9911796707
TMI BlogConvention between the Government of the Republic of India and the Government of the Republic of Korea for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on incomeX X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA FOR THE AVOIDANCE OF DOUBLE TAXATION AND THE PREVENTION OF FISCAL EVASION WITH RESPECT TO TAXES ON INCOME The Government of the Republic of India and the Government of the Republic of Korea Desiring to conclude a Convention for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income Have agreed as follows: ARTICLE 1 PERSONAL SCOPE This Convention shall apply to persons who are residents of one or both of the Contracting States. ARTICLE 2 TAXES COVERED 1. The Convention shall apply to taxes on income imposed on behalf of each Contracting State irrespective of the manner in which they are levied. 2. There shall be regarded as taxes on income all taxes imposed on total income, or on elements of income, including taxes on gains from the alienation of movable or immovable property and taxes on the total amounts of wages or salaries paid by enterprises. 3. The existing taxes to which the Convention shall apply are: (a) In the case of Korea: (i) the income tax; (ii) the corporation tax; and (iii) the inhabitant tax; (hereinafter referred to as "Korean tax"); (b) In th ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... , have the meaning which it has under the laws of that Contracting State relating to the taxes which are the subject of this Convention. ARTICLE 4 FISCAL DOMICILE 1. For the purposes of the Convention, the term "resident of a Contracting State" means any person who, under the laws of that State, is liable to taxation therein by reason of his domicile, residence, place of head or main office, place of management or any other criterion of a similar nature. 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 a ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... (f) the maintenance of a fixed place of business solely for any combination of activities mentioned in sub-paragraphs (a) to (e) of this paragraph, provided that the overall activity of the fixed place of business resulting from this combination is of a preparatory or auxiliary character. 5. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraphs 1 and 2, if a person-other than an agent of independent status to whom paragraph 6 applies-is acting on behalf of an enterprise and has, and habitually exercises, in a Contracting State an authority to conclude contracts in the name of the enterprise, that enterprise shall be deemed to have a permanent establishment in that State in respect of any activities which that person undertakes for the enterprise, unless the activities of such person are limited to those mentioned in paragraph 4 which, if exercised through a fixed place of business, would not make this fixed place of business a permanent establishment by virtue of that paragraph. 6. An enterprise shall not be deemed to have a permanent establishment in a Contracting State merely because it carries on business in that State through a broker, general commission agent or any other agent of a ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... 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. 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 permanent establishment including executive and general administrative expenses so incurred, whether in the State in which the permanent establishment is situated or elsewhere, which are allowed under the provisions of the domestic law of the Contracting State in which the permanent establishment is situated. 4. 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. 5. For the purposes 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. 6. Where income or profits include items of income which are dealt with separately in other Articles of this Convention, then the provisions of those Articles shall not b ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... 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 directly at least 20 per cent of the capital of the company paying the dividends; (b) 20 per cent of the gross amount of the dividends in all other cases. 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 paragraph 1 and 2 shall not apply if the beneficial owner of the divide ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... 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, 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 ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... ovision of services of technical or other personnel. 5. The provisions of paragraphs 1 and 2 of this Article 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 cases, 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 the royalties or fees for 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 wi ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... ich the property in question is situated. 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 unless he has a fixed base regularly available to him in the other Contracting State for the purpose of performing his activities. If he has such a fixed base, the income may be taxed in the other Contracting State but only so much of it as is attributable to that fixed base. 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, 19, 20, 21 and 22, 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 exer ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... eration or profits, salaries, wages and similar income derived from activities performed in a Contracting State by entertainers or athletes if their visit to that State is substantially supported from the public funds of the other Contracting State, a political sub-division or a local authority thereof. ARTICLE 19 PENSIONS Subject to the provisions of paragraphs 2 and 3 of Article 20, pensions and other similar remuneration paid to a resident of a Contracting State in consideration of past employment shall be taxable only in that State. ARTICLE 20 GOVERNMENT FUNCTIONS 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 service 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 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. (a) Any pension paid by or out of funds cr ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... Contracting State, and who, at the invitation of any university, college, school or other similar educational institution, which is recognised by the competent authority in that other State, visits that other State solely for the purpose of teaching or research or both at such educational institution shall be exempt from tax in that other State on his remuneration for such teaching or research, for a period not exceeding two consecutive years from the date of his first arrival in that other State. 2. This Article shall not apply to income from research if such research is undertaken primarily for the private benefit of a specific person or persons. ARTICLE 23 OTHER INCOME Items of income of a resident of a Contracting State wherever arising, not dealt with in the foregoing Articles of this Convention shall be taxable only in that State. ARTICLE 24 ELIMINATION OF DOUBLE TAXATION 1. In the case of a resident of Korea, double taxation shall be avoided as follows: Subject to the provisions of Korean tax law regarding the allowance as a credit against Korean tax of tax payable in any country other than Korea (which shall not affect the general principle hereof), the Indian tax ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... ctly or by deduction, in respect of income from sources within Korea shall be allowed as a credit against Indian tax payable in respect of that income. The credit shall not, however, exceed that proportion of Indian tax which the income from sources within Korea bears to the entire income subject to Indian tax. 4. For the purposes of paragraph 3, the term "Korean tax payable" shall be deemed to include the amount of Korean tax which would have been payable in accordance with Korean tax laws but for the exemption or reduction of Korean tax in accordance with the laws relating to incentives for the promotion of economic development in Korea which were in force on the date of signature of this Convention or any other provisions which may subsequently be introduced in Korea in modification of, or in addition to, those laws so far as they are agreed by the competent authorities of the Contracting State, provided that, the amount of the tax referred to in this paragraph shall not, however, exceed: (a) in the case of dividends referred to in paragraph 2(a) of Article 11, an amount of 15 per cent of the gross amount of such dividends and, in the case of dividends referred to i ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... icle 2, apply to taxes of every kind and description. ARTICLE 26 MUTUAL AGREEMENT PROCEDURE 1. Where a resident of a Contracting State considers that the actions of one or both of the Contracting State result or will result for him in taxation not in accordance with the Convention, he may, notwithstanding the remedies provided by the national laws of those States, present his case to the competent authority of the Contracting State of which he is a resident or, if his case comes under paragraph 1 of Article 25, to that of the Contracting State of which he is a national. This case must be presented within three years from the first notification of the action giving 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 about 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 the avoidance of taxation which is not in accordance with the Convention. Any agreement reached shall be implemented notwithstanding any time-limits in the national laws of the Contracting St ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... ive practice of that or of the other Contracting State; (b) to supply information which is not obtainable under the laws or in the normal course of the administration of that or of the other Contracting State; (c) to supply information 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 (order public). ARTICLE 28 DIPLOMATIC AGENTS AND CONSULAR OFFICERS Nothing in this Convention shall affect the fiscal privileges of diplomatic agents and consular officers under the general rules of international law or under the provisions of special agreements. ARTICLE 29 ENTRY INTO FORCE 1. This Convention shall be ratified and the instruments of ratification shall be exchanged at Seoul as soon as possible. The Convention shall enter into force on the thirtieth day after the date of exchange of the instruments of ratification. 2. This Convention shall have effect: (a) in Korea: (i) in respect of tax withheld at the source on amounts paid or credited to non-residents on or after the first day of January of the calendar year next following that in which th ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... KYUNG LEE) MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS PROTOCOL At the moment of signing the Convention between the Government of the Republic of India and the Government of the Republic of Korea for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income, the undersigned have agreed that the following provisions shall form an integral part of the Convention. 1. In respect of sub-paragraph (a) of paragraph 3 of Article 2 of the Convention, it is understood that the Convention shall also apply to the Korean defence tax where charged by reference to the income-tax or the corporation tax. 2. For the purposes of Articles 8 and 9 of the Convention, it is understood that: (i) interest on funds connected with the operation of aircraft and ships in international traffic shall also be regarded as profits from the operation of such aircraft and ships; and (ii) in respect of the operation of aircraft and ships in international traffic carried on by an enterprise of a Contracting State, that enterprise, if an enterprise of India, shall also be exempt from the value added tax in Korea and, if an enterprise of Korea, shall also be exempt from any tax simil ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X
|
