Agenda:
Tax Conference Agenda
Welcome Address
Speakers:
- Ms Maria Cauchi Delia, MIA CEO
- Mr David Delicata, MIA President
- Address by Hon. Mr Jerome Caruana Cilia, Shadow Minister for Finance
- Address by Hon. Mr Clyde Caruana, Minister for Finance and Employment
Keynote Discussion (recorded)
Speakers:
- Mr Paul Gisby, Senior Manager Accountancy Europe
- Mr Johan Barros, Manager Accountancy Europe
Ongoing Developments: Local Considerations and Implications
Speakers:
- Dr Rachel Zarb Cousin, Tax Director, Deloitte
- Dr John Ellul Sullivan, Tax Partner, KPMG
- Dr Edward Attard, Tax Partner, PwC
- Dr Robert Attard, Tax Leader Partner, EY
- Dr Wayne Pisani, Partner, Head of Tax, Regulatory and Compliance, ILD Director, Grant Thornton
MoDerator:
- Mr Craig Schembri, Tax Director, Deloitte, and Chairperson of the Direct Taxation Committee
VAT Developments and the Next Steps
SPEAKERS:
- Mr David Ferry, Tax Partner, PwC, and Member of the Direct Taxation Committee
- Mr Chris Borg, Indirect Tax Leader Director, Deloitte, and Member of the Indirect Taxation Committee
- Mr Brandon Gatt, VAT Leader, Zampa Debattista, and Member of the Indirect Taxation Committee
- Mr Nico Sciberras, Technical Advisor (Technical & Legal), Office of the Commissioner for Revenue
Moderator:
- Ms Louise Grima, Associate Director, Tax Services, KPMG, and Chairperson of the Indirect Taxation Committee
Breakout session (Please select one option from Breakout 1 and one option from Break out 2)
- Breakout 1 A Family Businesses: Relevant Considerations for Succession Planning
- Breakout 1 B Transfer Pricing
- Breakout 2 A AML Considerations for Tax Practitioners
- Breakout 2 B VAT for Financial Services
Breakout 1 A - Family Businesses: Relevant Considerations for Succession Planning
SPEAKERS:
- Mr Steve Gingell, Tax Partner, PwC
- Mr Anthony Pace, Partner, Head of Tax, KPMG
- Mr Craig Schembri, Tax Director, Deloitte, and Chairperson of the Direct Taxation Committee
MODERATOR:
- Ms Ruth Farrugia, Director, Mazars, and Member of the Direct Taxation Committee
Breakout 1 B - Transfer Pricing
SPEAKERS:
- Dr Juanita Brockdorff, Tax Partner, KPMG
- Ms Audrey Azzopardi, Tax Senior Manager, PwC
- Dr Christopher Bergedahl, Tax Senior Manager, Deloitte
MODERATOR:
- Dr Ruth Bonnici, Senior Manager (International Tax Advisory), KPMG
Breakout 2 A - AML Considerations for Tax Practitioners
SPEAKERS:
- Dr Gianluca Busuttil, Tax Manager, Deloitte
- Mr Mirko Rapa Manche, Partner, PWC
Breakout 2 B - VAT for Financial Services
SPEAKERS:
- Ms Louise Grima, Associate Director, Tax Services, KPMG, and Chairperson of the Indirect Taxation Committee
- Mr Saviour Bezzina, Senior Manager (Global Compl&Reporting), EY, and Member of the Indirect Taxation Committee
- Mr Mirko Gulic, Senior Manager, PwC, and Deputy Chairperson of the Indirect Taxation Committee
MODERATOR:
- Ms Karen Spiteri Bailey, Partner, RSM, and Member of the Indirect Taxation Committee
Discussion with the Commissioner for Revenue
SPEAKERS:
- Mr Joseph Caruana, Commissioner for Revenue
MODERATOR:
- Mr David Ferry, Partner (Tax), PwC, and Member of the Direct Taxation Committee
Concluding Remarks
Speakers:
- Ms Louise Grima, Associate Director, Tax Services, KPMG
- Mr Craig Schembri, Director at Deloitte Malta
Speakers
Ms Maria Cauchi Delia
MIA CEO
Maria Cauchi Delia is the CEO of the Malta Institute of Accountants, leading the strategy of the approved professional accountancy organisation in Malta. She represents the Institute with top-level national and international stakeholders.
A certified public accountant, Ms Cauchi Delia has broad experience in the public and private sectors and has served in organisations both in Malta and abroad. She graduated from the University of Malta and is a Fellow Member of the Malta Institute of Accountants.
Mr David Delicata
MIA President
David is an Audit and Assurance Director with Deloitte Malta and is the firm’s Assurance Leader and Regulatory Leader. Over the years, David has led several audit and assurance engagements covering a wide range of national and multinational clients operating in different industries, but predominately in the consumer business and gaming sectors. He currently acts as the Lead Client Service Director on a number of multinational public and private companies. David was elected as a member of the Council of the Malta Institute of Accountants in 2014 and its President as from October 2021.
Hon. Jerome Caruana Cilia
Shadow Minister for Finance
The Shadow Minister for Finance, Jerome Caruana Cilia, was elected to Parliament in March 2022. He is a member of the Economic and Financial Affairs Committee.
Caruana Cilia has actively participated in various conferences, both locally and abroad, most recently in the Inter-parliamentary Conference on Stability, Economic Coordination and Governance in the EU.
Caruana Cilia works at a managerial level in the financial services industry. After a number of years working for an international bank in Malta, he recently joined a Fintech company as the Head of Risk Management. He holds a Masters in Politics and the European Union degree, where he studied Political Economy and also holds a Master of Business Administration where he obtained a distinction. Caruana Cilia is a member of the Malta Institute of Management and a member of the Institute of Leadership and Management, in the United Kingdom. He is also a lecturer in the field of management and finance, particularly on Anti-Money Laundering regulations, Supervision and Corporate Governance.
Hon. Clyde Caruana
Minister for Finance and Employment
The Minister for Finance and Employment, Clyde Caruana, was appointed Minister in November 2020, an Economist by training, has held the position of Executive Chairman at the State employment agency, Jobsplus, since 2014, more recently had taken up office as Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff.
During his tenure at Jobsplus, as Chairperson, he authored several position documents and policy papers, which have been central to the government’s labour force policy. Additionally, he was the main driver to implement these policies and reforms, most notably, related to free childcare, in-work benefits and others.
He had previously worked at the National Statistics Office between 2007 and 2012. Caruana also lectures in Economics at the Faculty of Economics, Management and Accountancy at the University of Malta.
He has written papers and articles in the welfare state and the labour market, as well as related research and consultancy work.
Mr Paul Gisby
Senior Manager: Accountancy Europe
After studying psychology at Manchester University, Paul Gisby qualified as a chartered accountant and chartered tax adviser and spent 20 years in the North West of England working in private practice. As a general practice partner, he gained a wide experience of accounting, auditing, and providing financial advice.
After moving to Brussels, he joined Accountancy Europe - an international organisation representing nearly 1 million professional accountants through its 51 member bodies, in all sectors of the profession.
His primary focus is on tax and he is a frequent speaker on tax policy and VAT issues. He represents Accountancy Europe’s at the European Commission’s VAT Forum and VAT Expert Group.
He leads Accountancy Europe’s work on public sector accounting standards and is a member of the Consultative Advisory Group of the International Public Sector Accounting Standards Board.
He also supervises Accountancy Europe’s SME related activities.
Mr Johan Barros
Manager Accountancy Europe
Johan studied politics with international relations at the University of Bath, UK, and completed a Master of European Studies at KU Leuven, Belgium. He worked in a Brussels public affairs firm, Royal Bank of Scotland on AML as well as the European Commission.
Johan joined Accountancy Europe in August 2015 as an EU political advisor for taxation. Johan is also in charge of Accountancy Europe’s monthly Tax Policy Updates, and writes an EU tax policy column for the UK based Tax Journal. In 2020 he was selected as one of TAXCOOP’s 35 Leaders of the Future, a distinguished recognition programme for the most promising young tax policy enthusiasts who passionately contribute to the advancement of taxation.
On top of taxation, Johan manages Accountancy Europe’s SME strategy and SME Network. He also leads policy efforts on audit.
Dr Rachel Zarb Cousin
Tax Director, Deloitte
Rachel is a Director within the Tax business at Deloitte Malta and leads the International Tax service line. Rachel focuses on international tax consulting and advises both local and multinational clients operating in various industries including financial services and life sciences and health care. Rachel’s main focus is on group restructurings, inbound investment structuring and private equity investments. Rachel is the Grants and Incentives Leader at Deloitte in Malta where her responsibilities include advising clients on grants and incentives available locally as well as EU funding.
Dr John Ellul Sullivan
Tax Partner, KPMG
John, a lawyer, is a partner in the tax function of KPMG and focuses on international taxation. He is a council member of the Malta Institute of Taxation.
Dr Edward Attard
Tax Partner, PwC
Edward is a tax lawyer within the Tax and Legal department at PwC Malta, with a focus on international and European taxation of entities and individuals. He graduated in Law from the University of Malta and in International Tax Law with honours from Leiden University in the Netherlands.
Dr Robert Attard
Tax Leader Partner, EY
Robert is Partner and Tax Policy Leader, EY, Central & South East Europe, a tenured senior lecturer at the University of Malta, a fellow of GREIT and member of the European Association of Tax Law Professors. In the IBFD’s 2015-2017 General Report on the Protection of Taxpayers’ Rights he was described as a well-known authority broadly experienced in the practical protection of taxpayers’ rights and a prominent member of the legal practice. Having served as a panellist at the 2015 IFA Congress he forms part of a study group of the International Law Association on the “Protection of Taxpayers’ Rights” (co-chaired by Advocate General Juliane Kokott and Pasquale Pistone) and is also a member of the Supervisory Council of the IBFD/IFA’s “Observatory on the Protection of Taxpayers’ Rights”. He has served as Visiting Professor at the University of Ferrara paying lecturing/speaking visits at Queen Mary (University of London), CTL (University of Cambridge), Salerno (with Wirtshaftsuniversitat Wien and Naples II) and the University of Palermo. The Maltese Court of Appeal has described him as a leading commentator on tax law referring to his publications in its judgements. Robert developed a detailed knowledge of tax aspects of the European Convention on Human Rights drafting submissions in cases filed against France, the Netherlands, Bulgaria and Malta. Robert is a published author on tax law publishing articles in European Taxation, EC Tax Review and the British Tax Review. He has contributed to several publications including a book published by Hart Publishing, 3 books published by the IBFD and several books published by the MIM. Philip Baker remarks that ‘Single-handedly, Robert is generating the literature which explains the structure and nuances of the system in Malta. One wishes other countries had similar authors who could write similarly enticing books to explain their tax codes.” Robert has argued most of Malta's leading tax cases including landmark judgments John Geranzi v. PM (right to justice within a reasonable time), Zahra v. PM (non bis in idem), Farrugia v. PM (taxation as a violation of the right to property) and Case 160 of 2012 (tax transparency).
Dr Wayne Pisani
Partner | Head of Tax, Regulatory and Compliance | ILD Director, Grant Thornton
Wayne Pisani heads the tax, regulatory and compliance practice within Grant Thornton. He advises an extensive client base ranging from private clients, including family offices and high-net-worth individuals, to NASDAQ listed companies. Working across several industry sectors, he deals with a wide range of cross-border regulatory, compliance and tax planning engagements involving both local and international financial institutions, asset protection, M&A and project finance transactions.
Wayne is a published author and member of the Malta Financial Services Advisory Council set up by the Minister for Finance and Employment and tasked with setting out a ten-year strategic plan for the financial services industry. He presently chairs the Financial Services Regulated Business Committee of the Institute of Financial Services Practitioners having been the president of the Institute and a member of the board of governors of FinanceMalta between 2018 and 2021.
Mr Craig Schembri
Director at Deloitte Malta
Craig is a Director at Deloitte Malta and leads the Tax Mergers and Acquisitions service line within the Tax function.
Craig advises both local and multinational clients operating across various industries, and his main focus is on M&A tax advisory, corporate reorganisations, transaction advisory and tax structuring projects.
Craig is the Chairperson of the MIA Direct Taxation Committee.
Mr David Ferry
Tax Partner, PwC
David joined PwC Malta in 1994. Specialising in VAT in 1997, David was admitted as the partner responsible for VAT-related matters in 2009. Apart from giving lectures on VAT with the Malta Institute of Taxation, David is a fellow member of the Malta Institute of Accountants and is on their Taxation Committee. David is also a Certified Public Accountant.
Mr Chris Borg
Indirect Tax Leader Director, Deloitte
Chris heads Deloitte’s Indirect Tax service line, leading a team of dedicated professionals providing a wide range of indirect tax advisory and compliance services to the firm’s local and international clients. He is a Certified Public Accountant with extensive experience and deep expertise in indirect tax matters.
Mr Brandon Gatt
VAT Leader, Zampa Debattista
Brandon Gatt, a Certified Public Accountant in possession of an ACCA degree, has been in the profession for the past nine years. He has been involved in VAT and accounting assignments both within and outside of Malta. Brandon has been specialising in VAT since 2016 and is currently the VAT Leader at Zampa Debattista. In a relatively short period, Brandon has acquired the necessary experience vital to handling an ever growing portfolio of diverse clients, operating within various sectors of the economy. Back in June 2017, he attended an intensive course in France, provided by VAT Forum; a partnership of International VAT experts, where he was provided with intensive training on the Articles of the EU VAT directive 2006/112/EC. He is now reading for the EU VAT Expert Degree.
Brandon also provides in-house training to established companies within and outside Malta and is also a lecturer for the ‘Certificate in TAX Compliance’ being offered by the Malta Institute of Taxation. He is also a lecturer with ZD Academy and also lectures the ACCA Advanced Taxation (VAT). Brandon also forms part of Malta Institute of Accountants Indirect Tax Committee.
Mr Nico Sciberras
Technical Advisor (Technical & Legal), Office of the CfR
Nico Sciberras, an accountant by profession, is a technical advisor within the Office of the Commissioner for Revenue specialising in VAT matters. Forming part of a small experienced team dealing with legal and technical issues in the world of VAT, at a domestic level Nico mainly deals with matters involving the drafting, interpretation and implementation of Maltese and EU VAT law. At an international level, Nico forms part of Malta's representation at EU level in most EU fora dealing with VAT matters.
Ms Louise Grima
Associate Director, Tax Services, KPMG
Louise Grima is an Associate Director at KPMG Malta. She joined KPMG in 2015 after graduating with a Master in Accountancy from the University of Malta and has since worked in direct and indirect tax compliance and advisory projects servicing clients in a number of industries including financial services, insurance, gambling and international trade. Louise was awarded the 2015 MIA Best Student of the Year prize for Master in Accountancy Group 2013/2015, holds a Diploma in VAT compliance. Louise has also successfully completed the Advanced Diploma in International Taxation with an overall distinction. Louise is a member of the Malta Institute of Accountants (MIA) and is the Chairperson of the Indirect Tax Committee within MIA. Louise regularly delivers courses and seminars relating to VAT, is a visiting lecturer at the University of Malta and teaches ACCA at KPMG Learning Academy.
Mr Steve Gingell
Tax Partner, PwC
Steve joined the firm’s tax practice in 2003 and was admitted to the partnership in 2016. Steve read for a Masters in Law with a specialisation in tax at the University of London. Following this, Steve worked with PwC London for a two year period and returned to Malta in September 2008. Steve is heavily involved in advising a wide variety of local corporate and international clients operating in various industries including banking, aviation, gaming, tourism and trading operations. Steve also lectured for several years at the University of Malta and to students preparing for the Advanced Diploma in International Taxation.
Mr Anthony Pace
Partner | Head of Tax, KPMG
Anthony joined KPMG in 1990 and he currently heads the firm’s taxation services function. Anthony has led numerous direct and indirect tax advisory engagements in banking and financial services, gaming, real estate and family businesses. He has also led several tax due diligence engagements. He is a visiting lecturer in taxation at the University of Malta.
Ms Ruth Farrugia
Director, Mazars
Ruth is a Tax Director at Mazars in Malta where she is involved in providing tax advice as well as compliance services to both local and international clients. She has been awarded the Bachelor of Accountancy (Hons) from the University of Malta and the Advanced Diploma in International taxation from the Chartered Institute of Taxation. She is a Certified Public Accountant, a Fellow Member of Malta Institute of Accountants and forms part of its Direct Tax Committee.
Dr Juanita Brockdorff
Tax Partner, KPMG
Since joining KPMG in 2002, Juanita has worked in corporate taxation, providing advice to multinationals seeking assistance in tax matters and related planning. Her work covers both international and domestic tax issues, extending to direct and indirect taxation. She has advised a wide variety of multinationals especially in financial services industry, namely, asset managers, banks, and insurance underwriters. Juanita has also delivered restructuring advice to gaming clients. She leads the Tax Committee at the Institute of Financial Services Practitioners, providing feedback on proposed legislation, including on cryptocurrencies and ICOs, to government authorities. In addition she has assisted clients with effective global tax solutioning, including mergers and acquisitions and advised on access to tax treaties, foreign tax credits, financing and efficient repatriation. She leads the automatic exchange of information service line. Juanita is particularly interested in the EU’s impact on tax matters and has acted as advisor to the Government on various tax-related EU law issues. Juanita regularly delivers presentations on topical tax issues at both local and international fora and has published articles in various international tax journals and reviews. Juanita is a highly-respected specialist in her field, is a member of the International Fiscal Association, and is recognised by Expert Guides and ranked as a Band 1 practitioner of note by Chambers and Partners, where she is highly rated for her "expertise and drive“ and as one who “advises a raft of impressive clients on both direct and indirect taxation mandates. She is particularly noted for her work on behalf of leading multinationals.”
Ms Audrey Azzopardi
Tax Senior Manager, PwC
Audrey is a senior manager within the PwC Malta Tax and Legal line of service. She is an accountant specialising in taxation of corporate and international tax law. She participates in various in-house seminars and lectures and regularly contributes to the firm’s local and global publications.
Dr Christopher Bergedahl
Tax Senior Manager, Deloitte
Christopher is a Senior Manager at Deloitte Malta within the International Tax service line, with a focus on the financial services sector. In 2017 he graduated summa cum laude from the International Tax Center Leiden following which he served as a Teaching Assistant for the Fall Term of the 2017-2018 class. Christopher is warranted to practice in front of the Superior Courts of Malta and is a member of the Malta Institute of Taxation, the Malta Branch of the International Fiscal Association, the Chamber of Advocates and the Malta Institute of Financial Services Practitioners. Furthermore, Christopher is a member of the International Tax Subcommittee of the Malta Institute of Taxation and actively contributes to technical working groups.
Dr Ruth Bonnici
Senior Manager (International Tax Advisory), KPMG
Ruth, a warranted lawyer by profession, read her Advanced Masters in International Taxation at the International Tax Centre, University of Leiden in 2018. Ruth is currently a Senior Manager within the international tax advisory team at KPMG in Malta and regularly delivers classes in various courses relating to international tax.
Dr Gianluca Busuttil
Tax Manager, Deloitte
Gianluca is a manager within the Tax team at Deloitte Malta, specialising in AML/CFT and related areas of regulation. Since joining Deloitte, Gianluca has advised on AML/CFT considerations applicable to circumstances pertaining to potential tax crimes, and on the ML/TF risk exposure of high-profile persons within the Maltese gaming ecosystem.
Mr Mirko Rapa Manche
Partner, PWC
Mirko is a tax partner at PwC Malta and provides tax advice to a wide and varied portfolio of clients. Over the last 20 years has provided tax advice to companies operating in a number of sectors and individuals taking up residence in Malta. Mirko is also involved in risk management matters of the firm and focuses on PMLFT matters.
Mr Saviour Bezzina
Senior Manager (Global Compl&Reporting), EY
Mr Saviour Bezzina is a Senior Manager responsible for indirect tax matters at the EY Malta office and forms part of EY’s Global Indirect Tax Network as a local knowledge contact. He is a member of the Malta Institute of Accountants, holds a Diploma in VAT compliance and lectures regularly on VAT and indirect tax matters.
Mr Mirko Gulic
Senior Manager, PwC
Mirko is a senior manager at PwC and deputy chairperson of the indirect taxation committee of the MIA. Mirko has broad experience in indirect taxation and is involved in various tax advisory services relating to this area. Mirko lectures VAT both in Malta and abroad including in Dubai upon the implementation of VAT in the United Arab Emirates.
Ms Karen Spiteri Bailey
Partner, RSM
Karen Spiteri Bailey is the Partner heading Accounting outsourcing services, Payroll outsourcing services and VAT advisory services. She has extensive experience in servicing local and international clients across a wide range of industry sectors including trade federations, chambers and associations. She also has considerable experience in dealing with Value Added Tax and Taxation matters and in recent years continued to focus on Value Added Tax as an integral part of her responsibilities within the firm. Karen also provides regular training on VAT and payroll matters both within the firm and externally to other practitioners.
Karen sits on the Indirect Tax Committee of the Malta Institute of Accountants and the Education Committee of the IFSP.
Mr Joseph Caruana
Commissioner for Revenue
Mr Joseph Caruana is a career public officer starting his career in 1977 as a clerk. He progressed through the ranks and in 2008 headed the EU Paying Agency. From 2011, he also acted as Director General for Fisheries. As from 2013 he was appointed Permanent Secretary and served in different Ministries wherein he was responsible for the implementation of various strategies, polices and projects. Mr Caruana was appointed Commissioner for Revenue on 1st February 2022.
EVENT CPE COMPETENCES
6.25 Core Competences.
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