Double taxation agreements

The right to taxation in the event of a sale of interests in property companies is subject to differing provisions. In accordance with the OECD Model Agreement, for those countries for which there is a “yes” in the real estate clause column, the right to taxation lies generally not with the country of residence of the seller but with the country in which the property is situated.
As regards withholding tax rates, a possible reduction must be taken into account when EU Directives (Parent-Subsidiary Directive, Interest and Royalties Directive) are applicable.

Under some existing Romanian DTAs, for dividends to qualify for a reduced withholding tax rate, the recipient must be a corporation that controls a specified percentage of the voting power of the distributing corporation. And under some existing Romanian DTAs, a lower withholding tax rate on interest applies to government debt or government-assisted debt.

Country Effective date Real estate clause Dividends % Interest % Royalties %
Albania 01.01.1996 no 10/15 10 15
Algeria 01.01.1997 no 15 15 15
Armenia 01.01.1998 yes 5/10 10 10
Australia 01.01.2002 yes 5/15 10 10
Austria 01.01.2007 yes 0/5 0*/3 3
Azerbaijan 01.01.2005 yes 5/10 8 10
Bangladesh 01.01.1989 yes 10/15 10 10
Belarus 01.01.1999 no 10 10 15
Belgium 01.01.1999 no 5/15 10 5

 

Country Effective date Real estate clause Dividends % Interest % Royalties %
Bosnia and Herzegovina 01.01.2019 yes 5/10 7 5
Bulgaria 01.01.2017 yes 5 5 5
Canada 01.01.2005 yes (includes only rental property) 5/15 0/10 5/10
China (P.R.C.) 01.01.2018 yes 3 3 3
Costa Rica 12.07.1991 (date of conclusion) not in force no 5/15 10 10
Croatia 01.01.1997 yes 5 10 10
Cyprus 01.01.1983 no 10 10 5
Czech Republic 01.01.1995 no 10 7 10
Denmark 01.01.1974 no 10/15 10 10

 

Country Effective date Real estate clause Dividends % Interest % Royalties %
Ecuador 01.01.1997 no 15 10 10
Egypt 01.01.1982 no 10 15 15
Estonia 01.01.2006 yes 10 10 10
Ethiopia 06.01.2009 no 10 15 15
Finland 01.01.2001 yes 5 5 2.5/5
France 01.01.1975 yes 10 10 10
Georgia 01.01.2000 yes 8 10 5
Germany 01.01.2004 yes 5/15 0*/3 3
Greece 01.01.1996 no 20 10 5/7

 

Country Effective date Real estate clause Dividends % Interest % Royalties %
Hong Kong 01.01.2017 yes 0/3/5 0/3 3
Hungary 01.01.1996 no 5/15 15 10
Iceland 01.01.2009 yes 5/10 3 5
India 01.01.2014 yes 10 10 10
Indonesia 01.01.2000 no 12.5/15 12.5 12.5/15
Iran 01.01.2008 yes 10 8 10
Ireland 01.01.2001 yes 3 0/3 0/3
Israel 01.01.1999 yes 15 5/10 10
Italy 01.01.2018 yes 0/5 5 5

 

Country Effective date Real estate clause Dividends % Interest % Royalties %
Japan 01.01.1978 no 10 10 10/15
Jordan 01.01.1985 no 15 12.5 15
Kazakhstan 01.01.2001 yes 10 10 10
Korea (D.P.R.K.) 01.01.2001 yes 10 10 10
Korea (R.O.K.) 01.01.1995 no 7/10 10 7/10
Kuwait 01.01.1992 no 0/1 0/1 20
Latvia 01.01.2003 yes 10 10 10
Lebanon 01.01.1998 no 5 5 5
Lithuania 01.01.2003 yes 10 10 10

 

Country Effective date Real estate clause Dividends % Interest % Royalties %
Luxembourg 01.01.1996 no 5/15 0/10 10
Macedonia 01.01.2003 yes 5 10 10
Malaysia 01.01.1985 no 10 15 12
Malta 01.01.1997 yes 5 5 5
Mexico 01.01.2002 yes 10 15 15
Moldova 01.01.1997 no 10 10 10/15
Montenegro 01.01.1998 no 10 10 10
Morocco 01.01.2007 yes 10 10 10
Namibia 01.01.2000 yes 15 15 15

 

Country Effective date Real estate clause Dividends % Interest % Royalties %
Netherlands 01.01.2000 no 0/5/15 0*/3 0*/3
Nigeria 01.01.1994 yes 12.5 12.5 12.5
Norway 01.01.2017 no 0/5/10 5 5
Pakistan 01.01.2002 yes 10 10 12.5
Philippines 01.01.1998 yes 10/15 10/15 10/15/25
Poland 01.01.1996 no 5/15 10 10
Portugal 01.01.2000 yes 10/15 10 10
Qatar 01.01.2004 yes 3 3 3
Russia 01.01.1996 no 15 15 10

 

Country Effective date Real estate clause Dividends % Interest % Royalties %
San Marino 01.01.2009 yes 0/5/10 3 3
Saudi Arabia 01.01.2013 no 5 5 10
Serbia 01.01.1998 no 10 10 10
Singapore 01.01.2003 no 5 5 5
Slovakia 01.01.1996 no 10 10 10/15
Slovenia 01.01.2004 yes 5 5 5
South Africa 01.01.1996 no 15 15 15
Spain 01.01.2022 yes 5 3 3
Sri Lanka 01.01.1986 no 12.5 10 10

 

Country Effective date Real estate clause Dividends % Interest % Royalties %
Sudan 01.01.2010 no 5/10 5 5
Sweden 01.01.1978 yes 10 10 10
Switzerland 01.01.1994 no 0/15 0/5 0*/10
Syria 01.01.2010 yes 5/15 10 12
Tajikistan 01.01.2010 yes 5/10 10 10
Thailand 01.01.1998 no 15/20 10/20/25 15
Tunisia 01.01.1990 no 12 10 12
Turkey 01.01.1989 no 15 10 10
Turkmenistan 01.01.2010 yes 10 10 15

 

Country Effective date Real estate clause Dividends % Interest % Royalties %
Ukraine 01.01.1998 yes 10/15 10 10/15
United Arab Emirates 01.01.2017 no 0/3 0/3 3
United Kingdom 04.01.1976 no 10/15 10 10/15
United States 01.01.1974 no 10 10 10/15
Uruguay 01.01.2015 yes 5/10  0/10 10
Uzbekistan 01.01.1998 yes 10 10 10
Vietnam 01.01.1997 yes 15 10 15
Zambia 01.01.1993 no 10 10 15

 

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