Article 11 - Interest - Hong Kong

ARTICLE 11 INTEREST 1. Interest arising in a Contracting Party and paid to a resident of the other Contracting Party may be taxed in that other Party. 2. However, such interest may also be taxed in the Contracting Party in which it arises and according to the laws of that Party, but if the beneficial owner of the interest is a resident of the other Contracting Party, the tax so charged shall not exceed 10 per cent of the gross amount of the interest. 3. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph 2, interest arising in a Contracting Party shall be exempt from tax in that Party provided that it is derived and beneficially owned by: (a) the Government, a political subdivision or a local authority of the other Contracting Party; or (b) (i) in the case of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority and the Exchange Fund; (ii) in the case of India, the Reserve Bank of India and the Export-Import Bank of India; or (c) any other institution as may be agreed upon from time to time between the competent authorities of the Contracting Parties. 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, 2 and 3 shall not apply if the beneficial owner of the interest, being a resident of a Contracting Party, carries on business in the other Contracting Party in which the interest arises, through a permanent establishment situated therein, or performs in that other Party 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 Party when the payer is a resident of that Party. Where, however, the person paying the interest, whether he is a resident of a Contracting Party or not, has in a Contracting Party 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 Party 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 exceeds, for whatever reasons, 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 Party, due regard being had to the other provisions of this Agreement. 8. The benefits of this Article shall not be available if the main purpose or one of the main purposes of any person concerned with the creation or assignment of the debt-claim in respect of which the interest is paid is to take advantage of this Article by means of that creation or assignment.