Australian Tax Treaties

Finnish Agreement  

AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF AUSTRALIA AND THE GOVERNMENT OF FINLAND FOR THE AVOIDANCE OF DOUBLE TAXATION WITH RESPECT TO TAXES ON INCOME AND THE PREVENTION OF FISCAL EVASION  

CHAPTER II - DEFINITIONS  

ARTICLE 3   General Definitions  

(1)    
For the purposes of this Agreement, 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 " Finland " means the Republic of Finland and, when used in a geographical sense, means the territory of the Republic of Finland, and any area adjacent to the territorial waters of the Republic of Finland within which, under the laws of Finland and in accordance with international law, the rights of Finland with respect to the exploration for and exploitation of the natural resources of the sea bed and its subsoil and of the superjacent waters may be exercised;

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

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

(e) 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;

(f) the term " tax " means Australian tax or Finnish 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;

(g) the term " Australian tax " means tax imposed by Australia, being tax to which this Agreement applies by virtue of Article 2;

(h) the term " Finnish tax " means tax imposed by Finland or its local authorities, being tax to which this Agreement applies by virtue of Article 2;

(i) 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 Finland, the Ministry of Finance or a representative authorised by the Ministry of Finance;

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

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

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

(m) 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;

(n) 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 Helsinki Stock Exchange and any other Finnish stock exchange recognised as such under Finnish law; and

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

(2)    
As regards the application of the Agreement 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 Agreement 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.