CLA Malta

CLA Malta brings audit, accounting, tax, legal, corporate and relocation work under one roof, which makes it a natural first call for anyone setting up a company on the island, moving here from the UK or running a business that already trades across borders. The firm has half a century of experience behind it and operates from The Core on Valley Road in Msida, a short drive from Valletta and the harbour towns of Gżira and Sliema.

Until September 2024 the practice traded as CSA Group, and it now carries the CLA name as a member of CLA Global, the international network set up by CliftonLarsonAllen LLP and S&W. That network spans more than 200 locations and over 14,000 professionals, so a client in Msida has a route to advisers in other jurisdictions when a structure or a move involves more than one country. On VisitMalta.co.uk the firm appears in our directories of accountants in Malta, corporate services and financial advisers.

A firm built around its people

The working philosophy at CLA Malta is summed up in two words that appear across its material: built differently. In practice that means a people-first culture, a collaborative team drawn from different disciplines and backgrounds, and advice shaped around each client rather than a fixed package. The core values are flexibility, engagement and dedication, and the stated vision is to combine bold ideas in financial services with a personal touch.

Three partners lead the firm: Joseph Gauci, Charles Scerri and Bernard Charles Gauci. Beside them sits a senior team that includes Kristine Attard, Director of Tax and Global Mobility; Chris Borg, Director of Private Clients and Strategic Growth; Norbert Bugeja and Brian Farrugia, both Directors of Audit and Assurance; and Shania Buttigieg and Lara Ouichni, Directors of Client Accounting. Dr Dennis Mark Gauci is the partner for business development and markets, and dedicated heads cover people and culture, brand and communications, AML and compliance, finance and technology.

If you want an introduction to the firm before you write, our featured partner page for CLA Malta sets out the main services and how to get in touch through us.

Audit, accounting and tax

Audit and assurance is a core part of the practice. The team carries out statutory and internal audits, reviews financial statements, assesses risk and internal controls, and handles regulatory and compliance audits for growing companies, regulated entities and multinational groups. The emphasis is on audits that explain what the figures mean for the business, not just whether they balance.

The accounting department looks after day-to-day bookkeeping, VAT returns, management accounts and performance reporting, and full oversight of statutory financial statements under Maltese rules. It can also review and tighten a company's internal accounting procedures, which is useful for owners who have outgrown a spreadsheet and a part-time bookkeeper.

On tax, CLA Malta covers corporate income tax filings and ongoing compliance, fiscal units and group structures, tax efficiency reviews, and due diligence and structuring for mergers and acquisitions. Its advisory and transactions work deals with intra-group transfers, the transfer of a business or immovable property, capital gains tax and stamp duty, DAC 6 reporting and double taxation relief. UK readers weighing up a move will find useful background in our guide to Malta tax for UK nationals and our explainer on how Malta's corporate tax structure works.

Setting up and running a company in Malta

For founders and investors, the corporate team handles company formation from the first name check to registration. That covers choosing a name and confirming it is free, preparing and filing the incorporation documents, advising on shareholdings and directorships, and liaising with the Malta Business Registry so the process runs quickly. Ready-made companies are available for clients who need an entity straight away, and name changes can be arranged later.

Once a company is trading, CLA Malta CSP Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary licensed by the Malta Financial Services Authority, provides the regulated corporate services: forming companies and other legal entities, acting as or arranging company directors and secretaries, and supplying a registered office or business correspondence address. Fiduciary, secretarial, payroll and employee administration services sit alongside them.

The advisory department works with start-ups and established businesses on access to local and EU funding, business planning and forecasting, procurement and tenders, valuations, corporate finance and restructuring, ESG implementation and digital transformation. It also guides start-ups through grant applications, from non-repayable innovation and research grants to tax credits and support for recruitment, training and exports. Readers comparing jurisdictions can see how the sector fits together in our overview of financial services in Malta.

Residence, relocation and global mobility

For individuals and families thinking about a move, the global mobility team advises on the Malta Permanent Residence Programme, the Global Residence Programme and the Nomad Residence Permit, and it also covers citizenship, retirement residence, work permits and the tax programmes that go with them. It manages the documents and applications from start to finish and checks that each move lines up with local regulations and the available tax benefits.

Companies relocating staff get the same joined-up approach: work permits, employee relocation and company set-up handled together, so a business can move a team to Malta without juggling several advisers. Remote workers will find practical context in our guide to living in Malta as a digital nomad, and anyone planning a permanent move can start with our UK guide to relocating to Malta.

The firm takes this work abroad as well. In September 2026 the team held private meetings in New York for advisers, individuals, families and businesses interested in Malta residence, cross-border tax planning and European expansion, and it attended the Monaco Yacht Show the same month.

Legal, maritime and private clients

The legal team handles statutory compliance, contract advice, licensing, and insolvency and liquidations, as well as corporate law, data privacy compliance and the protection of intellectual property. Its approach is commercial: legal advice is treated as a way to protect what a client has built and to support confident decisions.

Maritime work is a specialism. Malta runs one of the most respected flags in shipping and yachting, and the firm forms and administers merchant shipping and ship management companies, registers commercial vessels and pleasure yachts under the Maltese flag, assists with vessel sales and purchases, drafts seafarer employment agreements, and advises on bareboat charter registration, ship finance and the tax incentives for highly qualified maritime professionals.

Private clients have their own department covering family offices, trusts, wealth management and preservation, tax planning and compliance, philanthropy, legal advisory and lifestyle and concierge support. The aim is to simplify complicated personal and family affairs and give clear, practical answers.

Technology, industries and community work

A technology department helps organisations strengthen their digital infrastructure and meet a growing list of regulatory duties. Services include IT audits, MFSA IT audit compliance, DORA compliance and gap assessments, NIS2 gap assessments, ISO 27001 information security management, penetration testing, ESEF reporting, cybersecurity training and a virtual chief information security officer service.

Across all departments the firm works with clients in agriculture, consumer markets including retail and hospitality, finance, government and the public sector, healthcare and life sciences, manufacturing, real estate and construction, technology and media, and transport including maritime, aviation and logistics. Newer areas of focus include sustainability and green technology, digital health and artificial intelligence.

Community work is part of the culture. Recent projects include supporting the QLZH Foundation's annual ocean bed clean-up at the Birgu waterfront, volunteering at the soup kitchen in Valletta, two visits to the Nature Trust Malta wildlife rehabilitation centre at Xrobb l-Għaġin, tree planting, blood donation drives and continued support for Puttinu Cares. Visitors heading for the capital can read our Valletta guide for the city itself.

Contacting CLA Malta

CLA Malta's headquarters is The Core on Valley Road in Msida, with a second office at the Agora Business Centre nearby. Msida sits at the head of a marina inlet between Valletta and Gżira, so clients flying in for a meeting can stay in one of the hotels in Sliema and Gżira a few minutes away.

The firm scopes every engagement individually and does not publish fees, so the best first step is a short note explaining what you need: an audit, help with VAT, a new company, a residence application, a yacht registration or something else. Use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and we will pass your message straight to the CLA Malta team, who will reply to you directly.