Malta Files
Malta Files ( English literally for: "Maltese files") refers to data from the Maltese tax authorities (MFSA) and are eponymous for an investigative investigation by the European research association European Investigative Collaboration , which triggered an international financial scandal in May 2017. Thousands of documents that were evaluated by various media companies were leaked to the research network. The data leak illustrates the mechanisms by which international corporations avoid taxes running into billions . According to De Morgen, 150,000 confidential documents came from the data leak.
Profits in Malta are generally taxed at 35 percent for all companies. If the profits are distributed to parent companies, however, they can claim back 6/7 of the tax paid. If you receive a dividend from a German company in Germany, you can even claim 100 percent of the tax back, but you have to re-tax it. If a company is operational in Malta, the 6/7 do not need to be re-taxed due to the double taxation agreement with Germany - but that is always at the discretion of the tax office. There are serious doubts that the companies involved did more than just bogus businesses and letterbox companies, but some of the companies named in the media employ several hundred people in Malta.
The leak became public during the Maltese EU Council Presidency in 2017 . Malta used the Council Presidency to slow down the fight against tax avoidance by exchanging more data. However, this was prevented by the German finance minister.
After the Malta Files became known, the finance minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, Norbert Walter-Borjans , announced that he would fight Maltese tax evaders harder and compared the Mediterranean island with Panama .
See also
Individual evidence
- ↑ De Morgen , 'Malta Files': 491 Belgen genoemd in onderzoek naar "miskend fiscaal paradijs"
- ↑ Die Zeit , DAX companies are pushing tax burden with Maltese subsidiaries , May 19, 2017
- ↑ SPON , How German Corporations Use Malta as a Money Parking Garage , May 19, 2017
- ↑ El Mundo , Malta, un resort fiscal dentro de la UE para atraer a las grandes fortunas
- ^ Le Soir, Malta Files: L'Exuma d'Eric Wittouck, a yacht hyper-luxe at 5.4% de TVA
- ↑ Le Monde , Avec les “Malta Files”, Mediapart révèle les dessous des pratiques fiscales de Malte
- ↑ SRF, Malta Files - Dubious tax practices of European corporations in Malta , May 20, 2017
- ↑ How German corporations use Malta as a parking garage , Spiegel Online , article from May 19, 2017, accessed on May 20, 2017