AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE's REPUBLIC OF CHINA AND THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA FOR THE AVOIDANCE OF DOUBLE TAXATION AND THE PREVENTION OF FISCAL EVASION WITH RESPECT
颁布时间:1996-05-05
The Government of the People's Republic of China and the Government of
the Republic of Armenia,
Desiring to promote the development of economic, scientific, technical
and cultural cooperation between both States and to conclude an Agreement
for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion
with respect to taxes on income and on property,
Have agreed as follows:
Article 1 Personal Scope
This Agreement shall apply to persons who are residents of one or both
of the Contracting States.
Article 2 Taxes Covered
1. This Agreement shall apply to taxes on income and on property
imposed on behalf of a Contracting State or of its political subdivisions
or local authorities, irrespective of the manner in which they are levied.
2. There shall be regarded as taxes on income and on property all
taxes imposed on total income, on total property, or on elements of income
or of property, including taxes on gains from the alienation of movable or
immovable property, taxes on the total amounts of wages or salaries paid
by enterprises, as well as taxes on capital appreciation.
3. The existing taxes to which the Agreement shall apply are in
particular:
(a) in the Republic of Armenia;
(i) the profit tax;
(ii) the income tax;
(iii) the property tax;
(hereinafter referred to as "Armenian tax")
(b) in the People's Republic of China:
(i) the individual income tax;
(ii) the income tax for enterprises with foreign investment and
foreign enterprises;
(iii) the local income tax;
(hereinafter referred to as "Chinese tax").
4. The Agreement shall apply also to any identical or substantially
similar taxes which are imposed after the date of signature of the
Agreement in addition to , or in place of, the existing taxes referred to
in paragraph 3. The competent authorities of the Contracting States shall
notify each other of any substantial changes which have been made in their
respective taxation laws within a reasonable period of time after such
changes.
Article 3 General Definitions
1. For the purposes of this Agreement, unless the context otherwise
requires:
(a) the terms "a Contracting States" and "the other Contracting
States" mean Armenia or China, as the context requires;
(b) the term "Armenia" means the Republic of Armenia;
(c) the term "China" means the People's Republic of China;
(d) the terms "enterprise of a Contracting States" and "enterprise of
the other Contracting States" mean, respectively, an enterprise carried on
by a resident of a Contracting States and an enterprise carried on by a
resident of the other Contracting States;
(e) the term "tax" means Armenian tax or Chinese tax, as the context
requires;
(f) the term "person" includes an individual, a company and any other
body of persons;
(g) the term "company" means any body corporate or any entity which is
treated as a body corporate for tax purposes;
(h) the term "national" means:
(i) any individual possessing the nationality of a Contracting States;
(ii) any legal person created or organized under the laws of that
Contracting States, as well as organizations without juridical personality
treated for tax purposes as a legal person created or organized under the
laws of that Contracting States;
(i) the term "international traffic" means transport by a ship or
aircraft operated by an enterprise which is a resident of a Contracting
States, except when the ship or aircraft is operated solely between places
in the other Contracting States;
(j) the term "competent authority" means:
(i)in the case of Armenia-Ministry of Finance or its authorized
representative;
(ii) in the case of China-State Administration of Taxation or its
authorized representative.
2. As regards the application of THE Agreement by a Contracting State,
any term not defined therein shall, unless the context otherwise requires,
have the meaning which it has under the laws of that Contracting State
concerning the taxes to which this Agreement applies.
Article 4 Resident
1. For the purposes of this Agreement, the term "resident of a
Contracting State" means any person who, under the laws of that
Contracting State, is liable to tax therein by reason of his domicile,
residence, place of incorporation, place of head office or any other
criterion of a similar nature.
2. Where by reason of the provisions of paragraph 1 an individual is a
resident of both Contracting State, then his status shall be determined as
follows:
(a) he shall be deemed to be a resident of the Contracting State in
which he has a permanent home available to him; if he a permanent home
available to him in both Contracting State, he shall be deemed to be a
resident of the Contracting State which his personal and economic
relations are closer (centre of vital interests);
(b) if the State in which he has his centre of vital interests cannot
be determined, or if he has not a permanent home available to him in
either Contracting State, he shall be deemed to be an resident of the
State in which he has an habitual abode;
(c) if he has an habitual abode in both Contracting State or in
neither of them, he shall be deemed to be a resident of the Contracting
State of which he is a national;
(d) if he is a national of both Contracting State or of neither of
them, the competent authorities of the Contracting States shall settle the
question by mutual agreement.
3. Where by reason of the provisions of paragraph 1 a person other
than an individual is a resident of both Contracting State, the competent
authorities of the Contracting States shall settle the question by mutual
agreement.
Article 5 Permanent Establishment
1. For the purposes of this Agreement, the term "permanent
establishment" means a fixed place of business through which the business
of an enterprise is wholly or partly carried on.
2. The term "permanent establishment" includes especially:
(a) a place of management;
(b) a branch;
(c) an office;
(d) a factory;
(e) a workshop; and
(f) a mine, an oil or gas well, a quarry or any other place of
extraction of natural resources.
3. The term "permanent establishment" likewise encompasses:
(a) a building site, a construction, assembly or installation project
or supervisory activities in connection therewith, but only where such
site, period or activities continue for a period of more than 12 months;
(b) the furnishing of services, including consultancy services, by an
enterprise of a Contracting State through employees or other engaged
personnel in the other Contracting State provided that such activities
continue for the same project or a connected project for a period or
periods aggregating more than l2 months.
4. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraphs 1 to 3, the term
"permanent establishment" shall be deemed not to include:
(a) the use of facilities solely for the purpose of storage, display
or delivery of goods or merchandise belonging to the enterprise;
(b) the maintenance of a stock of goods or merchandise belonging to
the enterprise so1ely for the purpose of storage, display or delivery;
(c) the maintenance of a stock of goods or merchandise belonging to
the enterprise solely for the purpose of processing by another enterprise;
(d) the maintenance of a fixed place of business solely for the
purpose of purchasing goods or merchandise or of collecting information,
for the enterprise;
(e) the maintenance of a fixed place of business solely for the
purpose of carrying on, for the enterprise, any other activity of a
preparatory or auxiliary character;
(f) the maintenance of a fixed p1ace of business solely for any
combination of activities mentioned in sub--paragraphs (a) to (e),
provided that the overall activity of the fixed place of business
resulting from this combination is of a preparatory or auxiliary
character.
5. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraphs 1 and 2, where a
person--other than an agent of an independent status to whom the
provisions of paragraph 6 apply--is acting in a Contracting State on
behalf of an enterprise of the other Contracting State, has and habitually
exercises an authority to conclude contracts in the name of the
enterprise, that enterprise shall be deemed to have a permanent
establishment in the first--mentioned Contracting State in respect of any
activities which that person undertakes for the enterprise, unless the
activities of such person are limited to those mentioned in paragraph 4
which, if exercised through a fixed place of business, would not make this
fixed place of business a permanent establishment under the provisions of
that paragraph.
6. An enterprise of a Contracting State shall not be deemed to have a
permanent establishment in the other Contracting State merely because it
carries on business in that other State through a broker, general
commission agent or any other agent of an independent status, provided
that such persons are acting in the ordinary course of their business.
However, when the activities of such an agent are devoted wholly or almost
wholly on behalf of that enterprise, he will not be considered an agent of
an independent status within the meaning of this paragraph.
7. The fact that a company which is a resident of a Contracting State
controls or is controlled by a company which is a resident of the other
Contracting State, or which carries on business in that other State
(whether through a permanent establishment or otherwise), shall not of
itself constitute either company a permanent establishment of the other.
Article 6 Income from Immovable Property
1. Income derived by a resident of a Contracting State from immovable
property (including income from agriculture or forestry) situated in the
other Contracting State may be taxed in that other Contracting State.
2. The term "immovable property" shall have the meaning which it has
under the law of the Contracting State in which the property in question
is situated. Ships and aircraft shall not be regarded as immovable
property.
3. The provisions of paragraph 1 shall apply to income derived from
the direct use, letting, or use in any other form of immovable property.
4. The provisions of paragraphs 1 and 3 shall also apply to the income
from immovable property of an enterprise and to income from immovable
property used for the performance of independent personal services.
Article 7 Business Profits
1. The profits of an enterprise of a Contracting State shall be
taxable only in that Contracting State unless the enterprise carries on
business in the other Contracting State through a permanent establishment
situated therein. If the enterprise carries on business as aforesaid, the
profits of the enterprise may be taxed in the other Contracting State but
only so much of them as is attributable to that permanent establishment.
2. Subject to the provisions of paragraph 3, where an enterprise of a
Contracting State carries on business in the other Contracting State
through a permanent establishment situated therein, there shall in each
Contracting State be attributed to that permanent establishment the
profits which it might be expected to make if it were a distinct and
separate enterprise engaged in the same or similar activities under the
same or similar conditions and dealing wholly independently with the
enterprise of which it is a permanent establishment.
3. In determining the profits of a permanent establishment, there
shall be allowed as deductions expenses which are incurred for the
purposes of the business of the permanent establishment, including
executive and general administrative expenses so incurred, whether in the
State in which the permanent establishment is situated or else Where.
However, no such deduction shall be allowed in respect of amounts, if any,
paid (otherwise than towards reimbursement of actual expenses) by the
permanent establishment to the head office of the enterprise or any of its
other offices, by way of royalties, fees or other similar payments in
return for the use of patents or other rights, or by way of commission,
for specific services performed or for management, or, except in the case
of a banking enterprise, by way of interest on moneys lent to the
permanent establishment. Likewise, no account shall be taken, in the
determination of the profits of a permanent establishment, for amounts
charged (otherwise than towards reimbursement of actual expenses), by the
permanent establishment to the head office of the enterprise or any of its
other offices, by way of royalties, fees or other similar payments in
return for the use of patents or other rights, or by way of commission for
specific services performed or for management, or, except in the case of
banking enterprise by way of interest on moneys lent to the head office of
the enterprise or any of its other offices.
4. Insofar as it has been customary in a Contracting State to
determine the profits to be attributed to a permanent establishment on the
basis of an apportionment of the total profits of the enterprise to its
various parts, nothing in paragraph 2 shall preclude that Contracting
State from determining the profits to be taxed by such an apportionment as
may be customary. The method of apportionment adopted shall, however, be
such that the result shall be in accordance with the principles contained
in this Article.
5. No profits shall be attributed to a permanent establishment by
reason of the mere purchase by that permanent establishment of goods or
merchandise for the enterprise.
6. For the purposes of paragraphs 1 to 5, the profits to be attributed
to the permanent establishment shall be determined by the same method year
by year unless there is good and sufficient reason to the contrary.
7. Where profits include item of income which are dealt with
separately in other Articles of this Agreement, then the provisions of
those Articles shall no be affected by the provisions of this Article.
Article 8 International Traffic
1. Profits of an enterprise which is a resident of a Contracting State
from the operation of ships or aircraft in international traffic shall be
taxable only in that Contracting State.
2. The provisions of paragraph 1 shall also apply to profits from the
participation in a pool, a joint business or an international operating
agency.
Article 9 Associated Enterprises
1. Where
(a) an enterprise of a Contracting State participates directly or
indirectly in the management, control or capital of an enterprise of the
other Contracting State, or
(b) the same persons participate directly or indirectly in the
management, control or capital of an enterprise of a Contracting State and
an enterprise of the other Contracting State, and in either case
conditions are made or imposed between the two enterprises in their
commercial or financia1 relations Which differ from those which would be
made between independent enterprises, then any profits Which would, but
for those conditions, have accrued to one of the enterprises, but, by
reason of those conditions, have not so accrued, may be included in the
profits of that enterprise and taxed accordingly.
2. Where a Contracting State includes in the profits of an enterprise
of that Contracting State and taxes accordingly profits on Which an
enterprise of the other Contracting State has been charged to tax in that
other Contracting State, and the profits so included are profits which
would have accrued to the enterprise of the first-mentioned Contracting
State if the conditions made between the two enterprises had been those
which would have been made between independent enterprises, then that
other State shall make an appropriate adjustment to the amount of the tax
charged therein on those profits. In determining such adjustment, due
regard shall be had to the other provisions of this Agreement and the
competent authorities of the Contracting States shall, if necessary,
consult each other.
Article 10 Dividends
1. Dividends paid by a company which is a resident of a Contracting
State to a resident of the other Contracting State may be taxed in that
other Contracting State.
2. However, such dividends may also be taxed in the Contracting State
of which the company paying the dividends is a resident and according to
the laws of that Contracting State, but if the recipient is the beneficial
owner of the dividends the tax so charged shall not exceed:
(a) 5 per cent of the gross amount of the dividends if the beneficial
owner is a company (other than a partnership) which holds directly at
least 25 per cent of the capital of the company paying the dividends;
(b) 10 per cent of the gross amount of the dividends in all other
cases.
The provisions of this paragraph shall not affect the taxation of the
company in respect of the Profits out of which the dividends are paid.
3. The term "dividends" as used in this Article means income from
shares, or other rights, not being debt-claims, participating in profits,
as well as income from other corporate rights which is subjected to the
same taxation treatment as income from shares by the laws of the State of
which the company making the distribution is a resident.
4. The provisions of paragraphs 1 and 2 shall not apply if the
beneficial owner of the dividends, being a resident of a Contracting
State, carries on business in the other Contracting State of which the
company paying the dividends is a resident, through a permanent
establishment situated therein, or performs in that other Contracting
State independent Personal services from a fixed base situated therein,
and the holding in respect of Which the dividends are Paid is effectively
connected with such permanent establishment or fixed base. In such case
the provisions of Article 7 or Article 14, as the case may be, shall
apply.
5. Where a company Which is a resident of a Contracting State derives
profits or income from the other Contracting State, that other Contracting
State may not impose any tax on the dividends paid by the company, except
insofar as such dividend are paid to a resident of that other Contracting
State or insofar as the holding in respect of which the dividends are paid
is effectively connected with a permanent establishment or a fixed base
situated in that other Contracting State, nor subject the company's
undistributed profits to a tax on the company's undistributed profits,
even if the dividends paid or the undistributed profits consist wholly or
partly of profits or income arising in such other Contracting State.
Article 11 Interest
1. Interest arising in a Contracting State and paid to a resident of
the other Contracting State may be taxed in the other Contracting State.
2. However, such interest may also be taxed in the Contracting State in
which it arises and according to the laws of that Contracting State, but
if the recipient is the beneficial owner of the interest the tax so
charged shall not exceed 10 per cent of the gross amount of the interest.
3. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph 2, interest arising in
a Contracting State and derived by the Government of the other Contracting
State, a political subdivision, a local authority and the Central Bank
thereof or any financial institution wholly owned by that Government,
shall be exempt from tax in the first--mentioned State.
4. 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, including premiums and prizes attaching to such securities,
bonds or debentures. Penalty charges for late payment shall not be
regarded as interest for the purpose of this Article.
5. The provisions of paragraphs 1 to 3 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, or performs in
that other Contracting State independent personal services from a fixed
base situated therein, and the debt-claim in respect of which the interest
is paid is effectively connected with such permanent establishment or
fixed base. In such case the provisions of Artic1e 7 or Article 14, as
the case may be, shall apply.
6. Interest shall be deemed to arise in a Contracting State when the
payer is the Government of that Contracting State, a political
subdivision, a local authority or a resident of that Contracting State.
Where, however, the person paying the interest, whether he is a resident
of a Contracting State or not, has in a Contracting State a permanent
establishment or a fixed base in connection with which the indebtedness on
which the interest is paid was incurred, and such interest is borne by
such permanent establishment or fixed base, then such interest shall be
deemed to arise in the Contracting State in which the permanent
establishment or fixed base is situated.
7. 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 would 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 Agreement.
Article 12 Royalties
1. Royalties arising in a Contracting State and paid to a resident of
the other Contracting State may be taxed in that other Contracting State.
2. However, such royalties may also be taxed in the Contracting State
in which they arise and according to the laws of that Contracting State,
but if the recipient is the beneficial owner of the royalties, the tax so
charged shall not exceed 10 per cent of the gross amount of the royalties.
3. The term "royalties" as used in this Article means payments of any
kind received as a consideration for the use of, or the right to use, any
copyright of literary, artistic or scientific work including cinematograph
films and films or tapes for radio or television broadcasting, any patent,
know--how, trade mark, design or model, plan, secret formula or process,
or for the use of , or the right to use, industrial, commercial or
scientific equipment, or for information concerning industrial, commercial
or scientific experience.
4. The provisions of paragraphs 1 and 2 shall not apply if the
beneficial owner of the royalties, being a resident of a Contracting
State, carries on business in the other Contracting State in which the
royalties arise, through a permanent establishment situated therein, or
performs in that other Contracting State independent personal services
from a fixed base situated therein, and the right or property in respect
of which the royalties are paid is effectively connected with such
permanent establishment or fixed base. In such case the provisions of
Article 7 or Article 14, as the case may be, shall apply.
5. Royalties shall be deemed to arise in a Contracting State when the
payer is the Government of that Contracting State, a Political
subdivision, a local authority or a resident of that Contracting State.
Where, however, the person paying the royalties, whether he is a resident
of a Contracting State or not, has in a Contracting State a permanent
establishment or a fixed base in connection with which the liability to
pay the royalties was incurred, and such royalties are borne by such
permanent establishment or fixed base, then such royalties shall be deemed
to arise in the Contracting State in which the permanent establishment or
fixed base is situated.
6. 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 royalties, having regard to the use, right or information
for which they are paid, exceeds the amount which would 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 pare of the payments shall
remain taxable according to the law of each Contracting State, due regard
being had to the other provisions of this Agreement.
Article 13 Capital Gains
1. Gains derived by a resident of a Contracting State from the
alienation of immovable property referred to in Article 6 and situated in
the other Contracting State may be taxed in that other Contracting State.
2. Gains from the alienation of movable property forming part of the
business property of a permanent establishment which an enterprise of a
Contracting State has in the other Contracting State or of movable
property pertaining to a fixed base available to a resident of a
Contracting State in the other Contracting State for the purpose of
performing independent personal services, including such gains from the
alienation of such a permanent establishment (alone or together with the
whole enterprise) or of such a fixed base, may be taxed in that other
Contracting State.
3. Gains from the alienation of ship or aircraft operated in
international traffic by an enterprise which is a resident of a
Contracting State, or movable property pertaining to the operation of such
ships or aircraft, shall be taxable only on that Contracting State.
Gains from the alienation of any property other than that referred to
in paragraphs to 3, shall be taxable only in the Contracting State of
which the alienator is a resident.