Dr Jonathan De Giovanni

WDM International is a full service Maltese firm which was founded in 1994. Truly entrepreneurial in character and form, the firm offers a multidisciplinary service to local and international clients ranging from tax and legal consultancy to audit, business advisory and back office services. Our aim is to continue growing, not only organically, but even by attracting new clients who could benefit from our approach.

The firm prides itself of a wide client portfolio spread over a broad range of industries from financial services operators to entrepreneurs and high net worth individuals. Through WDM Lex Advisory, the firm’s legal services arm, the firm is at the forefront in offering consultancy in the following lines of expertise:
• international and local tax advice geared towards tax efficient business planning;
• private clients, high net worth individuals and family office structuring;
• setting up of financial services operations such as funds, forex companies, credit and financial institutions;
• setting up of iGaming operations and consultancy to land based operations;
• registration of aircraft;
• registration of yachts and commercial vessels.

WDM Lex Advisory has also been approved as an accredited person by Identity Malta, the Agency responsible for Malta’s Citizenship by Investment Programme (IIP). This enables the firm to introduce applicants to the programme who would in turn benefit from Maltese citizenship by naturalisation through a three tier investment process.

Through WDM Trustees, our firm is also licensed by the Malta Financial Services Authority to act as a trustee or co-trustee and as an administrator in the context of private foundations, in terms of the Trusts and Trustees Act.

 

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Dr. De Giovanni was a past member of the Tax committee and held the position in 2014.

Dr. Jonathan De Giovanni is a Partner at WDM International, a multidisciplinary legal, tax and advisory firm based in Malta (Europe). He is the Partner responsible for WDM Lex Advisory, the firm’s Legal and International Tax Practice. He is also a Director of WDM Trustees Limited, which is licensed by the Malta Financial Services Authority to act as a professional trustee or co-trustee.

Jonathan graduated as Doctor of Laws in 2009 from the University of Malta defending a thesis entitled ‘Domestic and Treaty based Anti-Abuse Provisions to Combat Tax Treaty Abuse: An Analysis’, while contemporaneously reading for a Master of Arts in Financial Services at the University of Malta. He successfully completed his master’s degree in 2011 with the same University, graduating magna cum laude after submitting a thesis regarding the international taxation of investment funds including an analysis of the UCITS IV Directive and tax implications related thereto.

Jonathan provides legal advice to financial services operators, wishing to operate, establish or passport their rights to Malta particularly focused on funds and investment services. To this end he assists clients through the entire licensing process and with the drafting of pertinent documentation in relation thereto. He also provides direct and international corporate tax advice to a vast array of clients involved in complex cross border operations. Jonathan has also been actively involved in the provision of advice pertinent to structures involving trusts and foundations.

He also lectures the Advanced Taxation Module (P6) to students reading for the ACCA qualification and Principles of International Taxation to students pursuing their Advanced Diploma in International Taxation (ADIT) qualification. Jonathan also lectures at the University of Malta in the field of aviation law.

Jonathan is a Council member of the Malta Institute of Taxation, a member of the Tax and Unregulated Business Sub-committee of the Malta Institute of Financial Services Practitioners (IFSP), a member of the International Fiscal Association (IFA) and a member of the Malta Institute of Management (MIM).

 

Main Practice Areas: 
• International & Maltese Tax
• Private Clients & High Net worth Individuals
• Aviation Law

Other areas:
• Financial Services Law
• Funds
• Corporate law
• Investment Services

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