Australian Tax Treaties

New Zealand Convention  

CONVENTION BETWEEN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND FOR THE AVOIDANCE OF DOUBLE TAXATION WITH RESPECT TO TAXES ON INCOME AND FRINGE BENEFITS AND THE PREVENTION OF FISCAL EVASION  

CHAPTER III - TAXATION OF INCOME AND FRINGE BENEFITS  

ARTICLE 11   Interest  

1.    
Interest arising in a Contracting State and beneficially owned by 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 the tax so charged shall not exceed 10 per cent of the gross amount of the interest.

3.    
Notwithstanding paragraph 2, interest arising in a Contracting State and beneficially owned by a resident of the other Contracting State may not be taxed in the first-mentioned State if:

a) the interest is derived by a Contracting State or by a political sub-division or a local authority thereof (including a government investment fund), or by a bank performing central banking functions in a Contracting State; or

b) the interest is derived by a financial institution which is unrelated to and dealing wholly independently with the payer. For the purposes of this Article, the term " financial institution " means a bank or other enterprise substantially deriving its profits by raising debt finance in the financial markets or by taking deposits at interest and using those funds in carrying on a business of providing finance.

4.    
Notwithstanding paragraph 3, interest referred to in subparagraph b) of that paragraph may be taxed in the State in which it arises at a rate not exceeding 10 per cent of the gross amount of the interest if:

a) in the case of interest arising in New Zealand, it is paid by a person that has not paid approved issuer levy in respect of the interest. This subparagraph a) shall not apply if New Zealand does not have an approved issuer levy, or the payer of the interest is not eligible to elect to pay the approved issuer levy, or if the rate of the approved issuer levy payable in respect of such interest exceeds two percent of the gross amount of the interest. For the purposes of this Article, " approved issuer levy " includes any identical or substantially similar charge payable by the payer of interest arising in New Zealand enacted after the date of this Convention in place of approved issuer levy; or

b) it is paid as part of an arrangement involving back-to-back loans or other arrangement that is economically equivalent and intended to have a similar effect to back-to-back loans.

5.    
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, as well as all other income treated as income from money lent by the laws, relating to tax, of the Contracting State in which the income arises, but does not include any income which is treated as a dividend under Article 10.

6.    
The provisions of paragraphs 1 and 2, subparagraph b) of paragraph 3 and paragraph 4 of this Article 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 and the debt-claim in respect of which the interest is paid is effectively connected with such permanent establishment. In such case the provisions of Article 7 shall apply.

7.    
Interest shall be deemed to arise in a Contracting State when the payer is a resident of that State for the purposes of its tax. Where, however, the person paying the interest, whether the person is a resident of a Contracting State or not, has in a Contracting State or outside both Contracting States a permanent establishment in connection with which the indebtedness on which the interest is paid was incurred, and such interest is borne by or deductible in determining the profits attributable to such permanent establishment, then such interest shall be deemed to arise in the State in which the permanent establishment is situated.

8.    
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, having regard to the debt-claim for which it is paid, exceeds the amount which might have been expected to 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 State, due regard being had to the other provisions of this Convention.

9.    
No relief shall be available under this Article if it was the main purpose or one of the main purposes of any person concerned with the assignment of the interest, the creation or assignment of the debt-claim or other rights in respect of which the interest is paid, or the establishment, acquisition or maintenance of the person which is the beneficial owner of the interest or the conduct of its operations, to take advantage of this Article. In any case where a Contracting State intends to apply this paragraph, the competent authority of that State shall consult with the competent authority of the other Contracting State.