Double Taxation Relief (Taxes on Income)(South Africa) Order 2002

JurisdictionUK Non-devolved
CitationSI 2002/3138
Year2002

2002 No. 3138

INCOME TAX

The Double Taxation Relief (Taxes on Income)(South Africa) Order 2002

Made 17th December 2002

At the Court at Buckingham Palace, the 17th day of December 2002

Present,

The Queen’s Most Excellent Majesty in Council

Whereas a draft of this Order was laid before the House of Commons in accordance with the provisions of section 788(10) of the Income and Corporation Taxes Act 19881, and an Address has been presented to Her Majesty by that House praying that an Order may be made in the terms of that draft:

Now, therefore, Her Majesty, in exercise of the powers conferred upon Her by section 788 of the said Act, and of all other powers enabling Her in that behalf, is pleased, by and with the advice of Her Privy Council, to order, and it is hereby ordered, as follows:

S-1 This Order may be cited as the Double Taxation Relief (Taxes on...

1. This Order may be cited as the Double Taxation Relief (Taxes on Income) (South Africa) Order 2002.

S-2 It is hereby declared— that the arrangements specified in the...

2. It is hereby declared—

(a) that the arrangements specified in the Convention set out in Part I of the Schedule to this Order and in the Exchange of Notes constituting an Agreement set out in Part II of that Schedule have been made with the Government of the Republic of South Africa with a view to affording relief from double taxation in relation to income tax, corporation tax or capital gains tax and taxes of a similar character imposed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa;

(b) that those arrangements include provisions with respect to the exchange of information necessary for carrying out the domestic laws of the United Kingdom and the laws of the Republic of South Africa concerning taxes covered by the arrangements including, in particular, provisions about the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to those taxes; and

(c) that it is expedient that those arrangements should have effect.

A. K. Galloway

Clerk of the Privy Council

SCHEDULE

SCHEDULE

1 CONVENTION BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND AND THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA FOR THE AVOIDANCE OF DOUBLE TAXATION AND THE PREVENTION OF FISCAL EVASION WITH RESPECT TO TAXES ON INCOME AND ON CAPITAL GAINS

PART I

CONVENTION BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND AND THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA FOR THE AVOIDANCE OF DOUBLE TAXATION AND THE PREVENTION OF FISCAL EVASION WITH RESPECT TO TAXES ON INCOME AND ON CAPITAL GAINS

Preamble

Preamble

The Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the Republic of South Africa desiring to promote and strengthen the economic relations between the two countries by the conclusion of a new Convention for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income and on capital gains,

Have agreed as follows:

Persons Covered

Article 1

Persons Covered

This Convention shall apply to persons who are residents of one or both of the Contracting States.

Taxes Covered

Article 2

Taxes Covered

SCH-1.1

1. This Convention shall apply to taxes on income and on capital gains imposed on behalf of a Contracting State or of its political subdivisions, irrespective of the manner in which they are levied.

SCH-1.2

2. There shall be regarded as taxes on income and on capital gains all taxes imposed on total income, or on elements of income, including taxes on gains from the alienation of movable or immovable property.

SCH-1.3

3. The existing taxes to which this Convention shall apply are in particular:

(a) in the case of South Africa:

(i) the normal tax;

(ii) the secondary tax on companies; and

(iii) the withholding tax on royalties;

(hereinafter referred to as “South African tax”);

(b) in the case of the United Kingdom:

(i) the income tax;

(ii) the corporation tax; and

(iii) the capital gains tax;

(hereinafter referred to as “United Kingdom tax”).

SCH-1.4

4. This Convention shall also apply to any identical or substantially similar taxes that are imposed by either Contracting State after the date of signature of this Convention in addition to, or in place of, the existing taxes. The competent authorities of the Contracting States shall notify each other of any significant changes that have been made in their respective taxation laws.

General Definitions

Article 3

General Definitions

SCH-1.1

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

(a) the term “South Africa” means the Republic of South Africa and, when used in a geographical sense, includes the territorial sea thereof as well as any area outside the territorial sea, including the continental shelf, which has been or may hereafter be designated, under the laws of South Africa and in accordance with international law, as an area within which South Africa may exercise sovereign rights or jurisdiction;

(b) the term “United Kingdom” means Great Britain and Northern Ireland, including any area outside the territorial sea of the United Kingdom which in accordance with international law has been or may hereafter be designated, under the laws of the United Kingdom concerning the Continental Shelf, as an area within which the rights of the United Kingdom with respect to the sea bed and sub-soil and their natural resources may be exercised;

(c) the terms “a Contracting State” and “the other Contracting State” mean South Africa or the United Kingdom, as the context requires;

(d) the term “business” includes the performance of professional services and of other activities of an independent character;

(e) the term “company” means any body corporate or any entity that is treated as a body corporate for tax purposes;

(f) the term “competent authority” means:

(i) in the case of South Africa, the Commissioner for the South African Revenue Service or an authorised representative; and

(ii) in the case of the United Kingdom, the Commissioners of Inland Revenue or their authorised representative;

(g) the term “enterprise” applies to the carrying on of any business;

(h) 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;

(i) 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;

(j) the term “national” means:

(i) in relation to South Africa, any individual possessing South African nationality and any legal person or association deriving its status as such from the law in force in South Africa; and

(ii) in relation to the United Kingdom, any British citizen, or any British subject not possessing the citizenship of any other Commonwealth country or territory, provided such citizen or subject has the right of abode in the United Kingdom; and any legal person, partnership, association or other entity deriving its status as such from the law in force in the United Kingdom;

(k) the term “person” includes an individual, a company and any other body of persons and does not include a partnership.

SCH-1.2

2. As regards the application of the provisions of this 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 for the purposes of the taxes to which this Convention applies, any meaning under the applicable tax laws of that State prevailing over a meaning given to the term under other laws of that State.

Residence

Article 4

Residence

SCH-1.1

1. For the purposes of this Convention, the term “resident of a Contracting State” means any person who, under the laws of that State, is liable to tax therein by reason of that person’s domicile, residence, place of management, place of incorporation or any other criterion of a similar nature, and also includes that State and any political subdivision or local authority thereof.

SCH-1.2

2. Where by reason of the provisions of paragraph (1) of this Article an individual is a resident of both Contracting States, then that individual’s status shall be determined in accordance with the following rules:

(a) the individual shall be deemed to be a resident solely of the Contracting State in which a permanent home is available to the individual; if a permanent home is available to the individual in both States, the individual shall be deemed to be a resident solely of the State with which the individual’s personal and economic relations are closer (centre of vital interests);

(b) if sole residence cannot be determined under the provisions of sub-paragraph (a), the individual shall be deemed to be a resident solely of the State in which the individual has an habitual abode;

(c) if the individual has an habitual abode in both Contracting States or in neither of them, the individual shall be deemed to be a resident solely of the State of which the individual is a national;

(d) if the individual is a national of both Contracting States or of neither of them, the competent authorities of the Contracting States shall settle the question by mutual agreement.

SCH-1.3

3. Where by reason of the provisions of paragraph (1) of this Article a person other than an individual is a resident of both Contracting States, then it shall be deemed to be a resident solely of the State in which its place of effective management is situated.

Permanent Establishment

Article 5

Permanent Establishment

SCH-1.1

1. For the purposes of this Convention, the term “permanent establishment” means a fixed place of business through which the business of an enterprise is wholly or partly carried on.

SCH-1.2

2. The term...

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