Since its inception, Zampa Debattista has stood for excellence and specialisation, core values embodied and carried forward by its founders.

Partner and co-founder Matthew Zampa is one of 58 European VAT specialists to successfully complete the Expert in EU VAT degree. This coveted degree is administered and awarded by the VAT Forum, an international partnership of indirect tax specialists, founded in 1999. The recipients of this degree are experienced VAT professionals who are able to meet the demands and challenges of such a course.

Mr Zampa made the bold move to start this degree in 2014, coinciding with the inception of Zampa Debattista. His resilience and belief in the importance of specialisation and continued development were his driving force: “Personally I always wanted to continue developing and improving my specialisation since in today’s tax climate the complexities have increased; and if we don’t keep ourselves on the ball, we will lose ground.”

The course covered in-depth technical training and took place in Belgium and Spain. It focused primarily on the VAT Directive and pertinent regulations, as well as on ECJ cases and their applications in various EU Member States. The final requirements were a three-hour exam, which was held in Belgium, and a dissertation in which Mr Zampa discussed the evolution of vouchers within a European VAT context.

This course allowed Mr Zampa to delve into the minutest details of the inner workings of VAT and drastically improve his knowledge of the subject, thus giving him an unparallelled sense of confidence and level of expertise. Following the successful completion of his degree, he was requested to represent Malta as a VAT Forum partner. Being in partnership with VAT Forum puts Zampa Debattista at the forefront of VAT-related matters, since it forms part of a VAT-dedicated international network through which the European VAT treatment of cross-border transactions may be ensured.

The firm’s ultimate goal is to be the pioneer of continued movement towards professional development and specialisation in the financial services field, and Mr Zampa’s success epitomises this.

The VAT team of Zampa Debattista, which is made up of five professionals, is headed by Mr Zampa and Charles Vella, who used to occupy the post of director general of VAT in Malta.