Table of Contents
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Some common tax treaty benefits,
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How to get help in certain situations, and
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How to get copies of tax treaties.
Publication
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597 Information on the United States—Canada Income Tax Treaty
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901 U.S. Tax Treaties
See chapter 7 for information about getting these publications.
The United States has tax treaties or conventions with many countries. See Table 6-1 at the end of this chapter for a list of these countries.
Under these treaties and conventions, citizens and residents of the United States who are subject to taxes imposed by the foreign countries are entitled to certain credits, deductions, exemptions, and reductions in the rate of taxes of those foreign countries. If a foreign country with which the United States has a treaty imposes a tax on you, you may be entitled to benefits under the treaty.
Treaty benefits generally are available to residents of the United States. They generally are not available to U.S. citizens who do not reside in the United States. However, certain treaty benefits and safeguards, such as the nondiscrimination provisions, are available to U.S. citizens residing in the treaty countries. U.S. citizens residing in a foreign country also may be entitled to benefits under that country's tax treaties with third countries.
Some common tax treaty benefits are explained below. The credits, deductions, exemptions, reductions in rate, and other benefits provided by tax treaties are subject to conditions and various restrictions. Benefits provided by certain treaties are not provided by others.
Personal service income. If you are a U.S. resident who is in a treaty country for a limited number of days in the tax year and you meet certain other requirements, the payment you receive for personal services performed in that country may be exempt from that country's income tax.
Professors and teachers. If you are a U.S. resident, the payment you receive for the first 2 or 3 years that you are teaching or doing research in a treaty country may be exempt from that country's income tax.
Students, trainees, and apprentices. If you are a U.S. resident, amounts you receive from the United States for study, research, or business, professional and technical training may be exempt from a treaty country's income tax.
Some treaties exempt grants, allowances, and awards received from governmental and certain nonprofit organizations. Also, under certain circumstances, a limited amount of pay received by students, trainees, and apprentices may be exempt from the income tax of many treaty countries.
Pensions and annuities. If you are a U.S. resident, nongovernment pensions and annuities you receive may be exempt from the income tax of treaty countries.
Most treaties contain separate provisions for exempting government pensions and annuities from treaty country income tax, and some treaties provide exemption from the treaty country's income tax for social security payments.
Investment income. If you are a U.S. resident, investment income, such as interest and dividends, that you receive from sources in a treaty country may be exempt from that country's income tax or taxed at a reduced rate.
Several treaties provide exemption for capital gains (other than from sales of real property in most cases) if specified requirements are met.
Tax credit provisions. If you are a U.S. resident who receives income from or owns capital in a foreign country, you may be taxed on that income or capital by both the United States and the treaty country.
Most treaties allow you to take a credit against or deduction from the treaty country's taxes based on the U.S. tax on the income.
Nondiscrimination provisions. Most U.S. tax treaties provide that the treaty country cannot discriminate by imposing more burdensome taxes on U.S. citizens who are residents of the treaty country than it imposes on its own citizens in the same circumstances.
Saving clauses. U.S. treaties contain saving clauses that provide that the treaties do not affect the U.S. taxation of its own citizens and residents. As a result, U.S. citizens and residents generally cannot use the treaty to reduce their U.S. tax liability.
However, most treaties provide exceptions to saving clauses that allow certain provisions of the treaty to be claimed by U.S. citizens or residents. It is important that you examine the applicable saving clause to determine if an exception applies.
If you are a U.S. citizen or resident alien, you can request assistance from the U.S. competent authority if you think that the actions of the United States, a treaty country, or both, cause or will cause a tax situation not intended by the treaty between the two countries. You should read any treaty articles, including the mutual agreement procedure article, that apply in your situation.
The U.S. competent authority cannot consider requests involving countries with which the United States does not have a tax treaty.
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You are denied treaty benefits.
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Actions taken by both the United States and the foreign country result in double taxation or will result in taxation not intended by the treaty.
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Filing a protective claim for credit or refund of U.S. taxes.
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Delaying the expiration of any period of limitations on the making of a refund or other tax adjustment.
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Avoiding the lapse or termination of your right to appeal any tax determination.
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Complying with all applicable procedures for invoking competent authority consideration.
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Contesting an adjustment or seeking an appropriate correlative adjustment with respect to the U.S. or treaty country tax.
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A reference to the treaty and the treaty provisions on which the request is based.
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The years and amounts involved in both U.S. dollars and foreign currency.
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A brief description of the issues for which competent authority assistance is requested.
![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20130216235952im_/http://www.irs.gov/publications/images/envelope.gif)
Deputy Commissioner (International)
Large Business and International Division
Attn: Office of Tax Treaty
Internal Revenue Service
1111 Constitution Avenue, NW
Routing MA3-322A
Washington, DC 20224
Office of Associate Chief Counsel (International)
Internal Revenue Service
1111 Constitution Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20224
Additional details on the procedures for requesting competent authority assistance are included in Revenue Procedure 2006-54, or its successor.
Table 6-1 lists those countries with which the United States has income tax treaties. This table is updated through October 31, 2012.
You can get complete information about treaty provisions from the taxing authority in the country from which you receive income or from the treaty itself. You can obtain the text of most U.S. treaties at IRS.gov. You also can request the text of treaties from the Department of Treasury at the following address.
Department of Treasury
Office of Business and Public Liaison
Rm. 3411
1500 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20220
If you have questions about a treaty and you are in the United States, Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin Islands, you can call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040.
Table 6–1.List of Tax Treaties (Updated through October 31, 2012)
Country | Official Text Symbol1 |
General Effective Date |
Citation | Applicable Treasury Explanations or Treasury Decision (T.D.) |
Australia | TIAS 10773 | Dec. 1, 1983 | 1986-2 C.B. 220 | 1986-2 C.B. 246 |
Protocol | TIAS | Jan. 1, 2004 | ||
Austria | TIAS | Jan. 1, 1999 | ||
Bangladesh | TIAS | Jan. 1, 2007 | ||
Barbados | TIAS 11090 | Jan. 1, 1984 | 1991-2 C.B. 436 | 1991-2 C.B. 466 |
Protocol | TIAS | Jan. 1, 2005 | ||
Belgium | TIAS | Jan. 1, 2008 | ||
Bulgaria | TIAS | Jan. 1, 2009 | ||
Canada2 | TIAS 11087 | Jan. 1, 1985 | 1986-2 C.B. 258 | 1987-2 C.B. 298 |
Protocol | TIAS | Jan. 1, 2009 | ||
China, People's Republic of | TIAS 12065 | Jan. 1, 1987 | 1988-1 C.B. 414 | 1988-1 C.B. 447 |
Commonwealth of Independent States3 | TIAS 8225 | Jan. 1, 1976 | 1976-2 C.B. 463 | 1976-2 C.B. 475 |
Cyprus | TIAS 10965 | Jan. 1, 1986 | 1989-2 C.B. 280 | 1989-2 C.B. 314 |
Czech Republic | TIAS | Jan. 1, 1993 | ||
Denmark | TIAS | Jan. 1, 2001 | ||
Protocol | TIAS | Jan. 1, 2008 | ||
Egypt | TIAS 10149 | Jan. 1, 1982 | 1982-1 C.B. 219 | 1982-1 C.B. 243 |
Estonia | TIAS | Jan. 1, 2000 | ||
Finland | TIAS 12101 | Jan. 1, 1991 | ||
Protocol | TIAS | Jan. 1, 2008 | ||
France | TIAS | Jan. 1, 1996 | ||
Protocol | TIAS | Jan. 1, 2009 | ||
Germany | TIAS | Jan. 1, 1990 | ||
Protocol | TIAS | Jan. 1, 2008 | ||
Greece | TIAS 2902 | Jan. 1, 1953 | 1958-2 C.B. 1054 | T.D. 6109, 1954-2 C.B. 638 |
Hungary | TIAS 9560 | Jan. 1, 1980 | 1980-1 C.B. 333 | 1980-1 C.B. 354 |
Iceland | TIAS 8151 | Jan. 1, 2009 | ||
India | TIAS | Jan. 1, 1991 | ||
Indonesia | TIAS 11593 | Jan. 1, 1990 | ||
Ireland | TIAS | Jan. 1, 1998 | ||
Israel | TIAS | Jan. 1, 1995 | ||
Italy | TIAS | Jan. 1, 2010 | ||
Jamaica | TIAS 10207 | Jan. 1, 1982 | 1982-1 C.B. 257 | 1982-1 C.B. 291 |
Japan | TIAS | Jan. 1, 2005 | ||
Kazakhstan | TIAS | Jan. 1, 1996 | ||
Korea, South | TIAS 9506 | Jan. 1, 1980 | 1979-2 C.B. 435 | 1979-2 C.B. 458 |
Latvia | TIAS | Jan. 1, 2000 | ||
Lithuania | TIAS | Jan. 1, 2000 | ||
Luxembourg | TIAS | Jan. 1, 2001 | ||
Malta | TIAS | Jan. 1, 2011 | ||
Mexico | TIAS | Jan. 1,1994 | ||
Protocol | TIAS | Jan. 1, 2004 | ||
Table 6–1 (continued).
Country | Official Text Symbol1 |
General Effective Date |
Citation | Applicable Treasury Explanations or Treasury Decision (T.D.) |
Morocco | TIAS 10195 | Jan. 1, 1981 | 1982-2 C.B. 405 | 1982-2 C.B. 427 |
Netherlands | TIAS | Jan. 1, 1994 | ||
Protocol | TIAS | Jan. 1, 2005 | ||
New Zealand | TIAS 10772 | Nov. 2, 1983 | 1990-2 C.B. 274 | 1990-2 C.B. 303 |
Protocol | TIAS | Jan. 1, 2011 | ||
Norway | TIAS 7474 | Jan. 1, 1971 | 1973-1 C.B. 669 | 1973-1 C.B. 693 |
Protocol | TIAS 10205 | Jan. 1, 1982 | 1982-2 C.B. 440 | 1982-2 C.B. 454 |
Pakistan | TIAS 4232 | Jan. 1, 1959 | 1960-2 C.B. 646 | T.D. 6431, 1960-1 C.B. 755 |
Philippines | TIAS 10417 | Jan. 1, 1983 | 1984-2 C.B. 384 | 1984-2 C.B. 412 |
Poland | TIAS 8486 | Jan. 1, 1974 | 1977-1 C.B. 416 | 1977-1 C.B. 427 |
Portugal | TIAS | Jan. 1, 1996 | ||
Romania | TIAS 8228 | Jan. 1, 1974 | 1976-2 C.B. 492 | 1976-2 C.B. 504 |
Russia | TIAS | Jan. 1, 1994 | ||
Slovak Republic | TIAS | Jan. 1, 1993 | ||
Slovenia | TIAS | Jan. 1, 2002 | ||
South Africa | TIAS | Jan. 1, 1998 | ||
Spain | TIAS | Jan. 1, 1991 | ||
Sri Lanka | TIAS | Jan. 1, 2004 | ||
Sweden | TIAS | Jan. 1, 1996 | ||
Protocol | TIAS | Jan. 1, 2007 | ||
Switzerland | TIAS | Jan. 1, 1998 | ||
Thailand | TIAS | Jan. 1, 1998 | ||
Trinidad and Tobago | TIAS 7047 | Jan. 1, 1970 | 1971-2 C.B. 479 | |
Tunisia | TIAS | Jan. 1, 1990 | ||
Turkey | TIAS | Jan. 1, 1998 | ||
Ukraine | TIAS | Jan. 1, 2001 | ||
United Kingdom | TIAS | Jan. 1, 2004 | ||
Venezuela | TIAS | Jan. 1, 2000 |
1(TIAS) — Treaties and Other International Act Series. |
2Information on the treaty can be found in Publication 597, Information on the United States—Canada Income Tax Treaty. |
3The U.S.-U.S.S.R. income tax treaty applies to the countries of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. |
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