ITAD BIR Ruling No. 179-11

June 29, 2011 ITAD BIR RULING NO. 179-11 Article 10, Philippines-Netherlands tax treaty; BIR Ruling No. ITAD-81-10 Union Cement Holdings Corporation 7th Floor, Two World Square Mckinley Hill, Fort Bonifacio Taguig City 1634 Attention: W. Thusitha V. Perera Chief Financial Adviser Shirley S. Go Manager, Tax Group Gentlemen : This refers to your Tax Treaty Relief Application (TTRA) dated August 11, 2010, requesting confirmation that the dividends payable to Holderfin B.V. ("Holderfin") by Union Cement Holdings Corporation ("UCHC") are subject to the preferential tax rate of 10 percent pursuant to Article 10 (2) (a) of the Convention between the Republic of the Philippines and the Kingdom of the Netherlands for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Income ("Philippines-Netherlands tax treaty") . It is represented that Holderfin, with address at De Lairessestraat 131-135, 1075 HJ Amsterdam, the Netherlands, is a resident of the Netherlands, per the Declaration of Residence issued by the Inspector of the Tax Administration of the Netherlands on June 3, 2010; that it is a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the Netherlands with an authorized capital of fifteen million euros (EUR15,000,000), divided into thirty thousand (30,000) shares, each having a nominal value of five hundred euros (EUR500); that it is not registered either as corporation or as a partnership in the Philippines per certification issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission dated May 27, 2010; and that, on the other hand, UCHC is a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the Philippines with principal address at 7th Floor, Two World Square, McKinley Hill, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig 1634. It is further represented that per Secretary's Certificate issued by UCHC dated August 10, 2010, Holderfin holds 387,333,400 shares in UCHC which represents 40% ownership of shares in UCHC; that at a special meeting of the Board of Directors of UCHC held on August 2, 2010, a resolution was approved declaring cash dividend in the amount of PhP4.38 per share payable to all stockholders of UCHC as of the date of the meeting, as soon as practicable but in any event no later than August 27, 2010. It is finally represented that the issue or transaction subject of this request for ruling is not under investigation, on-going audit, administrative protest, claim for refund or issuance of a tax credit certificate, collection proceeding, or judicial appeal per certification issued by UCHC dated August 10, 2010. In reply, please be informed that Section 28 (B) (1) of the National Internal Revenue Code ("Tax Code") of 1997, as amended, applies, in general, to dividends derived in the Philippines by a nonresident foreign corporation. It provides: EScAID "Section 28. Rates of Income Tax on Foreign Corporations. (B) Tax on Nonresident Foreign Corporation. (1) In General. Except as otherwise provided in this Code, a foreign corporation not engaged in trade or business in the Philippines shall pay a tax equal to thirty-five percent (35%) of the gross income received during each taxable year from all sources within the Philippines, such as interest, dividends, rents, royalties, salaries, premiums (except reinsurance premiums), annuities, emoluments, or other fixed or determinable annual, periodic or casual gains, profits and income, and capital gains, except capital gains subject to tax under subparagraph 5(c): Provided, That effective January 1, 2009, the rate of income tax shall be thirty percent (30%)." However, Section 32 (B) (5) of the Tax Code of 1997, as amended, provides: "Section 32. Gross Income. (B) Exclusions from Gross Income. The following items shall not be included in gross income and shall be exempt from taxation under this Title: (5) Income Exempt under Treaty. Income of any kind, to the extent required by any obligation binding upon the Government of the Philippines." Thus, the provisions of Article 10 of the Philippines-Netherlands tax treaty, which you invoke, may apply to the instant case. It provides: "Article 10 DIVIDENDS 1. Dividends paid by a company which is a resident of one of the States to a resident of the other State may be taxed in that other State. 2. However, such dividends may also be taxed in the 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 recipient is a company the capital of which is wholly or partly divided into shares and which holds directly at least 10 per cent of the capital of the company paying the dividends; b) 15 per cent of the gross amount of the dividends in all other cases. 5. The term 'dividends' as used in this Article means income from shares, 'jouissance' shares or 'jouissance' rights, mining shares, founders' shares or other rights participating in profits, as well as income from debt-claims participating in profits and income from other corporate rights which is subjected to the same taxation treatment as income from shares by the taxation law of the State of which the company making the distribution is a resident." Based on the aforequoted provision, dividends arising in the Philippines and paid to a resident of the Netherlands may be subject to income tax in the Philippines, but the rate of tax that may be imposed thereon shall not exceed: (a) 10 percent of the gross amount of dividends if the recipient of the dividends is a company the capital of which is wholly or partly divided into shares and which holds directly at least 10 percent of the capital of the company paying the dividends; and (b) 15 percent of the gross amount of the dividends in all other cases. CHcESa Accordingly, inasmuch as Holderfin is a private company in the Netherlands, the capital of which is wholly divided into shares and since Holderfin holds directly 40 percent of the capital of UCHC (which is actually more than the required minimum of shareholding of 10 percent), such dividends to be paid by UCHC to Holderfin are subject to income tax in the Philippines at the rate of 10 percent of the gross amount thereof pursuant to Article 10 (2) (a) of the Philippines-Netherlands tax treaty. (BIR Ruling No. ITAD-81-10 dated December 30, 2010) This ruling is issued on the basis of the facts as represented. However, if upon investigation it shall be disclosed that the actual facts are different, then this ruling shall be without force and effect insofar as the herein parties are concerned. Very truly yours, (SGD.) KIM S. JACINTO-HENARES Commissioner of Internal Revenue