For all the innovation the digital age has brought to the accounting industry, it has also become something of a double-edged sword. Yes, digitisation has delivered greater transparency and accountability. But it has also raised the bar dramatically. Every figure must be correct, every record precise, every submission spotless.

That level of scrutiny is healthy for business integrity but has placed enormous pressure on financial controllers and accountancy firms. And for firms managing dozens, even hundreds, of clients, staying on top of it all has become a mounting challenge.

Thankfully, a Maltese-developed solution has been quietly reshaping the landscape. Named generate.TAX, this innovative tax-compliance suite was built by a small team of experienced accountants working hand in hand with software engineers. The result is not a mere add-on or optional extra, but a crucial tool that has genuinely transformed how local firms manage their accounting workload.

“As an accountant who has been in this business for a couple of decades, you understand that the industry is built on certain legacy systems and long-standing ways of working,” says Brian Ferris, one of the co-founders of generate.TAX. “As such, it’s simply not realistic for most firms to overhaul these systems from scratch, unless they’re brand new and starting with a clean slate. So, when we look for new technology, they need solutions that fit into what they already use and genuinely improve efficiency, not tools that add more complexity.”

In fact, generate.TAX slots seamlessly with platforms like Xero, QuickBooks, and Cin7, avoiding the usual migration headaches. Firms can keep working as they always have, but with far more power under the hood. For example, the suite’s VAT Return generator automatically pulls in data from the cloud accounting software, to  produce fully formatted VAT returns in minutes.

The real-time VAT Number Checker links directly to the EU VIES database, and a Recapitulative Statement tool for cross-border reporting. And to top it off, generate.TAX also maintains a full workflow and audit trail, showing who prepared, reviewed, submitted, and when. Everything is stored in one place, making future audits not only manageable but refreshingly transparent.

In fact, generate.TAX slots seamlessly with platforms like Xero, QuickBooks, and Cin7, avoiding the usual migration headaches. Firms can keep working as they always have, but with far more power under the hood. For example, the suite’s VAT Return generator automatically pulls in data from the cloud accounting software, to  produce fully formatted VAT returns in minutes.

The real-time VAT Number Checker links directly to the EU VIES database, and a Recapitulative Statement tool for cross-border reporting. And to top it off, generate.TAX also maintains a full workflow and audit trail, showing who prepared, reviewed, submitted, and when. Everything is stored in one place, making future audits not only manageable but refreshingly transparent.

However, perhaps the most significant innovation behind generate.TAX is its localisation focus. While most international platforms are designed for broad, generic VAT regimes, this suite was built around Malta’s specific complexities. As Mr Ferris explains, “The standard international accounting platforms were never really designed with our jurisdiction in mind. So we had to build a solution that is automatically compliant to local VAT rules, which would be a real gamechanger. ”

By pulling data directly from cloud accounting platforms and mapping them to the correct Maltese VAT categories, the software mirrors the exact structure required for local submissions. This alone eases an enormous burden, especially in a country where VAT rules, quarterly requirements, and intra-EU reporting can quickly become a maze. “Tasks that used to take days are now completed in minutes, with every value neatly copied into Malta’s VAT submission interface,” Mr Ferris adds.

For Neville Micallef, one of the co-founders of generate.TAX, the widespread adoption of this platform  has been incredibly rewarding. “Even though we knew the product was innovative, it’s still astonishing to see how much it’s transformed the local landscape. The feedback we get from clients has been fantastic and pushes us to keep innovating and adding more functionality to ease the burdens of these processes with greater efficiency.”

The traction is certainly speaking for itself. In just the last few months, generate.TAX already serves hundreds of clients in Malta, including leading firms, and produces several thousands of VAT returns every quarter. In many cases, firms report a process that takes up to 50 times faster than manual preparation, while providing more reliable data.

And after making such a strong impact in the local market, the solution is now gaining momentum overseas. Mr Micallef explains: “The feedback we received locally gave us the confidence that we had something truly innovative on our hands. Since then, we’ve expanded our efforts and now support five other countries, including Cyprus, Ireland, the UAE, the Isle of Man, and the Netherlands, with others in the EMEA to be included shortly. It’s thrilling to see our Malta-made product making waves internationally.”

Mr Micallef notes that accountants abroad are often surprised and impressed by just how deeply generate.TAX adapts to local rules. “We’re extremely proud to fill a gap for localised solutions in so many places. When we speak with accountants overseas, they’re always struck by how precisely we tailor the platform to their specific compliance requirements.”

Over and above the client approval, the solution is also earning recognition from some of the biggest names in the industry. Xero recently listed generate.TAX as the most-used app on its storefront, a clear sign of how essential it has become in the modern accounting workflow. And the momentum keeps building. While the platform already integrates smoothly with Xero and QuickBooks, the team will shortly include support for Zoho Books and will also introduce an option to upload transactions from other systems and from Excel  Each new integration reinforces that same mission to blend effortlessly into existing workflows rather than forcing firms to change how they work.

As Mr Micallef explains, the long-term vision is to create a true “one-stop shop” for complex VAT challenges, including reporting and partial attribution, particularly valuable for companies that cannot claim full VAT refunds.

What’s perhaps most telling about generate.TAX’s impact is how quickly it has become indispensable to the accountants who use it. So as generate.TAX continues to evolve, expand into new countries, and deepen its integrations, Mr Micallef sums it up simply: “We’re proud to be a Made in Malta product, and our goal is to keep shaping how accounting is done locally and globally.”