TaxTMI 
TaxTMI 
Agreement between the Government of the Republic of India and Government of Republic of India and the Government of Singapore for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes
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.... THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF INDIA AND THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE FOR THE AVOIDANCE OF DOUBLE TAXATION AND THE PREVENTION OF FISCAL EVASION WITH RESPECT TO TAXES ON INCOME The Government of the Republic of India and the Government of the Republic of Singapore. Desiring to conclude an Agreement for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income. 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. The taxes to which this Agreement shall apply are: (a) In India: Income-tax including any surcharge thereon (hereinafter referred to as "Indian tax"); (b) In Singapore: The income-tax (hereinafter referred to as "Singapore tax"). 2. The Agreement shall also apply to any identical or substantially similar taxes which are imposed by either Contracting State after the date of signature of the present Agreement in addition to, or in place of, the taxes referred to in paragraph 1. The competent autho....
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....xt requires, but shall not include any amount which is payable in respect of any default or omission in relation to the taxes to which this Agreement applies or which represents a penalty imposed relating to those taxes. 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 law of that State concerning the taxes to which the Agreement applies. ARTICLE 4 RESIDENT 1. For the purposes of this Agreement, the term "resident of a Contracting State" means any person who is a resident of a Contracting State in accordance with the taxation laws of that State. 2. Where by reason of the provisions of paragraph 1, an individual is a resident of both Contracting States, then his status shall be determined as follows:-- (a) he shall be deemed to be a resident of the State in which he has a permanent home available to him; if he has a permanent home available to him in both States, he shall be deemed to be a resident of the State with which his personal and economic relations are closer (centre of vital interests); (b) if the State in....
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....thstanding the provisions of paragraphs 3 and 4, an enterprise shall be deemed to have a permanent establishment in a Contracting State and to carry on business through that permanent establishment if it provides services or facilities in that Contracting State for a period of more than 183 days in any fiscal year in connection with the exploration, exploitation or extraction of mineral oils in that Contracting State. 6. An enterprise shall be deemed to have a permanent establishment in a Contracting State if it furnishes services, other than services referred to in paragraphs 4 and 5 of this Article and technical services as defined in Article 12, within a Contracting State through employees or other personnel, but only if: (a) activities of that nature continue within that Contracting State for a period or periods aggregating to more than 90 days in any fiscal year; or (b) activities are performed for a related enterprise (within the meaning of Article 9 of this Agreement) for a period or periods aggregating to more than 30 days in any fiscal year. 7. Notwithstanding the preceding provisions of this Article, the term "permanent establishment" shall be deem....
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....ent 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 itself or on behalf of that enterprise and other enterprises controlling, controlled by, or subject to the same common control, as that enterprise, he will not be considered an agent of an independent status within the meaning of this paragraph. 10. 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 Contracting 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 situated in the other Contracting State may be taxed in that other 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 ques....
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....curred, whether in the State in which the permanent establishment is situated or elsewhere, in accordance with the provisions of and subject to the limitations of the taxation laws of that State. 4. In so far as it has been customary in the 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 the preceding paragraphs, 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 items of income which are dealt with separately in oth....
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....l 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 financial 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. 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 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 State, but if the recipient is the beneficial owner of the dividends, the tax so charged shall not exceed: (a) 10 per cent of the gross amount of the dividends if the beneficial owner is a company which owns at least 25 per cent of the shares of the company paying the dividends; (b) 15 per cent of the gro....
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.... be deemed to arise in Singapore: (i) if they are paid by a company which is a resident of Singapore; or (ii) if they are paid by a company which is a resident of Malaysia out of profits arising in Singapore and qualifying as dividends arising in Singapore under Article VII of the Agreement for the Avoidance of Double Taxation between Singapore and Malaysia signed on 26th December, 1968. ARTICLE 11 INTEREST 1. Interest arising in a Contracting State and paid to a resident of the other Contracting State may be taxed in that other State. 2. However, such interest may also be taxed in the Contracting State in which it arises, and according to the laws of that State, but if the beneficial owner of the interest is a resident of the other Contracting State, the tax so charged shall not exceed: (a) 10 per cent of the gross amount of the interest if such interest is paid on a loan granted by a bank carrying on a bona fide banking business or by a similar financial institution (including an insurance company); (b) 15 per cent of the gross amount of the interest in all other cases. 3. The term "interest" as used in this Article means income ....
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....in a Contracting State and paid to a resident of the other Contracting State may be taxed in that other State. 2. However, such royalties and fees for technical services may also be taxed in the Contracting State in which they arise and according to the laws of that State, but if the recipient is the beneficial owner of the royalties or fees for technical services, the tax so charged shall not exceed: (a) in the case of royalties referred to in paragraph 3(a) and fees for technical services as defined in this Article (other than services described in sub-paragraph (b) of this paragraph, 15 per cent of the gross amount of the royalties and fees; (b) in the case of royalties referred to in paragraph 3(b) and fees for technical services as defined in this Article that are ancillary and subsidiary to the enjoyment of property for which royalties under paragraph 3(b) are received, 10 per cent of the gross amount of the royalties and fees. 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: (a) any copyright of a literary, artistic or scientific work, including cinemat....
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....ructure used for the exploration or exploitation of natural resources referred to in paragraph 2(j) of Article 5; (g) for services referred to in paragraphs 4 and 5 of Article 5. 6. The provisions of paragraphs 1 and 2 shall not apply if the beneficial owner of the royalties or fees for technical services, being a resident of a Contracting State, carries on business in the other Contracting State in which the royalties or fees for technical services arise, through a permanent establishment situated therein, or performs in that other State independent personal services from a fixed base situated therein, and the right, property or contract in respect of which the royalties or fees for technical services 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. 7. Royalties and fees for technical services shall be deemed to arise in a Contracting State when the payer is that State itself, a political sub-division, a local authority, a statutory body or a resident of that State. Where, however, the person paying the royalties or fees for technical services,....
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....hich is a resident of a Contracting State may be taxed in that State. 6. Gains from the alienation of any property other than that mentioned in paragraphs 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 of this Article and paragraph 3(b) of Article 12 shall be taxable only in the Contracting State of which the alienator is a resident. ARTICLE 14 INDEPENDENT PERSONAL SERVICES 1. Income derived by an individual who is a resident of a Contracting State from the performance of professional services or other independent activities of a similar character shall be taxable only in that State except in the following circumstances when such income may also be taxed in the other Contracting State: (a) if he has a fixed base regularly available to him in the other Contracting State for the purpose of performing his activities; in that case, only so much of the income as is attributable to that fixed base may be taxed in that other State; or (b) if his stay in the other Contracting State is for a period or periods amounting to or exceeding in the aggregate 90 days in the relevant fiscal year, in that case, only so much of the income as is derived from his activities performed in that other State....
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....g State may be taxed in that other State. ARTICLE 17 ARTISTES AND SPORTSPERSONS 1. Notwithstanding the provisions of Articles 14 and 15, income derived by a resident of a Contracting State as an artiste such as a theatre, motion picture, radio or television artiste or a musician or as a sportsperson, from his personal activities as such exercised in the other Contracting State may be taxed in that other State. 2. Where income in respect of or in connection with personal activities exercised by an artiste or sportsperson accrues not to the artiste or sportsperson himself but to another person, that income may, notwithstanding the provisions of Articles 7, 14 and 15, be taxed in the Contracting State in which the activities of the artistes or sportspersons are exercised. 3. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph 1, income derived by an artiste or a sportsperson who is a resident of a Contracting State from his personal activities as such exercised in the other Contracting State, shall be taxable only in the first-mentioned State, if the activities in the other State are supported-wholly or substantially from the public funds of the first-mentioned State, including....
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....compensation for injuries received in the course of performance of services. 3. The term "annuity" means a stated sum payable periodically at stated times during life or during a specified or ascertainable period of time, under an obligation to make the payments in return for adequate and full consideration in money or money's worth. ARTICLE 20 STUDENTS AND TRAINEES 1. An individual who is or was a resident of a Contracting State immediately before making a visit to the other Contracting State and is temporarily present in the other State solely:- (a) as a student at a recognised university, college, school or other similar recognised educational institution in that other State; (b) as a business or technical apprentice; or (c) as a recipient of a grant, allowance or award for the primary purpose of study, research or training from the Government of either State or from a scientific, educational, religious or charitable organisation or under a technical assistance programme entered into by the Government of either State; shall be exempt from tax in that other State on: (i) all remittances from abroad for the purposes of his mai....
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....commercial activities; (iv) any other institution or body as may be agreed from time to time between the competent authorities of the Contracting States. (b) In the case of India means the Government of India and shall include: (i) the Governments of the States and the Union Territories of India; (ii) the Reserve Bank of India or any of its subsidiaries which is not engaged in the conduct of commercial activities; (iii) a statutory body not engaged in the conduct of commercial activities; (iv) any other institution or body as may be agreed from time to time between the competent authorities of the Contracting States. ARTICLE 23 INCOME NOT EXPRESSLY MENTIONED Items of income which are not expressly mentioned in the foregoing Articles of this Agreement may be taxed in accordance with the taxation laws of the respective Contracting States. ARTICLE 24 LIMITATION OF RELIEF 1. Where this Agreement provides (with or without other conditions) that income from sources in a Contracting State shall be exempt from tax, or taxed at a reduced rate in that Contracting State and under the laws in force in the other Contracting....
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.... respects so as not to affect their general character; (b) any other provisions which may subsequently be enacted granting an exemption or reduction of tax which is agreed by the competent authorities of the Contracting States to be of a substantially similar character to any provision referred to in sub-paragraph (a) of this paragraph, if such provision has not been modified thereafter or has been modified only in minor respects so as not to affect its general character. 4. Subject to the provisions of the laws of Singapore regarding the allowance as a credit against Singapore tax of tax paid in any country other than Singapore, Indian tax paid, whether directly or by deduction, in respect of income from sources within India shall be allowed as a credit against Singapore tax payable in respect of that income. Where such income is a dividend paid by a company which is a resident of India to a resident of Singapore which owns not less than 25 per cent, of the share capital of the company paying the dividends, the credit shall take into account Indian tax paid in respect of its profits by the company paying the dividends. 5. For the purposes of paragraph 4 of this Arti....
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....apital of which is wholly or partly owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by one or more residents of the other Contracting State, shall not be subjected in the first mentioned State to any taxation or any requirement connected therewith which is other or more burdensome than the taxation and connected requirement to which other similar enterprises of that first-mentioned State are or may be subjected in the same circumstances and under the same conditions. 4. Nothing contained in paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 of this Article shall be construed as: (a) obliging a Contracting State to grant to residents of the other Contracting State any personal allowances, reliefs, reductions and deductions which it grants to its own residents; (b) affecting any provisions of the tax laws of the respective Contracting States regarding the imposition of tax on non-resident per sons as such; (c) obliging a Contracting State to grant to nationals of the other Contracting State those personal allowances, reliefs, reductions and deductions for tax purposes which it grants to its own citizens who are not resident in that State or to such other persons as may be specified in ....
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....on thereunder is not contrary to the Agreement, in particular for the prevention of fraud or evasion of such taxes. Any information received by a Contracting State shall be treated as secret in the same manner as information obtained under the domestic laws of that State. However, if the information is originally regarded as secret in the transmitting State, it shall be disclosed only to person or authorities (including Courts and administrative bodies) involved in the assessment or collection of, the enforcement or prosecution in respect of, or the determination of appeals in relation to, the taxes which are the subject of the Agreement. Such persons or authorities shall use the information only for such purposes but may disclose the information in public Court proceedings or in judicial decisions. 2. The exchange of information or documents shall be either on a routine basis or on request with reference to a particular cases or both. 3. In no case shall the provisions of paragraph 1 be construed so as to impose on a Contracting State the obligation :- (a) to carry out administrative measures at variance with the laws or administrative practice of that or of the oth....