On 11 June, 2024, the Dutch House of Representatives approved the pending income tax treaty between Curacao and Malta.
Member of Parliament and Curacaoan Minister for Foreign Affairs Bruins Slot, along with Curacaoan Secretary of State for Fiscal Affairs Van Rij, emphasised that Curacao, as an autonomous nation, should independently decide its participation in the agreement.
As a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Curacao can negotiate bilateral tax agreements under certain conditions. However, the Dutch parliament has the authority to ratify these treaties.
The approval of the Curacao-Malta tax treaty has been receiving scepticism from Dutch parliamentarians and Giselle McWilliam, the leader of the Movementu Alsa Nashon (MAN) party and a member of the Parliament of Curacao. McWilliam. McWilliam has expressed concerns about whether Malta has implemented adequate measures against money laundering and the impact it can have on Malta’s online gambling sector.
The Curacao-Malta was originally signed on 18 November, 2015 and a first between the two nations. It will take effect on the first day of the first month after the exchange of ratification instruments, and its provisions will apply starting January 1 of the year following its enforcement.
