The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved the signing and ratification of the agreement between India and Seychelles for exchange of information with respect to taxes.

 The Agreement will stimulate the flow of exchange of information between India and Seychelles for tax purposes, which will help curb tax evasion and tax avoidance.

 The salient features of the agreement are as follows:

 i. It will enable the Competent Authorities of India and Seychelles to provide assistance through exchange of information that is foreseeably relevant to the administration and enforcement of the domestic laws of two countries concerning taxes covered by this agreement.

 ii. Information received under the agreement shall be treated as confidential and may be disclosed only to persons or authorities (including courts or administrative bodies) concerned with assessment, collection, enforcement, prosecution or determination of appeals, in relation to taxes covered under the agreement. Information may be disclosed to any other person or entity or authority or jurisdiction with the prior written consent of the country sending the information.

 iii. The agreement also provides for a Mutual Agreement Procedure for resolving any difference or for agreeing on procedures under the agreement.

 iv. The agreement will enter into force on the date of notification of completion of procedures required by the respective laws of the two countries, for entry into force of the agreement.

 As such, the agreement does not have any financial implications. Only in the event of extraordinary costs exceeding US Dollar 500, the Government of India will bear the same, as per Article 9 of the agreement. India has similar provisions in other such tax information exchange agreements.

Background:

 The Central Government is authorized under section 90 of the Income Tax Act, 1961 to enter into an agreement with a foreign country or specified territory for exchange of information for the prevention of evasion or avoidance of income-tax chargeable under the Income-tax Act, 1961. Negotiations for entering into an agreement for the exchange of information with respect to taxes were conducted at Seychelles from 8th to 9th June, 2015. Pursuant to this, India Seychelles have agreed on the text of the agreement.

 India has signed similar bilateral agreements for Exchange of Tax Information with Argentina, Bahamas, Bahrain, Belize, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Isle of Man, Jersey, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Macao, Monaco and San Marino.

Exchange of tax information enables confidential cross border sharing to assist administration and enforcement of domestic tax laws. The approved agreement enables Competent Authorities of India and Seychelles to exchange information foreseeably relevant to administering and enforcing domestic tax laws, subject to confidentiality restrictions permitting disclosure only to persons or authorities concerned with tax assessment, collection, enforcement, prosecution or appeals, and requiring prior written consent of the sender for other disclosures. It establishes a Mutual Agreement Procedure for resolving differences, enters into force after each country completes domestic procedures, and contemplates that extraordinary costs may be borne by India under the agreement's cost provision.