According to the most recent Flash Eurobarometer on taxation by the European Commission, nearly half of Maltese people would preserve taxes and public services, making Malta among the most staunch proponents of the current state of affairs in the EU.
Conducted in all 27 EU member states, the April poll showed 46% of Maltese favor keeping current tax rates and expenditure levels—well above the EU average of 26% and only behind Luxembourg’s 47%.At 43% follows Denmark.
This inclination obtains in spite of a recent middle-income tax reduction implemented in January. Compared with an EU average of 39%, just 31% of Maltese think taxes are too excessive and should be lowered even at the expense of public services. Only 19% support more taxes for better services, far below the 27% EU average.
Superior tax expertise
Fifteen percent of Maltese classify their tax knowledge as “very good” and 47% as “good” or “very good,” compared to an EU average of 35%.Asked which taxes should be reduced, 56% selected income tax and 34% selected capital gains tax—the highest rate in the bloc.
Should taxes need to go up, 25% would choose inheritance taxes, well above the EU average of 17%. Support for higher VAT—18%—and housing taxes—12%—is weak.
Fairness perspectives
Most Maltese view the tax system as fair: 54% believe taxes are proportional to income “to some extent,” while 31% say “to a large extent”—far over the 23% EU average. Just 13% believe tax rates do not accurately reflect income disparities.
Challenges and adherence
Though 24% do not file at all, among the highest in Europe, only 45% find filing tax returns easy, below the EU average of 49%. With 17% of Maltese, the greatest percentage in the bloc, VAT is regarded as the most difficult tax to manage.
Taxes on riches and the environment
Second only to Greece, strong support exists for a minimum wealth tax on the richest 0.001% (67%) and for a worldwide minimum corporate tax (83%). 71% of people favor taxing hazardous goods, while 54% support more taxation on single-use goods on environmental policy. Malta’s dependence on aircraft probably explains why taxing air travel has little support (48%).
Priorities for all of the EU
Tackling avoidance and evasion is given top priority by 53% of Maltese for EU-wide tax policy, somewhat above the average. With 30% of respondents opting for tax incentives for a green economy, Malta also leads in prioritizing these.
