as markets begin to recover.