Australian Tax Treaties

Norwegian Convention  

CONVENTION BETWEEN AUSTRALIA AND THE KINGDOM OF NORWAY FOR THE AVOIDANCE OF DOUBLE TAXATION WITH RESPECT TO TAXES ON INCOME AND THE PREVENTION OF FISCAL EVASION  

ARTICLE 3   General Definitions  

(1)    
For the purposes of this Convention, unless the context otherwise requires:

(a) the term " Australia " , when used in a geographical sense, excludes all external territories other than:

(i) the Territory of Norfolk Island;

(ii) the Territory of Christmas Island;

(iii) the Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands;

(iv) the Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands;

(v) the Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands; and

(vi) the Coral Sea Islands Territory,

and includes any area adjacent to the territorial limits of Australia (including the Territories specified in this subparagraph) in respect of which there is for the time being in force, consistently with international law, a law of Australia dealing with the exploration for or exploitation of any of the natural resources of the seabed and subsoil of the continental shelf;

(b) the term " Norway " means the land territory, internal waters, the territorial sea and the area beyond the territorial sea where the Kingdom of Norway, according to Norwegian legislation and in accordance with international law, may exercise rights with respect to the seabed and subsoil and their natural resources; the terms do not comprise Svalbard, Jan Mayen and the Norwegian dependencies ( " biland " );

(c) the terms " Contracting State " , " one of the Contracting States " and " other Contracting State " shall refer to Australia or Norway, as the context requires;

(d) the term " Australian tax " means tax imposed by Australia, being tax to which this Convention applies by virtue of paragraphs 1 and 2 of Article 2;

(e) the term " Norwegian tax " means tax imposed by Norway or its political subdivisions or local authorities, being tax to which this Convention applies by virtue of paragraphs 1 and 2 of Article 2;

(f) the term " business " includes the performance of professional services and of other activities of an independent character;

(g) the term " company " means any body corporate or any entity which is treated as a company or body corporate for tax purposes;

(h) the term " competent authority " means, in the case of Australia, the Commissioner of Taxation or an authorised representative of the Commissioner and, in the case of Norway, the Minister of Finance or an authorised representative of the Minister;

(i) the term " enterprise " applies to the carrying on of any business;

(j) the terms " enterprise of a Contracting State " and " enterprise of the other Contracting State " mean respectively an enterprise carried on by a resident of a Contracting State and an enterprise carried on by a resident of the other Contracting State;

(k) the term " international traffic " means any transport by a ship or aircraft operated by an enterprise of a Contracting State, except when such transport is solely between places in the other Contracting State;

(l) the term " national " , in relation to a Contracting State, means:

(i) any individual possessing the nationality or citizenship of that Contracting State; and

(ii) any company deriving its status as such from the laws in force in that Contracting State;

(m) the term " person " includes an individual, a company and any other body of persons;

(n) the term " tax " means Australian tax or Norwegian tax as the context requires, but does not include any penalty or interest imposed under the law of either Contracting State relating to its tax;

(o) the term " recognised stock exchange " means:

(i) the Australian Stock Exchange and any other Australian stock exchange recognised as such under Australian law;

(ii) the Oslo Stock Exchange and any other Norwegian stock exchange recognised as such under Norwegian law; and

(iii) any other stock exchange agreed upon by the competent authorities.

(2)    
As regards the application of the Convention at any time by a Contracting State, 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 State concerning the taxes to which the Convention applies, any meaning under the applicable tax law of that State prevailing over a meaning given to the term under other law of that State.