CTL Strategies ranked in Chambers Global Guide 2024
CTL Strategies has been ranked in the Chambers Global Guide 2024, published by Chambers and Partners.
The new edition of the Global Guide highlighted CTL for its considerable market respect in tax matters, and demonstrating strength in litigation and corporate services. Among responses received from interviewees, Chamber and Partners quoted that the firm is “able to handle complex matters and provide unbiased legal advice.”
Chambers and Partners is an independent research firm that operates in 200 jurisdictions and is commonly referred to as the “gold standard” in the legal profession. Chambers and Partners publishes rankings and information on the world’s top lawyers and law firms. In-depth interviews with lawyers, in-house counsel for clients, and independent experts were used to compile the rankings.
Regulation on the Advertising of Establishments that Provide Services to Tourists in the Maldives
On 4 August 2025, the Ministry of Tourism and Environment (the “Ministry”) gazetted the Regulation on the Advertising of Establishments that Provide Services to Tourists in the Maldives (the “Regulation”). The Regulation came into force on the date on which it was gazetted.
The Regulation has been enacted to expand on the new advertising rules provided under Section 45-3 of the Maldives Tourism Act1 (the “Act”) introduced to the Act by the 15th Amendment to the Maldives Tourism Act2.
The key provisions of the Regulation have been summarised below.
Applicability and scope
The Regulation applies to all establishments that operate under a license or permit issued by the Ministry (and any such establishments that are being developed), as well as centres that provide sea or water sports services and excursion services.
The Regulation stipulates the rules applicable to activities carried out to directly or indirectly promote the services provided by a tourist establishment:
Licensing requirement
As a general rule, tourist establishments can be advertised only after they have been licensed with the Ministry.
However, a tourist establishment under development can be advertised before it is licensed with the permission of the Ministry. Application forms for the Ministry’s permission can be submitted on a portal to be designated by the Ministry. The designated portal will list the supporting documents required for such an application.
General standards
The Regulation stipulates the following general standards applicable to the advertising of tourist establishments:
Digital advertising
The following additional standards are applicable to the digital advertising of tourist establishments:
Use of establishment name
An establishment may only use its name in advertisements after the name has been registered, and in line with the following rules:
Administrative actions and fines
Licensed tourist establishments and tourist establishments under development will be subject to the following administrative actions and fines in the event of a breach of the Regulation.
MIRA Publishes Second Amendment to the Instalment Policy
On 25 March 2025, the Maldives Inland Revenue Aut00hority (“MIRA”) published the 2nd Amendment to the Instalment Policy 1 (the “Amendment”), introducing significant changes to the criteria and conditions for granting instalment plans to delinquent taxpayers. The amendment particularly focuses on refining the conditions for multiple or concurrent instalment agreements and establishes stricter conditions for instalment plans related to tax liabilities arising from investigations.
The key changes introduced via the Amendment are summarised below.
Limitation on simultaneous agreements
Under the new Amendment, taxpayers are now restricted to a single instalment agreement at a time for each tax type, a reduction from the previous allowance of two concurrent agreements. However, the Commissioner General retains the discretion to permit multiple instalment plans for taxpayers who have demonstrated a history of compliance by consistently making regular payments under instalment agreements. In exercising this discretion, the Commissioner General will take into account the time and specific circumstances.
Eligibility criteria
MIRA has repealed the condition that previously prevented taxpayers from requesting instalment plans for amounts previously subject to such arrangements.
Submission process
The amended policy now mandates MIRA 905 Form (Request for Installment Plan) to be submitted either through the MIRA website or MIRA Connect.
Commitment payment deadline
Prior to the Amendment, the policy granted a fixed 10-day period within which the required commitment payment must be made in order to qualify for an instalment plan. However, the Amendment has revised this provision. While still retaining the 10-day maximum timeframe, the amended policy now grants MIRA the discretion to specify even shorter deadlines for the commitment payment.
Requesting for instalment in relation to Investigation related assessed tax:
The Amendment has introduced a new provision in relation to making payments under an instalment plan for amounts assessed after an investigation. The new provision requires taxpayers to pay twice the standard commitment payment amount within half the usual specified period if the instalment is in relation to an amount assessed after an investigation.
Multiple instalment plans
The Amendment introduces a new provision on granting multiple instalments. If a taxpayer wishes to include a defaulted amount, for which an instalment plan had been previously granted but not fully paid, as part of a new instalment agreement for the same tax account, the taxpayer will be required to pay an additional 50% of that defaulted amount, on top of the regular commitment payment. Furthermore, this percentage requirement increases for each subsequent reinstatement of the same defaulted amount across multiple instalment plans.
These changes are expected to encourage more responsible payment practices while providing options for those facing financial difficulties.
Effective Date
The 2nd Amendment to the Instalment Policy came into effect on 25 March 2025.