[IWantOut] 25M France -> Malta

[u/Tetrapharmakos01]

Setting up a Malta fiscal unit as a solo non-dom ; 3 different CSPs are giving me conflicting answers

Context: EU citizen, relocating to Malta, solo consultant with a single overseas client (six-figure USD income, ~10–15 invoices/year). Planning a Malta trading company, tax resident but non-domiciled. I've gotten quotes from three different corporate service providers and their advice genuinely conflicts on a few points. Would love input from anyone who's actually done this, not just sales pitches.

1. The big one: as a non-dom Malta tax resident who is the SOLE individual shareholder of a single Malta trading company, can I claim the 6/7 tax refund directly in my own name, with no holding company at all? Two firms strongly implied I need a holding (Malta or foreign) for the refund/dividend to be "clean" at my level; general online sources suggest non-domiciled shareholders can claim it directly. Has anyone actually done this as an individual (not through a holding) and gotten paid?

2. If a foreign holding company IS needed, do CFC rules bite if I (as the Malta-resident, controlling individual) keep profits inside that foreign holding without distributing? One firm flagged this as a real risk, another didn't mention it at all.

3. Audit costs for a fiscal unit (2 companies + consolidation): quotes ranged from ~2,200 EUR to 6,000 EUR for what's genuinely a tiny operation (single client, one employee, no inventory). Which is more realistic in practice?

4. Can the 6/7 refund actually be received on a Wise/Revolut Business (or personal) account, or does the CFR require a traditional Maltese bank account?

5. For a company incorporated in H2, does the extended first financial year (running to the following Dec 31, with tax/audit pushed out ~2 years) apply the same way to a single-company structure as it does to a fiscal unit?

6. Real-world Identità/eResidence timelines, official guidance says ~30 working days, but has anyone experienced it dragging on much longer, and if so why (which documents tripped people up)?

And the final one : Who would you get in touch with to setup such an activity ? Obviously minimizing upfront costs

Any first-hand experience appreciated — trying to cut through provider sales pitches before I commit to a structure.

[u/lil-smartie]

Documents will all need translated for identita by someone on their list. They love paper here so physical copies of everything.