Malta Shipping Companies

FLAG: Largest registry in Europe,
6th in the world TONNAGE TAX SYSTEM:EU approved REGISTRY GROSS TONNAGE:Over 57 million TAX ON SHIPPING ACTIVITIES: Exempt NO. OF VESSELS REGISTERED::Over 11,000 TAX ON OTHER TRADING ACTIVITIES:5% effective tax rate

• Exemption from Income Tax
• Easy Same Day Incorporation
• Relatively Low Establishment and Operating Fees
• EU Approved
• No Notary/court Process Required

The Malta Tonnage Tax regime is governed by the Merchant Shipping Act (Chapter 234 of the Laws of Malta) as amended by legal notices 127 and 128 of 2018 and Merchant Shipping notice 143 of 2018 specifically issued to re-instate and implement the amended and EU approved tonnage tax system.
Shipping organisations are also subject to the Merchant Shipping Regulations under the Licensing of Shipping Organisations (S.L. 234.41) and to the Shipping Organisations - Private Companies (S.L. 234.42) Regulations.
The main fiscal advantages of the tonnage tax system for a shipping organisation covering shipping activities include:
• exemption from coporate tax under the Income Tax Act on shipping activities;
• exemption from tax under the Income Tax Act on any income, profits or gains derived from the sale or other transfer of ship tonnage tax ship which had been acquired or sold whilst under the regime or from the disposal of any rights to acquire a ship which when delivered would qualify as a tonnage tax ship; and
• exemption from tax on the distribution of profits derived from shipping activities to the shareholders.

• The ship is operated through a genuine shipping organisation
• The ship is declared as tonnage tax ship in accordance to
  the Maltese regulations
• the activities undertaken by the shipping organisation are
  shipping activities
•  the flag link requirement is fulfilled