Malta is situated in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, south of Italy. It gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1964 and is now a sovereign independent state. It enjoys political, economic and social stability. The Republic of Malta is a member of the United Nations, the Commonwealth and forms an integral part of Western Europe both politically and culturally. It has succeeded in attracting foreign investors as a result of its strong infrastructure, labour force and its continuously increasing number of banks. Advanced modern legislation has introduced the registration of International Holding Companies (IHC) and the International Trading Company (ITC). These two companies are designed to take advantage of the tax treaties signed by Malta, allowing for the relief of tax on cross border transactions.

International Holding Company (IHC)

An International Holding Company (IHC) is similar to an International Trading Company (ITC), however as its name implies it holds participations in foreign companies. This corporate entity is not allowed to trade and its aim is to “hold” shares in an overseas company. An IHC is exempt from exchange control and totally exempt form income tax and capital gains tax.