Article 27 - Assistance in Collection - Latvia

ARTICLE 27 ASSISTANCE IN COLLECTION 1. The Contracting States undertake to lend assistance to each other in the collection of the taxes owed by a taxpayer to the extent that the amount thereof has been finally determined according to the laws of the Contracting State making the request for assistance. 2. In the case of a request by a Contracting State for the collection of taxes which has been accepted for collection by the other Contracting State, such taxes shall be collected by that other State in accordance with the laws applicable to the collection of its own taxes and as if the taxes to be so collected were its own taxes. 3. Any request for collection by a Contracting State shall be accompanied by such certificate as is required by the laws of that State to establish that the taxes owed by the taxpayer have been finally determined. 4. Where the tax claim of a Contracting State has not been finally determined by reason of it being subject to appeal or other proceeding, that State may, in order to protect its revenues, request the other Contracting State to take such interim measures for conservancy on its behalf as are available to the other State under the laws of that other State. If such request is accepted by the other State, such interim measures shall be taken by it as if the taxes owed to the first-mentioned State were the own taxes of that other State. 5. A request under the preceding paragraphs of this Article shall only made by a Contracting State to the extent that sufficient property of the taxpayer owing the taxes is not available in that State for recovery of the taxes owed. 6. The Contracting State in which tax is recovered in accordance with the provisions of this Article shall forthwith remit to the Contracting State on behalf of which the tax was collected the amount so recovered minus, where appropriate, the amount of extraordinary costs referred to in sub-paragraph (b) of paragraph 7. 7. It is understood that unless otherwise agreed by the competent authorities of both Contracting States, (a) ordinary costs incurred by a Contracting State in providing assistance shall be borne by that State; (b) extraordinary costs incurred by a Contracting State in providing assistance shall be borne by the other State and shall be payable regardless of the amount collected on behalf of the other State. As soon as a Contracting State anticipates that extraordinary costs may be incurred, it shall so advise the other Contracting State and indicate the estimated amount of such costs. 8. In this Article, the term taxes means taxes to which the paragraph 1 of Article 26 applies and includes any interest and penalties relating thereto. 9. In no case shall the provisions of this Article be construed so as to impose on a Contracting State the obligation: (a) to carry out administrative measures at variance with the laws and administrative practice of that or of the other Contracting State; (b) to carry out measures which would be contrary to public policy (ordre public); (c) to provide assistance if the other Contracting State has not pursued all reasonable measures of collection or conservancy, as the case may be, available under its laws or administrative practice; (d) to provide assistance in those cases where the administrative burden for that State is clearly disproportionate to the benefit to be derived by the other Contracting State.