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HK Cap. 112BW
HK Cap. 112BW — Inland Revenue (Double Taxation Relief and Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income) (Portuguese Republic) Order
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Inland Revenue (Double Taxation Relief and Prevention of Fiscal
Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income) (Portuguese Republic) Order ( Cap. 112, section
49(1A) ) (Enacting provision omitted— E.R. 2 of
2012 ) [12 January 2012] 1. (Omitted as spent— E.R. 2 of 2012 ) 2. Declaration under section 49(1A)
For the purposes of section 49(1A) of the Ordinance, it is declared—
(a) that the arrangements specified in section 3(1) have been made with the Government of the Portuguese Republic with a view to affording relief from double taxation in relation to income tax and any tax of a similar character imposed by the laws of the Republic; and
(b) that it is expedient that those arrangements should have effect. 3. Arrangements specified
(1)
The arrangements specified for the purposes of section 2(a) are the arrangements in—
(a) Articles 1 to 29 of the agreement titled “Agreement between the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China and the Portuguese Republic for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income”, done in duplicate at Hong Kong on 22 March 2011 in the Chinese, Portuguese and English languages; and
(b) Paragraphs 1 to 6 of the protocol to the agreement, done in duplicate at Hong Kong on 22 March 2011 in the Chinese, Portuguese and English languages.
(2) The English text of the Articles referred to in subsection (1)(a) is reproduced in Part 1 of the Schedule .
(3) The English text of the Paragraphs referred to in subsection (1)(b) is reproduced in Part 2 of the Schedule . Schedule [ s. 3 ] Part
1 Articles 1 to 29 of the Agreement between the Hong
Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s
Republic of China and the Portuguese Republic for the
Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of
Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on
Income CHAPTER
I SCOPE OF THE
AGREEMENT Article
1 Persons
Covered This Agreement shall apply to persons who are residents of one or both of the
Contracting
Parties. Article
2 Taxes
Covered 1. This Agreement shall apply to taxes on income imposed on behalf of a
Contracting Party or of its political or administrative subdivisions or local
authorities, 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, taxes on the total amounts of wages or
salaries paid by enterprises, as well as taxes on capital
appreciation. 3.
The existing taxes to which the Agreement shall apply are in
particular:
(a)
in the case of the Hong Kong Special Administrative
Region,
(i) profits tax;
(ii) salaries tax; and
(iii) property tax;
whether or not charged under personal
assessment;
(b)
in the case of Portugal,
(i) the personal income tax (Imposto sobre o Rendimento das Pessoas
Singulares – IRS);
(ii) the corporate income tax (Imposto sobre o Rendimento das Pessoas
Colectivas – IRC); and
(iii) the surtaxes on corporate income tax
(Derramas). 4. The Agreement shall apply also to any identical or substantially similar
taxes that are imposed after the date of signature of the Agreement in addition
to, or in place of, the existing taxes, as well as any other taxes falling
within paragraphs 1 and 2 of this Article which a
Contracting Party may impose in future. The competent authorities of the
Contracting Parties shall notify each other of any significant changes that have
been made in their taxation
laws. 5.
The existing taxes,
together with the taxes imposed after the signature of the Agreement, are
hereinafter referred to as “ Hong Kong Special
Administrative Region tax ” or “ Portuguese
tax ” , as the context
requires. CHAPTER
II DEFINITIONS Article
3 General
Definitions 1.
For the purposes of this Agreement, unless the context otherwise
requires:
(a)
the term “ Hong Kong Special Administrative Region ” means
any territory where the tax laws of the Hong Kong Special Administrative
Region of the People’s Republic of China
apply;
(b)
the term “ Portugal ” when
used in a geographical sense comprises the territory of the Portuguese
Republic in accordance with international law and Portuguese
legislation;
(c)
the term “ company ” means any
body corporate or any entity that is treated as a body corporate for tax
purposes;
(d)
the term “ competent authority ”
means:
(i) in the case of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the
Commissioner of Inland Revenue or his authorized
representative;
(ii) in the case of Portugal, the Minister of Finance, the Director
General of Taxation (Director-Geral dos Impostos) or their
authorized representative;
(e)
the term “ Contracting Party ” or “ Party ”
means the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region or Portugal, as the
context requires;
(f)
the terms “ enterprise of a Contracting
Party ” and “ enterprise of the other
Contracting Party ” mean respectively an enterprise carried on by
a resident of a Contracting Party and an enterprise carried on by a resident
of the other Contracting Party;
(g)
the term “ international traffic ” means any transport by a ship or aircraft
operated by an enterprise of a Contracting Party except when the ship or
aircraft is operated solely between places in the other Contracting
Party;
(h)
the term “ national ” , in relation to
Portugal means:
(i) any individual possessing the nationality of Portugal;
and
(ii) any legal person, partnership or association deriving its
status as such from the laws in force in
Portugal;
(i)
the term “ person ” includes an
individual, a company, a trust, a partnership and any other body of
persons. 2.
In the Agreement,
the terms “ Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
tax ” and “ Portuguese tax ” do not
include any penalty or interest imposed under the laws of either Contracting
Party relating to the taxes to which the Agreement applies by virtue of Article
2. 3. As regards the application of the Agreement at any time by a Contracting
Party, any term not defined therein shall, unless the context otherwise
requires, have the meaning that it has at that time under the law of that Party
for the purposes of the taxes to which the Agreement applies, any meaning under
the applicable tax laws of that Party prevailing over a meaning given to the
term under other laws of that
Party. Article
4 Resident 1.
For the purposes of this Agreement, the term “ resident of a Contracting Party ”
means:
(a)
in the case of the Hong Kong Special Administrative
Region,
(i) any individual who ordinarily resides in the Hong Kong Special
Administrative Region;
(ii) any individual who stays in the Hong Kong Special
Administrative Region for more than 180 days during a year of
assessment or for more than 300 days in two consecutive years of
assessment one of which is the relevant year of
assessment;
(iii) a company incorporated in the Hong Kong Special Administrative
Region or, if incorporated outside the Hong Kong Special
Administrative Region, being normally managed or controlled in the
Hong Kong Special Administrative
Region;
(iv) any other person constituted under the laws of the Hong Kong
Special Administrative Region or, if constituted outside the Hong
Kong Special Administrative Region, being normally managed or
controlled in the Hong Kong Special Administrative
Region;
(v) the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative
Region;
(b) in the case of Portugal, any person who, under the laws of
Portugal, is liable to tax therein by reason of his residence, place of
management or any other criterion of a similar nature, and also includes
the Contracting Party and any political or administrative subdivision or
local authority thereof. This term, however, does not include any person
who is liable to tax in Portugal in respect only of income from sources
in
Portugal.
2.
Where by reason of the provisions of paragraph 1 an individual is
a resident of both Contracting Parties, then his status shall be determined as
follows:
(a) he shall be deemed to be a resident only of the Party in which he has a
permanent home available to him; if he has a permanent home available to him
in both Parties, he shall be deemed to be a resident only of the Party with
which his personal and economic relations are closer (centre of vital
interests);
(b) if the Party 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
Party, he shall be deemed to be a resident only of the Party in which he has
an habitual abode;
(c) if he has an habitual abode in both Parties or in neither of them, he
shall be deemed to be a resident only of the Party in which he has the right
of abode (in the case of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region) or of
which he is a national (in the case of
Portugal);
(d) if he has the right of abode in the Hong Kong Special Administrative
Region and is also a national of Portugal, or if he does not have the right
of abode in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region nor is he a national
of Portugal, the competent authorities of the Contracting Parties 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 Parties, then it shall be
deemed to be a resident only of the Party in which its place of effective
management is
situated. Article
5 Permanent
Establishment 1.
For the purposes of this Agreement, the term
“ permanent establishment ” means a fixed
place of business through which the business of an 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; and
(f) a mine, an oil or gas well, a quarry or any other place of
extraction of natural
resources.
3.
The term “ permanent establishment ” also
encompasses:
(a) a building site, a construction, assembly or installation project
or supervisory activities in connection therewith, but only if such
site, project or activities last more than six
months;
(b) the furnishing of services, including consultancy services, by an
enterprise through employees or other personnel engaged by the
enterprise for such purpose, but only if activities of that nature
continue (for the same or a connected project) within a Contracting
Party for a period or periods aggregating more than 183 days within any
twelve month
period.
4.
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, display or
delivery 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, display or
delivery;
(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;
(e) the maintenance of a fixed place of business solely for the purpose
of carrying on, for the enterprise, any other activity of a preparatory
or auxiliary character;
(f) the maintenance of a fixed place of business solely for any
combination of activities mentioned in sub-paragraphs (a) to (e),
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 ,
where a person - other than an agent of an independent status to whom
paragraph 6 applies - is acting in a Contracting Party on behalf
of an enterprise of the other Contracting Party, that enterprise shall be deemed
to have a permanent establishment in the first-mentioned Contracting Party in
respect of any activities which that person undertakes for the enterprise, if
such a person:
(a) has, and habitually exercises, in the first-mentioned Contracting Party
an authority to conclude contracts in the name of 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 under the
provisions of that paragraph, or
(b) has no such authority, but habitually maintains in the first-mentioned
Party a stock of goods or merchandise from which he regularly delivers goods
or merchandise on behalf of the
enterprise. 6. An enterprise shall not be deemed to have a permanent establishment in a
Contracting Party merely because it carries on business in that Party 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. 7. The fact that a company which is a resident of a Contracting Party controls
or is controlled by a company which is a resident of the other Contracting
Party, or which carries on business in that other Party (whether through a
permanent establishment or otherwise), shall not of itself constitute either
company a permanent establishment of the
other. CHAPTER
III TAXATION OF
INCOME Article
6 Income from
Immovable
Property 1. Income derived by a resident of a Contracting Party from immovable property
(including income from agriculture or forestry) situated in the other
Contracting Party may be taxed in that other
Party. 2.
The term “ immovable
property ” shall have the meaning which it has under the law of the
Contracting Party 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
rights to variable or fixed payments as consideration for the working of, or the
right to work, mineral deposits, quarries, sources and other natural resources;
ships and aircraft shall not be regarded as immovable
property. 3. Any property or right referred to in paragraph 2 shall be
regarded as situated where the land, standing timber, mineral deposits,
quarries, sources or natural resources, as the case may be, are situated or
where the working may take
place. 4. The provisions of paragraph 1 shall apply to income derived from
the direct use, letting, or use in any other form of immovable
property. 5. The provisions of paragraphs 1 and 4 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 Party shall be taxable only
in that Party unless the enterprise carries on business in the other Contracting
Party 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 Party but only so much of them as is attributable to that permanent
establishment. 2. Subject to the provisions of paragraph 3 , where an enterprise of
a Contracting Party carries on business in the other Contracting Party through a
permanent establishment situated therein, there shall in each Contracting Party
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. 3. In determining 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 Party in which the permanent establishment is
situated or
elsewhere. 4. Insofar as it has been customary in a Contracting Party 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, or on
the basis of such other method as may be prescribed by the laws of that Party,
nothing in paragraph 2 shall preclude that Contracting Party from
determining the profits to be taxed by such apportionment or other method; the
method 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 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. 7. Where profits include items of income which are dealt with separately in
other Articles of this Agreement, then the provisions of those Articles shall
not be affected by the provisions of this
Article. Article
8 Shipping and Air
Transport 1. Profits of an enterprise of a Contracting Party from the operation of ships
or aircraft in international traffic shall be taxable only in that
Party. 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. Article
9 Associated
Enterprises 1.
Where:
(a) an enterprise of a Contracting Party participates directly or
indirectly in the management, control or capital of an enterprise of the
other Contracting Party, or
(b) the same persons participate directly or indirectly in the management,
control or capital of an enterprise of a Contracting Party and an enterprise
of the other Contracting Party, 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 Party includes in the profits of an enterprise of that
Party - and taxes accordingly - profits on which an enterprise of the other
Contracting Party has been charged to tax in that other Party and the profits so
included are profits which would have accrued to the enterprise of the
first-mentioned Party if the conditions made between the two enterprises had
been those which would have been made between independent enterprises, then that
other Party, if it agrees that the adjustment made by the first-mentioned Party
is justified, 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 Agreement and for this purpose the
competent authorities of the Contracting Parties shall if necessary consult each
other. Article
10 Dividends 1. Dividends paid by a company which is a resident of a Contracting Party to a
resident of the other Contracting Party may be taxed in that other
Party. 2.
However, such dividends may also be taxed in the Contracting Party of which
the company paying the dividends is a resident and according to the laws of that
Party, but if the beneficial owner of the dividends is a resident of the other
Contracting Party, the tax so charged shall not
exceed:
(a) 5 per cent of the gross amount of the dividends if the beneficial owner
is a company (other than a partnership) which holds directly at least 10 per
cent of the capital of the company paying the
dividends;
(b) 10 per cent of the gross amount of the dividends in all other
cases. The competent authorities of the Contracting Parties 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, “jouissance” shares or “jouissance”
rights, mining shares, founders’ 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 Party 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
Party, carries on business in the other Contracting Party of which the company
paying the dividends is a resident, through a permanent establishment situated
therein, or performs in that other Party 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 14, as the case may
be, shall
apply. 5. Where a company which is a resident of a Contracting Party derives profits
or income from the other Contracting Party, that other Party 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 Party 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 Party, nor subject the
company’s undistributed profits to a 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
Party. 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. The competent
authorities of the Contracting Parties shall by mutual agreement settle the mode
of application of this
limitation. 3.
Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph 2 of this Article,
interest arising in a Contracting Party is exempt from tax in that Party, if it
is paid:
(a)
in the case of the Hong Kong Special Administrative
Region, (i) to the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative
Region; (ii) to the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, or to such other similar
institution wholly owned or funded by the Government of the Hong Kong
Special Administrative Region which may be established in the future, as
mutually agreed upon by the competent authorities of the two Contracting
Parties;
(b)
in the case of Portugal, (i) to the Contracting Party or any political or administrative
subdivision or local authority
thereof; (ii) to the Central Bank of
Portugal. 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 14, 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. Article
12 Royalties 1. Royalties 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 royalties may also be taxed in the Contracting Party in which
they arise and according to the laws of that Party, but if the beneficial owner
of the royalties is a resident of the other Contracting Party, the tax so
charged shall not exceed 5 per cent of the gross amount of the royalties. The
competent authorities of the Contracting Parties shall by mutual agreement
settle the mode of application of this
limitation. 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 films, or films or tapes used for radio or
television broadcasting, any patent, trade mark, design or model, plan, secret
formula or process, or for information concerning industrial, commercial or
scientific
experience. 4. The provisions of paragraphs 1 and 2 shall not apply
if the beneficial owner of the royalties, being a resident of a Contracting
Party, carries on business in the other Contracting Party in which the royalties
arise through a permanent establishment situated therein, or performs in that
other Party independent personal services from a fixed base situated therein,
and the right or property in respect of which the royalties are paid is
effectively connected with such permanent establishment or fixed base. In such
case the provisions of Article 7 or Article 14, as the case may be, shall
apply. 5. Royalties shall be deemed to arise in a Contracting Party when the payer is
a resident of that Party. Where, however, the person paying the royalties,
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
liability to pay the royalties was incurred, and such royalties are borne by
such permanent establishment or fixed base, then such royalties shall be deemed
to arise in the Party in which the permanent establishment or fixed base is
situated. 6. 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 royalties 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. Article
13 Capital
Gains 1. Gains derived by a resident of a Contracting Party from the alienation of
immovable property referred to in Article 6 and situated in the other
Contracting Party may be taxed in that other
Party. 2. Gains from the alienation of movable property forming part of the business
property of a permanent establishment which an enterprise of a Contracting Party
has in the other Contracting Party or of movable property pertaining to a fixed
base available to a resident of a Contracting Party in the other Contracting
Party for the purpose of performing independent personal services, including
such gains from the alienation of such a permanent establishment (alone or with
the whole enterprise) or of such fixed base, may be taxed in that other
Party. 3. Gains derived by an enterprise of a Contracting Party 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
that
Party. 4. Gains derived by a resident of a Contracting Party from the alienation of
shares of, or of a comparable interest in, a company deriving more than 50 per
cent of its asset value directly or indirectly from immovable property situated
in the other Contracting Party may be taxed in that other
Party. 5. Gains from the alienation of any property, other than that referred to in
paragraphs 1 , 2 , 3 and 4 , shall
be taxable only in the Contracting Party of which the alienator is a
resident. Article
14 Independent
Personal
Services 1.
Income derived by a resident of a Contracting Party in respect of
professional services or other activities of an independent character shall be
taxable only in that Party except in the following circumstances, when such
income may also be taxed in the other Contracting
Party:
(a) if he has a fixed base regularly available to him in the other
Contracting Party 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 Contracting Party;
or
(b) if his stay in the other Contracting Party is for a period or periods
amounting to or exceeding in the aggregate 183 days in any twelve month
period commencing or ending in the taxable period concerned; in that case,
only so much of the income as is derived from his activities performed in
that other Party may be taxed in that other
Party. 2.
The term “ professional
services ” includes especially independent scientific, literary,
artistic, educational or teaching activities as well as the independent
activities of physicians, lawyers, engineers, architects, dentists and
accountants. Article
15 Dependent
Personal
Services 1. Subject to the provisions of Articles 16, 18 and 19, salaries, wages and
other similar remuneration derived by a resident of a Contracting Party in
respect of an employment shall be taxable only in that Party unless the
employment is exercised in the other Contracting Party. If the employment is so
exercised, such remuneration as is derived therefrom may be taxed in that other
Party. 2.
Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph 1 , remuneration
derived by a resident of a Contracting Party in respect of an employment
exercised in the other Contracting Party shall be taxable only in the
first-mentioned Party if:
(a) the recipient is present in the other Party for a period or periods not
exceeding in the aggregate 183 days in any twelve month period commencing or
ending in the taxable period concerned,
and
(b) the remuneration is paid by, or on behalf of, an employer who is not a
resident of the other Party, and
(c) the remuneration is not borne by a permanent establishment or a fixed
base which the employer has in the other
Party. 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 Party shall be
taxable only in that
Party. Article
16 Directors’
Fees Directors’ fees and other similar payments derived by a resident of a Contracting
Party in his capacity as a member of the board of directors of a company which is a
resident of the other Contracting Party may be taxed in that other
Party. Article
17 Artistes and
Sportsmen 1. Notwithstanding the provisions of Articles 14 and 15, income derived by a
resident of a Contracting Party as an entertainer, such as a theatre, motion
picture, radio or television artiste, or a musician, or as a sportsman, from his
personal activities as such exercised in the other Contracting Party, may be
taxed in that other
Party. 2. Where income in respect of personal activities exercised by an entertainer
or a sportsman in his capacity as such accrues not to the entertainer or
sportsman himself but to another person, that income may, notwithstanding the
provisions of Articles 7, 14 and 15, be taxed in the Contracting Party in which
the activities of the entertainer or sportsman are
exercised. Article
18 Pensions 1. Subject to the provisions of paragraph 2 of Article 19, pensions
and other similar remuneration (including a lump sum payment) paid to a resident
of a Contracting Party in consideration of past employment or self-employment
shall be taxable only in that
Party. 2. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph 1 , payments made
under a mandatory provident fund scheme in a Contracting Party, and any other
similar schemes or arrangements which may be established in that Party to
replace that scheme, may be taxed in that
Party. Article
19 Government
Service 1.
Salaries, wages and other similar remuneration, other than a pension, paid
by a Contracting Party or a political or administrative subdivision or a local
authority thereof to an individual in respect of services rendered to that Party
or subdivision or authority shall be taxable only in that Party. However, such
salaries, wages and other similar remuneration shall be taxable only in the
other Contracting Party if the services are rendered in that Party and the
individual is a resident of that Party who:
(a) in the case of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, has the
right of abode therein and in the case of Portugal, is a national thereof;
or
(b) did not become a resident of that Party solely for the purpose of
rendering the
services. 2. Any pension (including a lump sum payment) paid by, or paid out of funds
created or contributed by, a Contracting Party or a political or administrative
subdivision or a local authority thereof to an individual in respect of services
rendered to that Party or subdivision or authority shall be taxable only in that
Party. However, such pensions (whether a payment in lump sum or by instalments)
shall be taxable only in the other Contracting Party if the services were
rendered in that Party and the individual is a resident of that Party, and that
the case falls within subparagraph (a) or (b) of paragraph 1 of this
Article. 3. The provisions of Articles 15, 16, 17 and 18 shall apply to salaries,
wages, pensions (including a lump sum payment), and other similar remuneration
in respect of services rendered in connection with a business carried on by a
Contracting Party or a political or administrative subdivision or a local
authority
thereof. Article
20 Students
Payments which a student who is or was
immediately before visiting a Contracting Party a resident of the other
Contracting Party and who is present in the first-mentioned Party solely for the
purpose of his education receives for the purpose of his maintenance or
education shall not be taxed in that Party, provided that such payments arise
from sources outside that
Party.
Article
21 Other
Income 1. Items of income of a resident of a Contracting Party, wherever arising, not
dealt with in the foregoing Articles of this Agreement shall be taxable only in
that
Party. 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
Party, carries on business in the other Contracting Party through a permanent
establishment situated therein, or performs in that other Party 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 14, as the case may be, shall
apply. CHAPTER
IV METHODS FOR
ELIMINATION OF DOUBLE
TAXATION Article
22 Elimination of
Double
Taxation 1. In the case of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, double taxation
shall be eliminated as follows: Subject to the provisions of the laws of the Hong Kong Special
Administrative Region relating to the allowance of a credit against Hong Kong
Special Administrative Region tax of tax paid in a jurisdiction outside the Hong
Kong Special Administrative Region (which shall not affect the general principle
of this Article), Portuguese tax paid under the laws of Portugal and in
accordance with this Agreement, whether directly or by deduction, in respect of
income derived by a person who is a resident of the Hong Kong Special
Administrative Region from sources in Portugal, shall be allowed as a credit
against Hong Kong Special Administrative Region tax payable in respect of that
income, provided that the credit so allowed does not exceed the amount of Hong
Kong Special Administrative Region tax computed in respect of that income in
accordance with the tax laws of the Hong Kong Special Administrative
Region. 2. In the case of Portugal, double taxation shall be eliminated as
follows: Where a resident of Portugal derives income which, in accordance with the
provisions of this Agreement, may be taxed in Hong Kong Special Administrative
Region, Portugal shall allow as a deduction from the tax on the income of that
resident an amount equal to the income tax paid in Hong Kong Special
Administrative Region. Such deduction shall not, however, exceed that part of
the income tax as computed before the deduction is given, which is attributable
to the income which may be taxed in Hong Kong Special Administrative
Region. 3. Where in accordance with any provisions of this Agreement income derived by
a resident of a Contracting Party is exempt from tax in that Party, that Party
may nevertheless, in calculating the amount of tax on the remaining income of
such resident, take into account the exempted
income. CHAPTER
V SPECIAL
PROVISIONS Article
23 Non-Discrimination 1. Persons who, in the case of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region,
have the right of abode or are incorporated or otherwise constituted therein,
and, in the case of Portugal, are Portuguese nationals, shall not be subjected
in the other Contracting Party to any taxation or any requirement connected
therewith, which is other or more burdensome than the taxation and connected
requirements to which persons who have the right of abode or are incorporated or
otherwise constituted in that other Party (where that other Party is the Hong
Kong Special Administrative Region) or nationals of that other Party (where that
other Party is Portugal) in the same circumstances, in particular with respect
to residence, are or may be subjected. This provision shall, notwithstanding the
provisions of Article 1, also apply to persons who are not residents of one or
both of the Contracting
Parties. 2. Stateless persons who are residents of a Contracting Party shall not be
subjected in either Contracting Party to any taxation or any requirement
connected therewith, which is other or more burdensome than the taxation and
connected requirements to which persons who have the right of abode in the Party
(where the Party is the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region) or nationals of
the Party (where the Party is Portugal) in the same circumstances, in particular
with respect to residence, are or may be
subjected. 3. The taxation on a permanent establishment which an enterprise of a
Contracting Party has in the other Contracting Party shall not be less
favourably levied in that other Party than the taxation levied on enterprises of
that other Party carrying on the same activities. This provision shall not be
construed as obliging a Contracting Party to grant to residents of the other
Contracting Party any personal allowances, reliefs and reductions for taxation
purposes on account of civil status or family responsibilities which it grants
to its own
residents. 4. Except where the provisions of paragraph l of Article 9, paragraph
7 of Article 11, or paragraph 6 of Article 12, apply,
interest, royalties and other disbursements paid by an enterprise of a
Contracting Party to a resident of the other Contracting Party 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
Party. 5. Enterprises of a Contracting Party, the capital of which is wholly or
partly owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by one or more residents of
the other Contracting Party, shall not be subjected in the first-mentioned Party
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 the first-mentioned Party are or may be
subjected. 6. The provisions of this Article shall, notwithstanding the provisions of
Article 2, apply to taxes of every kind and
description. Article
24 Mutual Agreement
Procedure 1. Where a person considers that the actions of one or both of the Contracting
Parties result or will result for him in taxation not in accordance with the
provisions of this Agreement, he may, irrespective of the remedies provided by
the domestic law of those Parties, present his case to the competent authority
of the Contracting Party of which he is a resident or, if his case comes under
paragraph 1 of Article 23, to that of the Contracting Party in
which he has the right of abode or is incorporated or otherwise constituted (in
the case of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region) or of which he is a
national (in the case of Portugal). The case must be presented within three
years from the first notification of the action resulting in taxation not in
accordance with the provisions of the
Agreement. 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 a satisfactory solution,
to resolve the case by mutual agreement with the competent authority of the
other Contracting Party, with a view to the avoidance of taxation which is not
in accordance with the Agreement. Any agreement reached shall be implemented
notwithstanding any time limits in the domestic law of the Contracting
Parties. 3. The competent authorities of the Contracting Parties shall endeavour to
resolve by mutual agreement any difficulties or doubts arising as to the
interpretation or application of the Agreement. They may also consult together
for the elimination of double taxation in cases not provided for in the
Agreement. 4. The competent authorities of the Contracting Parties may communicate with
each other directly, including through a joint commission consisting of
themselves or their representatives, for the purpose of reaching an agreement in
the sense of the preceding
paragraphs. Article
25 Exchange of
Information 1. The competent authorities of the Contracting Parties shall exchange such
information as is foreseeably relevant for carrying out the provisions of this
Agreement or to the administration or enforcement of the domestic laws of the
Contracting Parties concerning taxes covered by the Agreement, insofar as the
taxation thereunder is not contrary to the Agreement. The exchange of
information is not restricted by Article
1. 2. Any information received under paragraph 1 by a Contracting
Party shall be treated as secret in the same manner as information obtained
under the domestic laws of that Party and shall be disclosed only to persons or
authorities (including courts and administrative bodies) concerned with the
assessment or collection of, the enforcement or prosecution in respect of, or
the determination of appeals in relation to the taxes referred to in
paragraph 1 . Such persons or authorities shall use the
information only for such purposes. They may disclose the information in public
court proceedings or in judicial decisions. Information shall not be disclosed
to any third jurisdiction for any
purpose. 3.
In no case shall the provisions of paragraphs 1 and 2
be construed so as to impose on a Contracting Party the
obligation:
(a) to carry out administrative measures at variance with the laws and
administrative practice of that or of the other Contracting
Party;
(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
Party;
(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
( ordre
public ). 4. If information is requested by a Contracting Party in accordance with this
Article, the other Contracting Party shall use its information gathering
measures to obtain the requested information, even though that other Party may
not need such information for its own tax purposes. The obligation contained in
the preceding sentence is subject to the limitations of paragraph 3
but in no case shall such limitations be construed to permit a Contracting Party
to decline to supply information solely because it has no domestic interest in
such
information. 5. In no case shall the provisions of paragraph 3 be construed to
permit a Contracting Party to decline to supply information solely because the
information is held by a bank, other financial institution, nominee or person
acting in an agency or a fiduciary capacity or because it relates to ownership
interests in a
person. Article
26 Fiscal
Privileges Nothing in this Agreement shall affect the fiscal privileges, including those of
members of consular posts, under the general rules of international law or under the
provisions of special
agreements. Article
27 Miscellaneous
Rules Nothing in this Agreement shall prejudice the right of each Contracting Party to
apply its domestic laws and measures concerning tax avoidance, whether or not
described as
such. CHAPTER
VI FINAL
PROVISIONS Article
28 Entry into
Force 1. Each Contracting Party shall notify the other, in writing and through
appropriate channels, that all the domestic procedures necessary for the entry
into force of this Agreement have been completed. The Agreement shall enter into
force on the thirtieth day following the date of the latter
notification. 2.
The provisions of the Agreement shall have
effect:
(a) in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region,
in
respect of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region tax, for any year of
assessment beginning on or after 1 April in the calendar year next following
that in which the Agreement enters into
force;
(b)
in Portugal,
(i) in respect of taxes withheld at source, the fact giving rise to
them appearing on or after the first day of January of the calendar year
next following that in which the Agreement enters into
force;
(ii) in respect of other taxes, as to income arising in any fiscal year
beginning on or after the first day of January of the calendar year next
following that in which the Agreement enters into
force. Article
29 Termination 1. This Agreement shall remain in force
indefinitely. 2. However, after the expiration of a period of five years from the date of
its entry into force, either Contracting Party may terminate the Agreement. The
termination shall be notified in writing and through appropriate channels,
before the thirtieth day of June of a calendar
year. 3.
In the event of termination, the Agreement shall cease to have
effect:
(a) in
the Hong Kong Special Administrative
Region, in
respect of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region tax, for any year of
assessment beginning on or after 1 April in the calendar year next following
that in which the notice is given;
(b)
in Portugal,
(i) in respect of taxes withheld at source, the fact giving rise to
them appearing on or after the first day of January of the calendar year
next following that in which the notice is
given;
(ii) in respect of other taxes, as to income arising in the fiscal year
beginning on or after the first day of January of the calendar year next
following that in which the notice is
given. Part
2 Paragraphs 1 to 6 of the Protocol to the
Agreement
between the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
of the
People’s Republic of China and the Portuguese
Republic for the Avoidance of
Double Taxation
and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with
respect to Taxes
on
Income 1. With
respect to Article 3 (General
Definitions) In respect
of paragraph 2 of Article 3, it is understood that the term “ any penalty or interest ” includes, in the case of
the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, any sum added to the Hong Kong
Special Administrative Region tax by reason of default and recovered therewith
and “additional tax” under Section 82A of the Inland Revenue
Ordinance. 2. With
respect to Article 6 (Income from Immovable
Property) In the
case of Portugal, it is understood that the provisions of Article 6 shall also
apply to income derived from movable property or from services, which are
connected with the use or the right to use the immovable property, and which,
under the taxation law of Portugal, is assimilated to income from immovable
property. 3. With
respect to Articles 10 (Dividends), 11 (Interest), 12 (Royalties), 13
(Capital Gains) and 21 (Other
Income) It is
understood that the provisions of Articles 10, 11, 12, 13 and 21 shall not apply
if it was the main purpose or one of the main purposes of any person concerned
with the creation or assignment of shares or other rights in respect of which
the dividends are paid, the creation or assignment of debt-claim in respect of
which the interest is paid, the creation or assignment of rights in respect of
which the royalties are paid, the alienation of property out of which the gains
are made, the creation or assignment of rights in respect of which income is
paid to take advantage of these Articles by means of that creation or
assignment. 4. With
respect to Article 10
(Dividends) In respect
of paragraph 3 of Article 10, in the case of Portugal, the term
“ dividends ” also includes profits attributed
under an arrangement for participation in profits (“associação em
participação”). 5. With
respect to Article 16 (Directors’
Fees) It is
understood that where a company is a resident of Portugal, Article 16 also
applies to a member of the supervisory board or organ of a company, that is,
“conselho fiscal” and “fiscal Único” . 6. With
respect to Article 25 (Exchange of
Information)
In respect
of Article 25, it is understood that:
(a) the Article does not obligate the Contracting Parties to exchange
information on a spontaneous or automatic
basis;
(b) the exchange of information provided in the Article does not include
measures which constitute “fishing
expeditions”;
(c) the provisions of the Article shall not apply
retrospectively;
(d) the Contracting Parties shall ensure the protection of personal data
transferred according to the Agreement and their domestic laws.
