Article 12 - Interest - Korea (Old - Effective upto 31-3-2017)

Article 12 : Interest 1. 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 if the recipient is the beneficial owner of the interest the tax, so charged shall not exceed 15 per cent. of the gross amount of the interest. 3. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph 2 of this Article: (a) where the interest is paid to a bank carrying on a bona fide banking business which is a resident of the other Contracting State and is the beneficial owner of the interest, the tax charged in the ContractingState in which the interest arises shall not exceed 10 per cent. of the gross amount of the interest. (b) where the interest is paid to the Government of one of the Contracting States or a political sub-division or local authority or the Central Bank or the Export-Import Bank of that State, it shall not be subjected to tax by the State in which it arises. 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. 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 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, or and the debt-claims in respect of which the interest is paid is effectively connected with such permanent establishment or fixed base. In such cases 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 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 State in which the permanent establishment or the fixed base is situated. 7. Where, owing to 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 cases, 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.