Malta has published Act No. VIII of 20 March 2020 in the Official Gazette for the implementation of the budget measures for 2020 and other administrative measures. As previously reported, the tax-related measures of the Budget are mainly focused on individual taxation and include a reduced income tax rate of 15% on income from the first 100 hours of overtime for employees with basic pay not exceeding EUR 20,000 annually that are not in management positions. A reduced 15% stamp tax rate is also introduced on profits up to 100,000 from the transfer of property and the stamp duty exemption threshold for first-time homebuyers is increased from EUR 150,000 to EUR 175,000.

Other measures include the introduction of a value added tax (VAT) exemption on education services and education related research, vocational training, distance learning, and institutes recognized for providing such services. And lastly, certain incentives are introduced, including an Innovation Aid for SMEs scheme that provides a tax credit for companies engaged in the agriculture and fisheries sectors, a Malta Enterprise incentive and financial assistance for companies replacing old machinery with new, environmentally friendly machinery, and a start-up tax credit for incorporation or relocation of private companies to the island of Gozo.