01
Licensed infrastructure
Banks, payment and e-money institutions, investment firms and managers are checked in the MFSA's official register; private banking, corporate accounts, custody, payments and fund services depend on authorisation and client policy
02
KYC and origin of wealth
A bank reviews UBOs, tax residence, source of wealth and funds, capital history, business model, financials, counterparties, markets, projected flows, PEPs and sanctions risk and is not obliged to open an account
An account is opened for a coherent profile, not a jurisdiction name. A bank reviews UBOs, tax residence, source of wealth and funds, capital history, business model, financials, counterparties, markets, projected flows, PEPs and sanctions risk and is not obliged to open an account.
03
Company and private client
A registered office does not replace effective management. Board decisions, authority, contracts, people, premises, expenditure, risk ownership and business rationale should match the company's role. The headline company tax rate is 35%; following a dividend, a shareholder may claim a refund of part or all tax paid where the conditions are met, but this is not an automatic 5% effective rate.
04
Trusts and foundations
Private-wealth planning may compare a Maltese trust, private foundation, holding company, investment funds, insurance and contractual solutions; professional trustees and private-foundation administrators fall within the MFSA perimeter. A trust is not a company, while a foundation has separate legal personality; control, reserved powers, beneficiaries, UBO, tax and recognition in family countries should be tested before assets move.
05
After opening
Personal tax depends on residence, domicile, income source and any remittance basis; trust or foundation distributions, gains, foreign assets and another country's rules require separate analysis. Standard VAT is 18%; 12%, 7%, 5%, 0% and exemptions apply only to specified categories, while place of supply, reverse charge and input recovery depend on the transaction.
FAQ
FAQ
Where should a bank accounts and private banking project in Malta start?
Banks, payment and e-money institutions, investment firms and managers are checked in the MFSA's official register; private banking, corporate accounts, custody, payments and fund services depend on authorisation and client policy
Can formation or account opening be guaranteed?
This material is general information. Formation, licensing, tax outcomes and account opening depend on the facts and the decision of the competent authority or financial institution.
Why are tax and banking reviewed together?
The headline company tax rate is 35%; following a dividend, a shareholder may claim a refund of part or all tax paid where the conditions are met, but this is not an automatic 5% effective rate. A bank reviews UBOs, tax residence, source of wealth and funds, capital history, business model, financials, counterparties, markets, projected flows, PEPs and sanctions risk and is not obliged to open an account.
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Related routes
- Company formation
- Open primary source
- Private wealth: foundations and trusts
- Open primary source
- Tax strategy
- Open primary source
- Relevant practice
- Open primary source