There were several important legislative changes which were published over the course of March 2026. Below is an overview of the key updates across different areas.
On the 3rd of March 2026, the Tax Rebate (Pensioners) (Amendment) Rules, 2026 were published. The changes include a new rule 4 granting eligible pensioners a tax rebate from the 2027 year of assessment onwards. The rebate applies to individuals benefiting from the existing exemption and taxed under the standard rates and is set off against their tax liability. Further to this, the Pensions (Tax Exemption) (Amendment) Rules, 2026 were published, whereby the tax-exempt threshold was increased from €16,636 to €37,104. A new rule also establishes that the rebate is calculated as 15% of chargeable income exceeding €15,000, capped at €540. The rebate cannot result in a refund, be carried forward, or take into account any negative amount.
On the 12th of March 2026, the Companies Act (Youth Enterprise) Regulations, 2026 were published. The aim of these regulations is to bridge the “entrepreneurial gap” for individuals aged sixteen and seventeen who have completed compulsory education but are currently legally restricted from incorporating businesses and to grant minors the legal capacity to act as representatives of their enterprise while maintaining rigorous oversight.
The Various Laws relating to the Establishment and Jurisdiction of the Commercial Court (Amendment) Act, 2026, published on the 17th of March 2026, marks the return of a dedicated Commercial Court in Malta, a judicial forum that had previously existed and was subsequently absorbed into the general civil court structure. Further details on this can be found on our recently published article here. Additionally, on the 27th March 2026, the Credit Review Office Act, 2026 was published, to set-up the Credit Review Office and to provide for any matter ancillary and consequential thereto. More information on this is available in our article here.
In addition to the bill mentioned in our previous legal update for February 2026, two bills are currently in progress, both at first reading stage. The Employment and Industrial Relations (Amendment) Bill (Bill No. 166 of 2026) aims to enshrine the right of employees, employers and prospective employees to a work environment free from violence and harassment, as envisaged by the Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019 No 190 (C190) of the International Labour Organisation. The Malta Financial Services Authority (Amendment) Bill (Bill No. 168 of 2026) introduces structural reforms of the Malta Financial Services Authority (“MFSA”), including revised committee functions, the establishment of the Regulatory Decisions Committee and the Capital Markets Decisions Committee, and the reform of the Enforcement Decisions Committee and the Enforcement Directorate. This bill aims to strengthen the independence and autonomy of the MFSA, to provide for additional regulatory powers.
At a European level, on the 6th of March 2026, the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Taxation and Customs Union published an announcement addressed to importers of CBAM goods. Importers will have to buy CBAM certificates from February 2027 to cover their 2026 imports. Unlike from 2027 where the Commission will calculate a weekly price, for each quarter in 2026, the price of CBAM certificates will be calculated as the quarterly average of the EU ETS auction clearing prices of allowances. This will provide a fair and transparent carbon price aligned with the EU carbon market. The price of a quarter will be calculated during the first calendar week of the following quarter and published on the first working day of the calendar week following the calculation week.
On the 10th of March 2026, the European Parliament approved the long‑awaited directive aimed at harmonising targeted areas of insolvency law across EU Member States. The objective of this directive is to contribute to the proper functioning of the internal market and the Capital Markets Union, and to remove obstacles to the exercise of fundamental freedoms, such as the free movement of capital and the freedom of establishment, which result from differences between national laws in the area of insolvency.
In the financial regulation sphere, the European Securities and Markets Authority (“ESMA”) has published its first risk monitoring report of 2026, outlining the key risks and vulnerabilities in EU financial markets. ESMA finds that risks of market and systemic stress remain high despite resilient market performance in the second half of 2025. The risk assessment for the second half of 2025 had been completed well before the current shocks to the global economy from the war in the Middle East commenced in late February 2026.
On the 2nd of March 2026, the Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit (“FIAU”) highlighted that he European Union’s AML/CFT landscape is undergoing one of its most significant transformations in decades. At the centre of this change is the establishment of the Authority for Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AMLA), a new EU agency designed to enhance supervisory consistency, support Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs), and strengthen the Union’s collective resilience against financial crime. AMLA’s creation follows years of legislative work, political negotiation, and a recognition that fragmented national approaches alone cannot adequately respond to increasingly complex, cross border financial crime risks.
On the 13th of March 2026, the FIAU announced that the Financial Action Task Force (‘FATF’) published a new report entitled, ‘Understanding and Mitigating the Risks of Offshore Virtual Asset Service Providers’. This report highlights how weaknesses in the oversight of offshore Virtual Asset Service Providers (‘oVASPs’) are exploited to enable large-scale fraud, money laundering, and terrorism financing. Furthermore, it explores best practices for detecting, licensing or registering, supervising, and sanctioning non-compliant oVASPs.
On the 12th February 2026, the Malta Gaming Authority published its Supervisory Engagement Efforts for 2026, outlining the areas that will shape its regulatory oversight of the online gaming sector in the year ahead.
In relation to taxation, on the 12th of March 2026, the Malta Tax and Customs Authority (“MTCA”) notified that Version 1.1 of the Guidance Note has been issued in view of the fact that constituent entities located in Malta are also exempted from the notification obligation referred to in regulation 5(4) by virtue of L.N. 48 of 2026. On the 24th of March 2026, the MTCA issued a notice to economic operators on the integration of Common Health Entry Documents (CHEDs) with the Customs Import System via the EU Single Window Environment for Customs (EU CSW-CERTEX). On another note, on the 27th March 2026 MTCA notified that in accordance with the Final Income Tax Without Imputation Regulations, an election under these Regulations is to be made by the taxpayer through the income tax return, by completing the relevant questions therein. Once an election is made in accordance with these Regulations, it is binding on the taxpayer for a period of five (5) consecutive Years of Assessment.
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