U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

WASHINGTON : 

1

69–112

" ! SENATE 106TH CONGRESS

1st Session

TREATY DOC.

1999

106–12

TAX CONVENTION WITH DENMARK

MESSAGE

FROM

THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

TRANSMITTING

CONVENTION BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED

STATES OF AMERICA AND THE GOVERNMENT OF THE KINGDOM

OF DENMARK FOR THE AVOIDANCE OF DOUBLE TAXATION AND

THE PREVENTION OF FISCAL EVASION WITH RESPECT TO

TAXES ON INCOME, SIGNED AT WASHINGTON ON AUGUST 19,

1999, TOGETHER WITH A PROTOCOL

SEPTEMBER 21, 1999.—Convention was read the first time, and together

with the accompanying papers, referred to the Committee on Foreign

Relations and ordered to be printed for the use of the Senate

(III)

LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL

THE WHITE HOUSE, September 21, 1999.

To the Senate of the United States:

I transmit herewith for Senate advice and consent to ratification

the Convention Between the Government of the United States of

America and the Government of the Kingdom of Denmark for the

Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion

with Respect to Taxes of Income, signed at Washington on August

19, 1999, together with a Protocol. Also transmitted for the information of the Senate is the report of the Department of State concerning the Convention.

It is my desire that the Convention and Protocol transmitted

herewith be considered in place of the Convention for the Avoidance of Double Taxation, signed at Washington on June 17, 1980,

and the Protocol Amending the Convention, signed at Washington

on August 23, 1983, which were transmitted to the Senate with

messages dated September 4, 1980 (S. Ex. Q, 96th Cong., 2d Sess.)

and November 16, 1983 (T. Doc. No. 98–12, 98th Cong., 1st Sess.),

and which are pending in the Committee on Foreign Relations. I

desire, therefore, to withdraw from the Senate the Convention and

Protocol signed in 1980 and 1983.

This Convention, which is similar to tax treaties between the

United States and other developed nations, provides maximum

rates of tax to be applied to various types of income and protection

from double taxation of income. The Convention also provides for

resolution of disputes and sets forth rules making its benefits unavailable to residents that are engaged in treaty-shopping.

I recommend that the Senate give early and favorable consideration to this Convention and that the Senate give its advice and

consent to ratification.

WILLIAM J. CLINTON.

(V)

LETTER OF SUBMITTAL

DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, September 7, 1999.

The PRESIDENT,

The White House.

THE PRESIDENT: I have the honor to submit to you, with a view

to its transmission to the Senate for advice and consent to ratification, the Convention Between the Government of the United States

of America and the Government of the Kingdom of Denmark for

the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal

Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Income, signed at Washington on

August 19, 1999 (‘‘the Convention’’), together with a Protocol.

This Convention replaces the current convention between the

United States of America and the Government of the Kingdom of

Denmark signed at Washington on May 6, 1948. This proposed

Convention generally follows the pattern of the U.S. Model Tax

Treaty while incorporating some features of the OECD Model Tax

Treaty and recent U.S. tax treaties with developed countries. The

proposed Convention provides for maximum rates of tax to be applied to various types of income, protection from double taxation of

income and exchange of information. It also contains rules making

its benefits unavailable to persons that are engaged in treaty shopping. Like other U.S. tax conventions, this Convention provides

rules specifying when income that arises in one of the countries

and is attributable to residents of the other country may be taxed

by the country in which the income arises (the ‘‘source’’ country).

The withholding rates on investment income under the proposed

Convention are the same as those in the U.S. Model Treaty. Pursuant to Article 10, dividends from direct investments are subject to

tax by the source country at a rate of five percent. The ownership

threshold for direct investment is ten percent. Other dividends are

generally taxable at 15 percent.

Under Article 12, royalties arising in one Contracting State and

owned by a resident of the other Contracting State are generally

subject to taxation only by the residence country.

Interest arising in one Contracting State and earned by a resident of the other Contracting State is generally subject to taxation

only by the residence country under Article 11.

There are exceptions to the above limitations on taxation by the

source country. The source country may tax dividends, interest and

royalties, if the beneficial owner of the income is a resident of one

Contracting State who carries on business in the other Contracting

State in which the income arises and, in the case of business profits, the income it attributable to a permanent establishment or, in
VI

the case of independent personal services, to a fixed base in that

other State.

The limitations on source country taxation of dividends, interest

and royalties in the preceding paragraphs are also subject to the

standard anti-abuse rules for certain classes of investment income

found in recent U.S. tax treaties.

The taxation of capital gains under the proposed Convention generally follows the format of the U.S. Model. Gains derived from the

sale of real property and from real property interests may be taxed

by the State in which the property is located. Likewise, gains from

the sale of personal property pertaining to a fixed base or forming

part of a permanent establishment situated in a Contracting State

may be taxed in that State. All other gains, including gains from

the alienation of ships, boats, aircraft and containers used in international traffic and gains from the sale of stock in a corporation,

are taxable only in the State of residence of the seller. As a variation from the rules under the U.S. Model, gains of an enterprise

of a Contracting State from the deemed alienation of an installation, drilling rig or ship used in the other State for the exploration

or exploitation of oil and gas resources may be taxed in that other

State in accordance with its law, but only to the extent of any depreciation taken in that other State. The proposed Convention also

contains accompanying provisions that serve to minimize possible

double taxation that could otherwise arise by allowing adjustments

to the timing of the taxation of capital gains.

Article 7 of the proposed Convention follows the standard rules

for taxation by the source country of the business profits of a resident of the other country. The source country’s right to tax such

profits is generally limited to cases in which the profits are attributable to a permanent establishment located in that country. As do

all recent U.S. treaties, this Convention preserves the right of the

United States to impose its branch taxes in addition to the basic

corporate tax on a branch’s business profits.

Consistent with the U.S. Model, Article 8 of the proposed Convention permits only the country of residence to tax profits from

international operation of ships or aircraft and income from the

use, maintenance or rental of containers used in international traffic. This reciprocal exemption extends to income from the rental on

a full basis of ships and aircraft and, if the ships or aircraft are

operated in international traffic by the lessee or the income is incidental to income from the operation of ships and aircraft in international traffic, to income from the rental on a bareboat basis of

ships and aircraft.

The proposed Protocol clarifies that the Scandinavian Airlines

System (SAS) is a consortium under Article 8, which means that

the profits of SAS Danmark A/S from its participation in SAS are

subject to the terms of Article 8, as described above.

The taxation of income from the performance of personal services

under Articles 14 through 17 of the new Convention generally follows U.S. standard treaty policy.

The rules for the taxation of pension income under Article 18 of

the proposed Convention vary from the rules found in the current

treaty and the U.S. Model. The proposed Convention provides for

taxation of private pensions only in the source State, subject to an
VII

exception for persons currently receiving pensions, who will continue to be taxed only in the country of residence.

Article 22 of the proposed Convention contains comprehensive

anti-treaty-shopping rules making its benefits unavailable to persons engaged in treaty-shopping. These provisions are similar to

those found in the U.S. Model Treaty and all recent U.S. treaties.

The proposed Convention provides a foreign tax credit for certain

taxes imposed under the Danish Hydrocarbon Tax Act, subject to

the same type of limitation that is found in other tax treaties with

countries on the North Sea (Article 23).

The proposed Convention also contains rules necessary for its administration, including rules for the resolution of disputes under

the Convention (Article 25), for exchange of information (Article 26)

and for assistance in the collection of taxes (Article 27).

The Convention would permit the General Accounting Office and

the tax-writing committees of Congress to obtain access to certain

tax information exchanged under the Convention for use in their

oversight of the administration of domestic tax laws.

In accordance with the provisions of Article 29, the proposed

Convention will enter into force when the Governments notify each

other that their requirements for entry into force have been met.

It will have effect, with respect to taxes withheld at the source, for

amounts paid or credited on or after the first day of the second

month next following the date on which the Convention enters into

force; with respect to other taxes, the Convention will take effect

for taxable periods beginning on or after the first day of January

next following the date on which the Convention enters into force.

Where the current convention would have provided greater relief

from tax than the proposed Convention, the current convention will

continue to have effect for an additional year at the election of any

person that was entitled to benefits under the current convention.

The proposed Convention will remain in force indefinitely unless

terminated by one of the Contracting States, pursuant to Article

30. That Article provides that either State may terminate the Convention by giving prior notice through diplomatic channels.

The proposed Convention is accompanied by a Protocol which will

be an integral part of the new treaty. The Protocol clarifies and

supplements the proposed Convention.

A technical memorandum explaining in detail the provisions of

the proposed Convention will be prepared by the Department of the

Treasury and will be submitted separately to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.

The Department of the Treasury and the Department of State cooperated in the negotiation of the Convention. It has the full approval of both Departments.

Respectfully submitted.

STROBE TALBOT.
(1)
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46