Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1547329
ELIGIBLE workers will receive a tax-free super bonus of up to €1,000 by the end of March 2027, with payments calculat- ed according to their income in 2025. The measure will apply to self-employed individuals, pen- sioners who continue working, and part-time employees. During the last general elec- tion, the Labour Party pledged to introduce the €1,000 super bonus, a measure estimated to cost the public purse around €200 million annually. The measure has been the subject of speculation in recent months, amid uncertainty over whether it would be included in COLA €6.41 PER WEEK €10 BUDGET SHORTS 2 maltatoday | TUESDAY • 27 OCTOBER 2026 BUDGET 2027 Some of the key measures in Budget 2027 CARERS' GRANT Increase to €7,500 per year. SUPER BONUS €1,000 non-taxable bonus will be paid out to every worker, including self- employed, working pensioners and part- timers, who earned €12,000 or more. Those earning less will receive a pro-rata bonus with the minimum being €500. PER WEEK INCREASE including COLA €1,000 €1,000 super your hands MINIMUM WAGE: €10.41 PER WEEK INCREASE including COLA PENSIONERS Bonus for elderly who have no pension: €333 increase that will see bonus range from €933 to €1,383. PARENT TAX CUT Taxpayers with children will benefit from the second consecutive tax cut in January 2027. The measure forms part of a three- year reduction in the parent tax, the first of which was delivered in 2026 and the last of which will be delivered in 2028. The progressive adjustment of tax brackets will provide significant savings for families with children and is worth €160 million over three years. ADOPTION GRANT: €1,000 increase to €13,000. DISABILITY THERAPY: Therapy will be free for children and teenagers under 18. ELDERLY CARER AT HOME GRANT: 800 increase to €9,800 per year. COMPANY TAX: Companies with a turnover that does not surpass €1 million will see their top tax rate cut to 25% from 35%. ECOTAX INCREASES: Tourists staying in a hotel will pay €8 per person per night environment tax, capped at €64; tourists residing in a short-let accommodation will pay €10 per person per night, capped at €80; tourists on a cruise liner setting foot in Malta will pay €10. FAST FERRY Tourists will pay €3 more on the standard fare. EVA BRANNON ebrannon@mediatoday.com.mt The measure will apply to self-employed individuals, THE government expects to col- lect around €182 million through a sharp increase in the environmen- tal contribution paid by tourists, alongside higher charges for cruise passengers and non-residents using maritime transport, as Malta seeks to make the tourism industry con- tribute more towards infrastructure and public services. According to the budget estimates the projected income from this measure will shoot up from €21 mil- lion in 2025 to an astronomic €214 million an increase of €193 million. In his speech the minister referred to a projected revenue of €182 mil- lion from the latest revisions of ac- commodation tax. This suggests that the windfall from the tourist boom is vital in sustaining Labour's expansive spending, particularly on income supplements like the super bonus and the outlay on fuel sub- sidies which benefits the industry directly. In fact, projected revenue from the accommodation eco-contribution comes close to the estimated €200 million annual cost of Labour's Su- perbonus scheme, as costed in the party's manifesto. The scheme, a key electoral pledge, is also being implemented through this budget. From 1 January, the eco-contribu- Tourist tax hikes expected to raise €214 million, covering Labour's superbonus JAMES DEBONO jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt