12. Agreement for avoidance of double taxation and
prevention of fiscal evasion with
Whereas the
annexed Convention between the Government of the Republic of India and the
Government of the Kingdom of Denmark for the avoidance of double taxation and
the prevention of fiscal evasion, with respect to taxes on income and on
capital has come into force on the 13th day of June, 1989, on the notification
by both the Contracting States to each other of the completion of the
constitutional requirements, as required by paragraph 1 of Article 30 of the
said Convention;
Now,
therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by section 90 of the Income-tax
Act, 1961 (43 of 1961), section 24A of the Companies (Profits) Surtax Act, 1964
(7 of 1964) and section 44A of the Wealth-tax Act, 1957 (27 of 1957), the
Central Government hereby directs that all the provisions of the said
Convention shall be given effect to in the Union of
Notification : No. GSR
853(E), dated 25-9-1989.
ANNEXURE
CONVENTION BETWEEN THE REPUBLIC OF INDIA AND THE KINGDOM OF DENMARK FOR THE AVOIDANCE OF DOUBLE TAXATION
AND THE PREVENTION OF FISCAL EVASION
WITH RESPECT TO TAxes ON INCOME
AND ON CAPITAL
The Government
of the Republic of India and the Government of the Kingdom of Denmark;
Desiring to
conclude a Convention for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention
of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income and on capital:
Have agreed as
follows :
Article 1 : Personal scope - The Convention shall
apply to persons who are residents of one or both of the Contracting States.
Article 2 : Taxes covered - 1. The taxes to which
this Convention shall apply are:
(a) in India:
(i) the income-tax including any surcharge thereon
imposed under the Income-tax Act, 1961 (43 of 1961);
(ii) the
surtax imposed under the Companies (Profits) Surtax Act, 1964 (7 of 1964);
(iii) the wealth-tax
imposed under the Wealth-tax Act, 1957 (24 of 1957);
(hereinafter referred to as “Indian tax”).
(b) in Denmark:
(i) the income-tax to the State (ind-komotskatten
til staten);
(ii) the
municipal income-tax (den kormmunal indkomstskat);
(iii) the income-tax to the country municipalities
(den amtskommunale lndkomstskat);
(iv) the old age pension contribution (folkepensionsbidreget);
(v) the seamen’s tax (smandsskatten);
(vi) the special income-tax (den saerlige
indkomstskat);
(vii) the church tax (kirkes katten);
(viii) the
tax on dividends (udbytteskatten);
(ix) the contribution to the sickness “per diem”
fund (bidrag til dagpengefonden);
(x) the
hydrocarbon tax (kulbrinteskatten);
(xi) the capital tax to the State (formueskatten
til staten);
(hereinafter referred to as “Danish
tax”).
2. The Convention shall also apply to any identical
or substantially similar taxes which are imposed by either Contracting State
after the date of signature of the present Convention in addition to, or in
place of, the taxes referred to in paragraph 1. The competent authorities of
the Contracting States shall notify in each other of any substantial changes
which are made in their respective taxation laws.
Article 3 : General definitions - 1. In this
Convention, unless the context otherwise requires :
(a) the
term “India” means the territory of India and includes territorial sea and the
air space above it, as well as any other maritime zone in which India has
sovereign rights, other rights and jurisdictions, according to the Indian law
and in accordance with international law.
(b) the
term “Denmark” means the territory of the Kingdom of Denmark and including the
territorial sea of Denmark and the air space above it, as well as any other
maritime area to the extent that that area in accordance with international law
has been or may hereafter be designated under Danish laws as an area within
which Denmark may exercise sovereign rights for the purpose of exploring and
exploiting the natural resources of the sea bed or its Sub-soil and the
superjacent waters and with regard to other activities for the economic
exploitation and exploration of the area; the term does not comprise the Faroe
Islands and Greenland;
(c) the
terms “a Contracting State” and “the other Contracting State” mean India or
Denmark as the context requires;
(d) the
term “tax” means Indian tax or Danish tax, as the contex requires, but shall
not include any amount which is payable in respect of any default or omission
in relation to the taxes to which this Convention applies or which represents a
penalty imposed relating to those taxes;
(e) the term “person” includes an individual, a company and any other
entity which is treated as a taxable unit under the taxation laws in force in
the respective Contracting States;
(f) the term “company” means any body
corporate or any entity which is treated as a company or body corporate under
the taxation laws in force in the respective Contracting States;
(g) the
terms “enterprise of a Contracting State” and “enterprise of the other
Contracting State” mean respectively an enterprise carried on by a resident of
a Contracting State and an enterprise carried on by a resident of the other
Contracting State;
(h) the
term “competent authority” means in the case of India, the Central Government
in the Ministry of Finance, (Department of Revenue) or their authorised
representative; and in the case of Denmark, the Minister for Inland Revenue,
Customs and Excise or his authorised representative;
(i) the
term “national” means any individual possessing the nationality of a
Contracting State and any legal person, partnership or association deriving its
status from the laws in force in a Contracting State;
(j) the term “international traffic” means any
transport by a ship or aircraft operated by an enterprise, of a Contracting
State, except when the ship or aircraft is operated solely between places in
the other Contracting State.
2. As regards the application of the Convention
by a Contracting State, any term not defined therein shall, unless the context
otherwise requires, have the meaning which it has under the law of that State
concerning the taxes to which the Convention applies.
ARTICLE 4 - Resident - 1. For the purposes of
this Convention, the term “resident of a Contracting State” means any person
who, under the laws of that State, is liable to tax therein by reason of his
domicile, residence, place of management or any other criterion of a similar
nature. But this term does not include
any person who is liable to tax in that State in respect only of income from
sources in that State or capital situated therein.
2. Where by reason of the provisions of
paragraph 1 an individual is a resident of both Contracting States, then his
status shall be determined as follows :
(a) he
shall be deemed to be a resident of the State in which he has a permanent home
available to him, if he has a permanent home available to him in both States,
he shall be deemed to be a resident of the State with which his personal and
economic relations are closer (centre of vital interests);
(b) if
the State in which he has his centre of vital interests cannot be determined,
or if he has not a permanent home available to him in either State, he shall be
deemed to be a resident of the State in which he has an habitual abode;
(c) if
he has an habitual abode in both States or in neither of them, he shall be
deemed to be a resident of the State of which he is a national;
(d) if he is a national of both States or of neither
of them, the competent authorities of the Contracting States shall settle the
question by mutual agreement.
3. Where by reason of the provisions of
paragraph 1, a person other than an individual is a resident of both
Contracting States, then it shall be deemed to be a resident of the State in
which its place of effective management is situated.
Article 5 : Permanent establishment - 1. For the
purposes of this Convention, the term “permanent establishment” means a fixed
place of business through which the business of the enterprise is wholly or
partly carried on.
2. The term “permanent establishment” includes
especially :
(a) a
place of management;
(b) a
branch;
(c) an
office;
(d) a
factory;
(e) a
workshop;
(f) a mine, an oil or gas well, a quarry or any
other place of extraction of natural resources;
(g) a
warehouse in relation to a person providing storage facilities for others;
(h) a
farm, plantation or other place where agriculture, forestry, plantation or
related activities are carried on;
(i) a
premises used as a sales outlet or for receiving or soliciting orders;
(j) an installation or structure used for the
exploration of natural resources provided that the activities are carried on
for a period or periods of 183 days or more in any twelve-month period;
(k) a
building site or construction, installation or assembly project or supervisory
activities in connection therewith, where such site, project or activities
(together with other such sites, projects or activities, if any) continue for a
period of 183 days or more.
3. Notwithstanding the preceding provisions of
this Article, the term “permanent establishment” shall be deemed not to include
:
(a) the
use of facilities solely for the purpose of storage or display of goods or
merchandise belonging to the enterprise;
(b) the
maintenance of a stock of goods or merchandise belonging to the enterprise
solely for the purpose of storage or display;
(c) the
maintenance of a stock of goods or merchandise belonging to the enterprise
solely for the purpose of processing by another enterprise;
(d) the
maintenance of a fixed place of business solely for the purpose of purchasing
goods or merchandise, or of collecting information, for the enterprise; and
(e) the
maintenance of a fixed place of business solely for the purpose of advertising;
for the supply of information, for scientific research, or for other activities
which have a preparatory or auxiliary character, for the enterprise.
4. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraphs
1 and 2, where a person other than an agent of an independent status to whom
paragraph 5 applies—is acting in a Contracting State on behalf of an enterprise
of the other Contracting State, that enterprise shall be deemed to have a permanent
establishment in the first-mentioned State, if—
(a) he
has and habitually exercises in that State an authority to conclude contracts
on behalf of the enterprise, unless his activities are limited to the purchase
of goods or merchandise for the enterprise;
(b) he
has no such authority, but habitually maintains in the first-mentioned State a
stock of goods or merchandise from which he regularly delivers goods or
merchandise on behalf of the enterprise; or
(c) he
habitually secures orders in the first-mentioned State wholly or almost wholly
for the enterprise itself or for the enterprise and other enterprises
controlling, controlled by, or subject to the same common control, as that
enterprise.
5. An enterprise of a Contracting State shall
not be deemed to have a permanent establishment in the other Contracting State
merely because it carries on business in that other State through a broker,
general commission agent or any other agent of an independent status, provided
that such persons are acting in the ordinary course of their business. However, when the activities of such an agent
are devoted wholly or almost wholly on behalf of that enterprise itself or on
behalf of that enterprise and other enterprises controlling, controlled by, or
subject to the same common control, as that enterprise, he will not be
considered an agent of an independent status within the meaning of this
paragraph.
6. The fact that a company which is a resident of
a Contracting State controls or is controlled by a company which is a resident
of the other Contracting State, or which carries on business in that other
Contracting State (whether through a permanent establishment or otherwise),
shall not of itself constitute either company a permanent establishment of the
other.
Article 6 : Income from immovable property - 1.
Income derived by a resident of a Contracting State from immovable property
situated in the other Contracting State may be taxed in that other State.
2. The term “immovable property” shall have the meaning
which it has under the law of the Contracting State in which the property in
question is situated. The term shall in any case include property accessory to
immovable property, livestock and equipment used in agriculture and forestry,
rights to which the provisions of general law respecting landed property apply,
usufruct of immovable property and right to variable or fixed payments as
consideration for the working of, or the right to work, mineral deposits,
sources and other natural resources.
Ships, boats and aircraft shall not be regarded as immovable property.
3. The provisions of paragraph 1 shall also
apply to income derived from the direct use, letting, or use in any other form
of immovable property.
4. The provisions of paragraphs 1 and 3 shall
also apply to the income from immovable property of an enterprise and to income
from immovable property used for the performance of independent personal
services.
Article 7 : Business profits - 1. The profits of
an enterprise of a Contracting State shall be taxable only in that State unless
the enterprise carries on business in the other Contracting State through a
permanent establishment situated therein.
If the enterprise carries on business as aforesaid, the profits of the
enterprise may be taxed in the other State but only so much of them as is
attributable to (a) that permanent establishment; (b) sales in
that other State of goods or merchandise of the same or similar kind as these
sold through that permanent establishment; or (c) other business activities
carried on in that other State of the same or similar kind as those effected
through that permanent establishment.
2. Subject to the provisions of paragraph 3,
where an enterprise of a Contracting State carries on business in the other
Contracting State through a permanent establishment situated therein, there
shall in each Contracting State be attributed to that permanent establishment
the profits which it might be expected to make if it were a distinct and
separate enterprise engaged in the same or similar activities under the same or
similar conditions and dealing wholly independently with the enterprise of
which it is a permanent establishment.
In any case where the correct amount of profits attributable to a
permanent establishment is incapable of determination or the determination
thereof presents exceptional difficulties, the profits attributable to the
permanent establishment may be estimated on a reasonable basis.
3. In the determination of the profits of a
permanent establishment, there shall be allowed as deductions expenses which
are incurred for the purposes of the business of the permanent establishment
including executive and general administrative expenses so incurred, whether in
the State in which the permanent establishment is situated or elsewhere, in
accordance with the provisions of and subject to the limitations of the
taxation laws of that State. However, no such deduction shall be allowed in
respect of amounts, if any, paid (otherwise than towards reimbursement of
actual expenses) by the permanent establishment to the head office of the
enterprise or any of its other offices, by way of royalties, fees or other
similar payments in return for the use of patents, know-how or other rights, or
by way of commission or other charges, for specific services performed or for
management, or, except in the case of a banking enterprise, by way of interest
on moneys lent to the permanent establishment.
Likewise, no account shall be taken in the determination of the profits
of a permanent establishment, for amounts charged (otherwise than towards
reimbursement of actual expenses) by the permanent establishment to the head
office of the enterprise or any of its other offices, by way of royalties, fees
or other similar payments in return for the use of patents, know-how or other
rights, or by way of commission or other charges for specific services
performed or for management, or, except in the case of a banking enterprise, by
way of interest on moneys lent to the head office of the enterprise or any of
its other offices.
4. Insofar as it has been customary in a
Contracting State to determine the profits to be attributed to a permanent
establishment on the basis of an apportionment of the total profits of the
enterprise to its various parts, nothing in paragraph 2 shall preclude that
Contracting State from determining the profits to be taxed by such an
apportionment as may be customary; the method of apportionment adopted shall,
however, be such that the result shall be in accordance with the principles
contained in this Article.
5. No profits shall be attributed to a permanent
establishment by reason of the mere purchase by that permanent establishment of
goods or merchandise for the enterprise.
6. For the purpose of the preceding paragraphs,
the profits to be attributed to the permanent establishment shall be determined
by the same method year by year unless there is good and sufficient reason to
the contrary.
7. Where profits
include items of income which are dealt with separately in other Articles of
this Convention, then the provisions of those Articles shall not be affected by
the provisions of this Article.
Article 8 : Air transport - 1. Profits derived by
an enterprise of a Contracting State from the operation of aircraft in
international traffic shall be taxable only in that State.
2. The provisions of paragraph 1 shall also
apply to profits from the participation in a pool, a joint business or an
international operating agency.
3. The provisions of paragraphs 1 and 2 shall
apply to profits derived by the Danish, Norwegian and Swedish air transport
consortium, known as the Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS), but only to such
part of the profit as corresponds to the shareholding in the consortium held by
Det Danske Luftfartsselskab (DDL), the Danish partner of Scandinavian Airlines
System (SAS).
4. For the purposes of this Article, interest on
funds connected with the operation of aircraft in international traffic shall
be regarded as profits derived from the operation of such aircraft, and the provisions
of Article 12 shall not apply in relation to such interest.
5. The term “operation of aircraft” shall mean
business of transportation by air of passengers, mail, livestock or goods
carried on by the owners or lessees or charterers of aircraft, including the
sale of tickets for such transportation on behalf of other enterprises, the
incidental lease of aircraft and any other activity directly connected with
such transportation.
Article 9 : Shipping - 1. Profits derived from
the operation of ships in international traffic shall be taxable only in the
Contracting State in which the place of effective management of the enterprise
is situated.
2. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph
1, such profits may be taxed in the other Contracting State from which they are
derived provided that the tax so charged shall not exceed :
(a) during the first five fiscal years after the entry into force of
this Convention, 50 per cent, and
(b) during the subsequent five fiscal years, 25 per cent,
of the tax
otherwise imposed by the internal law of that State. Subsequently, only the provisions of
paragraph 1 shall be applicable.
3. The provisions of paragraph 1 shall also
apply to profits from the participation in a pool, a joint business or an
international operating agency engaged in the operation of ships.
4. For the purposes of this Article :
(a) interest on funds connected with the operation of ships in
international traffic shall be regarded as income from the operation of such
ships and the provisions of Article 12 shall not apply in relation to such
interest ; and
(b) profits from the operation of ships includes profits derived from
the use, maintenance or rental of containers (including trailers and related
equipment for the transport of containers) in connection with the transport of
goods or merchandise in international traffic.
ARTICLE 10 - Associated enterprises - 1.
Where :
(a) an enterprise of a Contracting State participates directly or
indirectly in the management, control or capital of an enterprise of the other
Contracting State, or
(b) the same persons participate directly or indirectly in the
management, control or capital of an enterprise of a Contracting State and an
enterprise of the other Contracting State,
and in either
case conditions are made or imposed between the two enterprises in their
commercial or financial relations which differ from those which would be made
between independent enterprises, then any profits which would, but for those
conditions, have accrued to one of the enterprises, but, by reason of those
conditions, have not so accrued, may be included in the profits of that
enterprise and taxed accordingly.
2. Where a Contracting State includes in the
profits of an enterprise of that State and taxes accordingly profits on which
an enterprise of the other Contracting State has been charged to tax in that
other State and the profits so included are profits which would have accrued to
the enterprise of the first-mentioned State if the conditions made between the
two enterprises had been those which would have been made between independent
enterprises, then that other State shall make an appropriate adjustment to the
amount of the tax charged therein on those profits. In determining such adjustment due regard
shall be had to the other provisions of this Convention and the competent
authorities of the Contracting States shall, if necessary, consult each other.
ARTICLE 11 - Dividends - 1. Dividends paid
by a company which is a resident of a Contracting State to a resident of the
other Contracting State may be taxed in that other State.
2. However, such dividends may also be taxed in
the Contracting State of which the company paying the dividends is a resident,
and according to the laws of that State, but if the recipient is the beneficial
owner of the dividends, the tax so charged shall not exceed :
(a) 15 per cent of the gross amount of the dividends if the beneficial
owner is a company which owns at least 25 per cent of the shares of the company
paying the dividends;
(b) 25 per cent of the gross amount of the dividends in all other
cases.
The competent
authorities of the Contracting States shall by mutual agreement settle the mode
of application of these limitations.
This paragraph
shall not affect the taxation of the company in respect of the profits out of
which the dividends are paid.
3. The term “dividends” as used in this Article
means income from shares or other rights, not being debt-claims, participating in
profits, as well as income from other corporate rights which is subjected to
the same taxation treatment as income from shares by the laws of the State of
which the company making the distribution is a resident.
4. The provisions of paragraphs 1 and 2 shall
not apply if the beneficial owner of the dividends, being a resident of a
Contracting State, carries on business in the other Contracting State of which
the company paying the dividends is a resident, through a permanent
establishment situated therein, or performs in that other State independent
personal services from a fixed base situated therein, and the holding in
respect of which the dividends are paid is effectively connected with such
permanent establishment or fixed base.
In such case, the provisions of Article 7 or Article 15, as the case may
be, shall apply.
5. Where a company which is a resident of a
Contracting State derives profits or income from the other Contracting State,
that other State may not impose any tax on the dividends paid by the company,
except insofar as such dividends are paid to a resident of that other State or
insofar as the holding in respect of which the dividends are paid is
effectively connected with a permanent establishment or a fixed base situated
in that other State, nor subject the company’s undistributed profits to tax on
the company’s undistributed profits, even if the dividends paid or the
undistributed profits consist wholly or partly of profits or income arising in
such other State.
ARTICLE 12 - Interest - 1. Subject to the
provisions of paragraph 4 of Article 8 and paragraph 4(a) of Article 9
interest arising in a Contracting State and paid to a resident of the other
Contracting State may be taxed in that other State.
2. However, such interest may also be taxed in
the Contracting State in which it arises and according to the laws of that
State. But the tax so charged on
interest payable in respect of a loan given or debt created after the date of
entry into force of this Convention, shall not exceed :
(a) 10 per cent of the gross amount, if such interest is paid on any
loan of whatever kind granted by a bank, and
(b) 15 per cent of the gross amount in all other cases.
3. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph 2
of this Article, interest arising in a Contracting State and derived by the
Government of the other Contracting State, a political sub-division or local
authority thereof, the Central Bank of that other Contracting State or any
agency of that Government, or by any other resident of that other Contracting
State with respect to debt-claims of that resident which are financed,
guaranteed or insured by the Government of that other Contracting State, a
political sub-division or local authority thereof, the Central Bank of that
other Contracting State or any agency of that Government, shall be exempt from
tax in the first-mentioned Contracting State.
4. The term “interest” as used in this Article
means income from debt-claims of every kind, whether or not secured by
mortgage, and whether or not carrying a right to participate in the debtor’s
profits, and in particular, income from Government securities and income from
bonds or debentures, including premiums and prizes attaching to such
securities, bonds or debentures. Penalty
charges for late payment shall not be regarded as interest for the purpose of
this Article.
5. The provisions of paragraphs 1 and 2 shall
not apply if the beneficial owner of the interest, being a resident of a
Contracting State, carries on business in the other Contracting State in which
the interest arises, through a permanent establishment situated therein, or
performs in that other State independent personal services from a fixed base
situated therein, and the debt-claim in respect of which the interest is paid
is effectively connected with such permanent establishment or fixed base. In such case, the provisions of Article 7 or
Article 15, as the case may be, shall apply.
6. Interest shall be deemed to arise in a
Contracting State when the payer is that Contracting State itself, a political
sub-division, a local authority or a resident of that State. Where, however, the person paying the
interest, whether he is a resident of a Contracting State or not, has in a
Contracting State a permanent establishment or a fixed base in connection with
which the indebtedness on which the interest is paid was incurred, and such
interest is borne by such permanent establishment or fixed base, then such
interest shall be deemed to arise in the Contracting State in which the
permanent establishment or fixed base is situated.
7. Where, by reason of a special relationship
between the payer and the beneficial owner or between both of them and some
other person, the amount of the interest, having regard to the debt-claim for
which it is paid, exceeds the amount which would have been agreed upon by the
payer and the beneficial owner in the absence of such relationship, the
provisions of this Article shall apply only to the last-mentioned amount. In such case, the excess part of the payments
shall remain taxable according to the laws of each Contracting State, due
regard being had to the other provisions of this Convention.
ARTICLE 13 - Royalties and fees for technical
services - 1. Royalties and fees for technical services arising in a
Contracting State and paid to a resident of the other Contracting State may be
taxed in that other State.
2. However, such royalties and fees for
technical services may also be taxed in the Contracting State in which they
arise and according to the laws of that State, but if the recipient is the
beneficial owner of the royalties or fees for technical services the tax so
charged shall not exceed 20 per cent of the gross amount of the royalties or
fees for technical services.
3. The term “royalties” as used in this Article
means payments of any kind received as a consideration for the use of, or the
right to use, any copyright of literary, artistic or scientific work including
cinematograph film or films or tapes used for radio or television broadcasting,
any patent, trade mark, design or model, plan, secret formula or process or for
the use of, or the right to use, industrial, commercial or scientific
equipment, or for information concerning industrial, commercial or scientific
experience.
4. The term “fees for technical services” as
used in this Article means payments of any amount to any person other than
payments to an employee of the person making payments, in consideration for the
services of a managerial, technical or consultancy nature, including the
provision of services of technical or other personnel.
5. The provisions of paragraphs 1 and 2 shall
not apply if the beneficial owner of the royalties or fees for technical
services, being a resident of a Contracting State, carries on business in the
other Contracting State in which the royalties or fees for technical services
arise, through a permanent establishment situated therein, or performs in that
other State independent personal services from a fixed base situated therein,
and the right, property or contract in respect of which the royalties or fees
for technical services are paid is effectively connected with such permanent
establishment or fixed base. In such
case the provisions of Article 7 or Article 15, as the case may be, shall
apply.
6. Royalties and fees for technical services
shall be deemed to arise in a Contracting State when the payer is that State
itself, a political sub-division, a local authority or a resident of that
State. Where, however, the person paying
their royalties or fees for the technical services, whether he is a resident of
a Contracting State or not, has in a Contracting State a permanent
establishment or a fixed base in connection with which the liability to pay the
royalties or fees for technical services was incurred, and such royalties or fees
for technical services are borne by such permanent establishment or fixed base,
then such royalties or fees for technical services shall be deemed to arise in
the State in which the permanent establishment or fixed base is situated.
7. Where, by reason of special relationship
between the payer and the beneficial owner or between both of them and some
other person, the amount of royalties or fees for technical services paid
exceeds, the amount which would have been paid in the absence of such
relationship, the provisions of this Article shall apply only to the
last-mentioned amount. In such case, the
excess part of the payments shall remain taxable according to the laws of each
Contracting State, due regard being had to the other provisions of this Convention.
ARTICLE 14 - Capital gains - 1. Gains
derived by a resident of a Contracting State from the alienation of immovable
property referred to in Article 6 and situated in the other Contracting State
may be taxed in that other State.
2. Gains from the alienation of movable property
forming part of the business property of a permanent establishment which an
enterprise of a Contracting State has in the other Contracting State or of
movable property pertaining to a fixed base available to a resident of a Contracting
State in the other Contracting State for the purpose of performing independent
personal services; including such gains from the alienation of such a permanent
establishment (alone or together with the whole enterprise) or of such fixed
base, may be taxed in that other State.
3. Gains
from the alienation of ships or aircraft operated in international
traffic or movable property pertaining to the operation of such ships or
aircraft shall be taxable only in the Contracting State of which the alienator is
a resident.
With respect
to gains derived by the Danish, Swedish and Norwegian air transport consortium
Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS), the provisions of this paragraph shall
apply only to such proportion of the gains as corresponds to the participation
held in that consortium by Det Danske Luftfartsselskab (DDL), the Danish
partner of Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS).
4. Gains from the alienation of shares of the
capital stock of a company the property of which consists directly or
indirectly principally of immovable property situated in a Contracting State
may be taxed in that State.
5. Gains from the alienation of shares other
than those mentioned in paragraph 4 in a company which is a resident of a
Contracting State may be taxed in that State provided that such shares
represent at least 10 per cent of the share capital of that company.
6. Gains from the alienation of any property
other than that mentioned in paragraphs 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 shall be taxable only in
the Contracting State of which the alienator is a resident.
article 15 - Independent personal services - 1.
Income derived by an individual who is a resident of a Contracting State from
the performance of professional services or other independent activities of a
similar character shall be taxable only in that State except in the following
circumstances, when such income may also be taxed in the other Contracting
State :
(a) if he has a fixed based regularly available to him in the other
Contracting State for the purpose of performing his activities, in that case,
only so much of the income as is attributable to that fixed base may be taxed
in that other State ; or
(b) if his stay in the other Contracting State is for a period or
periods amounting to or exceeding in the aggregate 183 days in the fiscal year
of that other State, only so much of the income as is derived from his
activities performed in that other State may be taxed in that other State.
2. The term “professional services” includes
especially independent, scientific, literary, artistic, educational or teaching
activities, as well as the independent activities of physicians, surgeons,
lawyers, engineers, architects, dentists and accountants.
ARTICLE 16 - Dependent personal services - 1.
Subject to the provisions of Articles 17, 18, 19 and 20 salaries, wages and
other similar remuneration derived by a resident of a Contracting State in
respect of an employment shall be taxable only in that State, unless the
employment is exercised in the other Contracting State. If the employment is so exercised, such
remuneration as is derived therefrom may be taxed in that other State.
2. Notwithstanding the provision of paragraph 1,
remuneration derived by a resident of a Contracting State in respect of an employment
exercised in the other Contracting State shall be taxable only in the
first-mentioned State if :
(a) the recipient is present in the other State for a period or periods
not exceeding in the aggregate 183 days in the fiscal year of that other State;
(b) the remuneration is paid by or on behalf of, an employer who is not
a resident of the other State ; and
(c) the remuneration is not borne by a permanent establishment or a
fixed base which the employer has in the other State.
3. Notwithstanding the preceding provisions of
this Article, remuneration derived in respect of an employment exercised aboard
a ship or aircraft operated in international traffic by an enterprise of a
Contracting State may be taxed in that State.
4. Where a resident of Denmark derives
remuneration in respect of an employment exercised aboard an aircraft operated
in international traffic by the Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) consortium,
such remuneration shall be taxable only in Denmark.
ARTICLE 17 - Directors’ fees and remuneration of top
level managerial officials - 1. Directors’ fees and similar payments
derived by a resident of a Contracting State in his capacity as a member of the
board of directors of a company which is a resident of the other Contracting
State may be taxed in that other State.
2. Salaries, wages and other similar
remuneration derived by a resident of a Contracting State in his capacity as an
official in a top-level managerial position of a company which is a resident of
the other Contracting State may be taxed in that other State.
ARTICLE 18 - Entertainers and athletes - 1.
Notwithstanding the provisions of Articles 15 and 16, income derived by a
resident of a Contracting State as an entertainer, such as a theatre, motion picture,
radio or television artiste or a musician, or as an athlete, from his personal
activities as such exercised in the other Contracting State may be taxed in
that other State.
2. Where income in respect of personal
activities exercised by entertainer or athlete in his capacity as such accrues
not to the entertainer or athlete himself but to another person, that income
may, notwithstanding the provisions of Articles 7,15 and 16, be taxed in the
Contracting State in which the activities of the entertainer or athlete are
exercised.
3. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph
1, income derived by an entertainer or an athlete who is a resident of a
Contracting State from his personal activities, as such exercised in the other
Contracting State, shall be taxable only in the first-mentioned Contracting
State, if the activities in the other Contracting State are supported wholly or
substantially from the public funds of the first-mentioned Contracting State,
including any of its political sub-divisions or local authorities.
4. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph
2, and Articles 7, 15 and 16, where income in respect of personal activities
exercised by an entertainer or an athlete in his capacity as such in a
Contracting State accrues not to the entertainer or athlete himself but to
another person, that income shall be taxable only in the other Contracting
State, if that other person is supported wholly or substantially from the
public funds of that other State, including any of its political sub-divisions
or local authorities.
ARTICLE 19 - Remuneration and pensions in respect of
Government service -
1. (a) Remuneration, other than a pension, paid by a
Contracting State or a political sub-division or a local authority thereof to
an individual in respect of services rendered to that State or sub-division or
authority shall be taxable only in that State.
(b) However, such remuneration shall be taxable only in the other
Contracting State if the services are rendered in that other State and the
individual is a resident of that State who :
(i) is a national of that State ; or
(ii) did not become a resident of that State solely
for the purpose of rendering the services.
2. Any pension paid by, or out of funds created by
a Contracting State or a political sub-division or a local authority thereof to
an individual in respect of services rendered to that State or sub-division or
authority shall be taxable only in that State.
3. The provisions of Articles 16 and 17 shall apply
to remuneration in respect of services rendered in connection with a business
carried on by a Contracting State or a political sub-division or local
authority thereof.
ARTICLE 20 - Students and apprentices - 1.
A student or business apprentice who is or was a resident of one of the
Contracting States immediately before visiting the other Contracting State and
who is present in that other State solely for the purpose of his education or
training, shall be exempt from tax in that other State on :
(a) payments made to him by persons residing outside that other State
for the purposes of his maintenance, education or training ; and
(b) remuneration from employment in that other State not exceeding
20,000 Danish Crowns or its equivalent in Indian currency during any fiscal
year of that other State provided that such employment is directly related to
his studies or is necessary for the purpose of his maintenance.
2. The benefits of this Article shall extend
only for such period of time as may be reasonable or customarily required to
complete the eduction or training undertaken but in no event shall any
individual have the benefits of this Article, for more than five consecutive
years from the date of his first arrival in that other Contracting State.
ARTICLE 21 - Other
income - 1. Subject to the provisions of paragraph 2, items of
income of a resident of a Contracting State, wherever arising, which are not
expressly dealt with in the foregoing articles of this Convention, shall be
taxable only in that Contracting State.
2. The provisions of paragraph 1 shall not apply
to income, other than income from immovable property as defined in paragraph 2
of Article 6, if the recipient of such income, being a resident of a
Contracting State, carries on business in the other Contracting State through a
permanent establishment situated therein, or performs in that other State
independent personal services from a fixed base situated therein, and the right
or property in respect of which the income is paid is effectively connected
with such permanent establishment or fixed base. In such case, the provisions of Article 7 or
Article 15, as the case may be, shall apply.
3. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraphs
1 and 2, items of income of a resident of a Contracting State not dealt with in
the foregoing Articles of this Convention, and arising in the other Contracting
State may be taxed in that other State.
ARTICLE 22 - Capital - 1. Capital represented by immovable property referred to in
Article 6, owned by a resident of a Contracting State and situated in the other
Contracting State, may be taxed in that other State.
2. Capital
represented by movable property forming part of the business property of a
permanent establishment which an enterprise of a Contracting State has in the
other Contracting State or by movable property pertaining to a fixed base
available to a resident of a Contracting State in the other Contracting State
for the purpose of performing independent personal services may be taxed in
that other State.
3. Capital
represented by ships and aircraft operated in international traffic and by
boats engaged in inland waterways transport, and by movable property pertaining
to the operation of such ships, aircraft and boats, shall be taxable only in
the Contracting State in which the enterprise is a resident.
4. All other elements of capital of a resident
of a Contracting State shall be taxable only in that State.
ARTICLE 23 - Avoidance of double taxation - 1.
The laws in force in either of the Contracting State shall continue to govern
the taxation of income and capital in the respective Contracting States except
where express provision to the contrary is made in this Convention.
2. Double taxation shall be avoided in the case
of India as follows :
(a) Where a resident of India derives income or owns capital which, in
accordance with the provisions of this Convention, may be taxed in Denmark,
India shall allow as a deduction from the tax on the income of that resident an
amount equal to the income-tax paid in Denmark, whether directly or by
deduction; and as a deduction from the tax on the capital of that resident an
amount equal to the capital tax paid in Denmark. Such deduction in either case shall not,
however, exceed that part of the income-tax or capital tax (as computed before
the deduction is given) which is attributable, as the case may be, to the
income or the capital which may be taxed in Denmark. Further, where such resident is a company by
which surtax is payable in India, the deduction in respect of income-tax paid
in Denmark shall be allowed in the first instance from income-tax payable by
the company in India and as to the balance, if any, from surtax payable by it
in India ;
(b) Where a resident of India derives income or owns capital which, in
accordance with the provisions of this Convention, shall be taxable only in
Denmark, India may include this income or capital in the tax base but shall
allow as a deduction from the income-tax or capital tax that part of the
income-tax or capital tax which is attributable, as the case may be, to the
income derived from or the capital owned in Denmark.
3. Double taxation shall be avoided in the case
of Denmark as follows :
(a) subject to the provisions of sub-paragraph (c), where a resident
of Denmark derives income or owns capital which, in accordance with the
provisions of this Convention, may be taxed in India, Denmark shall allow :
(i) as a deduction from the tax on the income of
that resident, an amount equal to the income-tax paid in India ;
(ii) as a deduction from the tax on the capital of
that resident, an amount equal to the capital tax paid in India ;
(b) such deduction in either case shall not, however exceed that part
of the income-tax or capital tax, as computed before the deduction is given,
which is attributable, as the case may be, to the income or the capital which
may be taxed in India ;
(c) where a resident of Denmark derives income or owns capital which,
in accordance with the provisions of this Convention shall be taxable only in
India, Denmark may include this income or capital in the tax base, but shall
allow as a deduction from the income-tax or capital tax that part of the
income-tax or capital tax which is attributable, as the case may be, to the
income derived from or the capital owned in India ;
(d) for the purposes of the deduction referred to in sub-paragraph (a),
the term “income-tax paid in India” shall be deemed to include any amount which
would have been payable as Indian tax under the laws of India and in accordance
with this Convention for any year but for an exemption from, or reduction of,
tax granted for that year under :
(i) Sections 10(4),10(4A), 10(4B),
10(6)(viia), 10(15)(iv), 10A, 32A, 80HH, 80-I, 80J and
80L of the Income-tax Act, 1961 (43 of 1961), so far as they were in force on,
and have not been modified since, the date of the signature of this Convention
or have been modified only in minor respects so as not to affect its general
character ; or
(ii) any other provisions which may be enacted
hereafter granting a deduction in computing the taxable income or an exemption
or reduction from tax which the competent authorities of the Contracting States
agree to be for the purposes of the economic development of India, if it has
not been modified thereafter or has been modified only in minor respects so as
not to affect its general character ;
(e) for the purposes of deduction referred to in sub-paragraph (a),
Indian tax on interest and royalties and fees for technical services shall in
no case be considered as having been paid at a rate of less than,
(i) in the case of interest—
(a) 10 per cent in the case of banks ; and
(b) 15 per cent in other cases ; and
(ii) 20 per cent in the case of royalties and fees
for technical services.
ARTICLE 24 - Non-discrimination - 1. The
nationals of a Contracting State shall not be subjected in the other
Contracting State to any taxation or any requirement connected therewith which
is other or more burdensome than the taxation and connected requirements to
which nationals of that other State in the same circumstances and under the
same conditions are or may be subjected.
2. The taxation of a permanent establishment
which an enterprise of a Contracting State has in the other Contracting State
shall not be less favourably levied in that other State than the taxation
levied on enterprises of that other State carrying on the same activities in
the same circumstances and under the same conditions.
3. Nothing contained in this Article shall be
construed as obliging a Contracting State to grant to persons not resident in
that State any personal allowances, reliefs, reductions and deductions for
taxation purposes which are by law available only to persons who are so
resident.
4. Except where the provisions of paragraph 1 of
Article 10, paragraph 7 of Article 12, or paragraph 7 of Article 13, apply,
interest, royalties and other disbursements paid by an enterprise of a
Contracting State to a resident of the other Contracting State shall, for the
purpose of determining the taxable profits of such enterprise, be deductible
under the same conditions as if they had been paid to a resident of the
first-mentioned State. Similarly, any
debts of an enterprise of a Contracting State to a resident of the other
Contracting State shall, for the purpose of determining the taxable capital of
such enterprise, be deductible under the same conditions as if they had been
contracted to a resident of the first-mentioned State.
5. Enterprises of a Contracting State the
capital of which is wholly or partly owned or controlled, directly or
indirectly, by one or more residents of the other Contracting State, shall not
be subjected in the first-mentioned Contracting State to any taxation or any
requirement connected therewith which is other or more burdensome than the
taxation and connected requirements to which other similar enterprises of that
first-mentioned State are or may be subjected in the same circumstances and
under the same conditions.
6. In this Article, the term “taxation” means
taxes which are the subject of this Convention.
ARTICLE 25 - Mutual agreement procedure - 1.
Where a resident of a Contracting State considers that the actions of one or
both of the Contracting States result or will result for him in taxation not in
accordance with this Convention, he may, notwithstanding the remedies provided
by the domestic laws of those States, present his case to the competent
authority of the Contracting State of which he is a resident. This case must be presented within three
years of the date of receipt of notice of the action which gives rise to
taxation not in accordance with the Convention.
2. The competent authority shall endeavour, if
the objection appears to it to be justified and if it is not itself able to
arrive at an appropriate solution, to resolve the case by mutual agreement with
the competent authority of the other Contracting State, with a view to
avoidance of taxation which is not in accordance with the Convention. Any agreement reached shall be implemented
notwithstanding any time limits in the domestic laws of the Contracting States.
3. The competent authorities of the Contracting
States shall endeavour to resolve by mutual agreement any difficulties or doubts
arising as to the interpretation or application of the Convention. They may also consult together for the
elimination of double taxation in cases not provided for in the convention.
4. The competent authorities of the Contracting
States may communicate with each other directly for the purpose of reaching an
agreement in the sense of the preceding paragraphs. When it seems advisable in order to reach an
agreement to have an oral exchange of opinions, such exchange may take place
through a Commission consisting of representatives of the competent authorities
of the Contracting States.
ARTICLE 26 - Exchange of information - 1.
The competent authorities of the Contracting States shall exchange such
information (including documents) as necessary for carrying out the provisions
of this Convention or of the domestic laws of the Contracting States concerning
taxes covered by the Convention, insofar as the taxation thereunder is not
contrary to the Convention, in particular for the prevention of fraud or evasion
of such taxes. Any information received by a Contracting State shall be treated
as secret in the same manner as information obtained under the domestic laws of
that State. However, if the information
is originally regarded as secret in the transmitting State, it shall be
disclosed only to persons or authorities (including courts and administrative
bodies) involved in the assessment or collection of, the enforcement or
prosecution in respect of, or the determination of appeals in relation to, the
taxes which are the subject of the Convention.
Such persons or authorities shall use the information only for such
purposes but may disclose the information in public court proceedings or in
judicial decisions. The competent
authorities shall, through consultation, develop appropriate conditions,
methods and techniques concerning the matters in respect of which such exchange
of information shall be made, including, where appropriate, exchange of
information regarding tax avoidance.
2. The exchange of information or documents
shall be either on a routine basis or on request with reference to particular
cases or both. The competent authorities
of the Contracting States shall agree from time to time on the list of the
information or documents which shall be furnished on a routine basis.
3. In no case shall the provisions of paragraph
(1) be construed so as to impose on a Contracting State the obligation,
(a) to carry out administrative measures at variance with the laws or
administrative practice of that or of the other Contracting State ;
(b) to supply information or documents which are not obtainable under
the laws or in the normal course of the administration of that or of the other
Contracting State ; and
(c) to supply information or documents which would disclose any trade,
business, industrial, commercial or professional secret or trade process, or
information, the disclosure of which would be contrary to public policy.
ARTICLE 27 - Assistance in collection - 1.
The Contracting States undertake to lend assistance and support to each other,
in the collection of the taxes to which this Convention relates, in the cases
where the taxes are definitely due according to the laws of the State making
the request.
2. In the case of a request for enforcement or
collection, tax claims of either of the Contracting States which have been
finally determined will be accepted for enforcement by the other Contracting
State to which the request is made and collected in that State in accordance
with the laws applicable to the enforcement and collection of its taxes.
3. In the case of Indian tax, the request will
be sent by the Central Board of Direct Taxes to the Danish Tax Directorate,
Statshattedirektoratet, Post Box 100, DK-3460 Birkarod, Denmark, and will be
accompanied by such certificate as is required by the laws of India to
establish that the taxes have been finally determined and are due from the
taxpayer.
4. In the case of Danish tax, the request will
be sent by the Danish Tax Directorate, to the Central Board of Direct Taxes,
(FTD), Department of Revenue, Ministry
of Finance, North Block, New Delhi - 110 001, India and will be accompanied by
such certificate as is required by the laws of Denmark to establish that the
taxes have been finally determined and are due from the taxpayer.
5. Where the tax claim has not become final by
reason of its being subject to appeal or any other proceeding, a Contracting
State may, in order to protect its revenues, request the other Contracting
State to take such interim measures in this behalf as are lawful under the laws
of that other Contracting State.
6. A request for assistance in collection of
taxes due from a taxpayer shall be made only if adequate assets of that
taxpayer are not available for recovering the taxes from him in the Contracting
State making the request.
7. The Contracting State in which tax is
recovered in pursuance of paragraphs 1, 2 and 5 of this Article shall
immediately thereafter remit the amount so recovered to the Contracting State
which made the request but it shall be entitled to reimbursement of costs, if
any, incurred in the course of rendering such assistance to the extent mutually
agreed between the competent authorities of the two States.
ARTICLE 28 - Diplomatic agents and consular officers
- Nothing in this Convention shall affect the fiscal privileges of diplomatic
agents or consular officers under the general rules of international law or
under the provisions of special agreements.
ARTICLE 29 - Territorial extension - 1.
This Convention may be extended by common agreement either in its entirety or
with such modifications as are agreed upon to any part of the territory of
Demnark which is specifically excluded from the application of the Convention
and which imposes taxes substantially similar in character to those to which
the Convention applies. Any such
extension shall take effect from such date and subject to such modifications
and conditions, including conditions as to termination, as may be specified and
agreed between the Contracting States in notes to be exchanged through
diplomatic channels or in any other manner in accordance with their
constitutional procedures.
2. Unless otherwise agreed by both Contracting
States, the termination of the Convention by one of them under Article 31 shall
also terminate, in the manner provided for in that Article, the application of
the Convention to any part of the territory of Denmark to which it has been
extended under this Article.
ARTICLE 30 - Entry into force - 1. The
Governments of the Contracting States shall notify to each other that the
constitutional requirements for the entry into force of this Convention have
been complied with.
2. This Convention shall enter into force on the
date of the latter of the notifications referred to in paragraph 1 and its
provisions shall have effect in respect of tax or the income year beginning on
or after 1st January in the calendar year next following the year in which the
latter of the notifications referred to in paragraph 1 is given, and subsequent
income years.
3. The Agreement between the Governments of
India and Denmark for the Avoidance of Double Taxation of Income, signed at
Copenhagen on the 16th September, 1959, shall cease to have effect at the time
when the provisions of this Convention shall be effective in accordance with
the provisions of paragraphs 1 and 2.
ARTICLE 31 - Termination - This Convention shall
remain in force until terminated by a Contracting State. Either Contracting State may terminate the
Convention, through diplo-matic channels, by giving written notification of
termination on or before the thirtieth day of June of any calendar year
following after the period of five years from the year in which the Convention
enters into force. In such event, the
Convention shall cease to have effect, in respect of tax for the income year
beginning on or after 1st January in the Calendar year next following the year
in which the notification is given and subsequent income years.
IN WITNESS
WHEREOF the undersigned, being
duly authorised thereto, have signed the present Convention.
DONE in duplicate at COPENHAGEN this 8th day of
March, one thousand nine hundred and eighty-nine in the Hindi, Danish and
English languages, all the texts being equally authentic. In case of divergence between any of the texts,
the English text shall be the operative one.
PROTOCOL
The Government
of India and the Government of the Kingdom of Denmark :
Having entered
into a Convention for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal
Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income and Capital :
Have agreed,
at the time of signing the said Convention, on the following provisions which
shall constitute an integral part thereof :
(1) For the
purposes of paragraph 3(e) of Article 23, it is understood that the
rates of tax specified therein shall in no case exceed the rate of withholding
tax applicable to such categories of income under the Indian tax laws.
(2) For the
purposes of Article 27, a request for assistance in collection of taxes due
from a taxpayer shall not be made unless such taxes aggregate to 2000 Danish
Crowns or its equivalent in Indian currency or more.
IN WITNESS
WHEREOF the undersigned, duly
authorised thereto, have signed the present Protocol.
DONE in duplicate at COPENHAGEN this 8th day of
March, one thousand nine hundred eighty-nine in Hindi, Danish and English
languages, all the texts being equally authentic. In case of divergence between the three
texts, English text shall be the operative one.
PROTOCOL
At the moment
of signing the Convention for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the
Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income and Capital
between the Government of the Republic of India and the Government of the
Kingdom of Denmark the signatories have agreed that the following provisions
shall form an integral part of the Convention :
1. The Convention has been extended to apply in its entirety to the
territory of the Faroe Islands.
2. In the Convention the terms “the Kingdom of Denmark” and “Denmark”
shall also apply to the Faroe Islands unless the context otherwise requires.
3. The taxes which in pursuance of the present protocol are the
subject of the Convention shall include the following taxes which are levied on
the Faroe Islands :
(a) Skat til landskassen (the provincial income-tax) ;
(b) Kommunalindkomstaskat (the communal income-tax) ;
(c) Kirkeskat (the Church tax) ;
(d) Udbytteskat (tax on dividends) ;
(e) Ejendomsavanceafgift (tax on profit from real estate) ;
(f) Royaltyafgift (tax on royalty).
4. The term “competent authorities” means in the
case of the Faroe Islands the Faroe Local Government or the authority which on
behalf of the Local Government has been authorized to handle questions with
reference to the Convention.
5. This protocol shall enter into force on and
have effect from the same date as the Convention.
IN witness WHEREOF the
undersigned, duly authorised thereto, have signed the present Protocol.
6. Done in duplicate at Copenhagen this 8th day
of March, one thousand nine hundred and eighty-nine in Hindi, Danish and
English languages, all the texts being equally authentic. In case of divergence between any of the
texts, the English text shall be the operative one.
Judicial analysis
n Where assessee, a Danish company, had undertaken to provide specific
management services relating to construction which had been made part of the
contract and which activity had been made inseparable from its contract of
designing engineering erection and commissioning of Chemical Fertiliser Complex
consisting of Ammonia Plant and Urea Plants, it could not be concluded that
services rendered by assessee were purely technical in nature, enabling
assessee to claim exemption under DTAA in respect of payments received by it
for such services—Haldor Topsoe v. Dy. CIT [1996] 59 ITD 313
(Mum. - Trib.).