ITAD BIR Ruling No. 321-15

December 7, 2015 ITAD BIR RULING NO. 321-15 Article 10, Philippines-Singapore tax treaty Kepwealth Property Phils., Inc. Unit 3B Countryspace 1 Building Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue Makati City Attention: Felicidad V. Razon Treasurer Gentlemen : This refers to your tax treaty relief application filed on June 15, 2015, on behalf of Kephinance Investment Pte. Ltd. ("KIPL") , requesting confirmation that dividend paid by Kepwealth Property Phils., Inc. ("KPPI") to KIPL is subject to 15 percent preferential tax rate pursuant to Article 10 of the Convention between the Republic of the Philippines and the Republic of Singapore for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Income ("Philippines-Singapore tax treaty") . It is represented that KIPL is a corporation organized and existing under the laws of Singapore, and is a resident thereof for income tax purposes for the year of assessment 2015 based on the Certificate of Residence issued by the Assistant Commissioner of the Corporate Tax Division for Comptroller of Income Tax of the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore dated July 14, 2015; that it is snot registered either as a corporation or as a partnership in the Philippines per Certification of Non-Registration of Company issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission dated October 23, 2013; and that, on the other hand, KPPI is a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the Philippines. It is further represented that during the special meeting of the Board of Directors KPPI held on November 11, 2014, the Board of Directors of KPPI declared cash dividend in the amount of Sixteen Million Pesos (P16,000,000.00) from out of the unrestricted retained earnings of KPPI as of October 31, 2014, to be distributed to all stockholders of record as of October 31, 2014 (common and preferred shares), payable on or before November 30, 2014; that as of record date and the date of payment of the dividend, KIPL owns 3,350,400 common shares and 31,700,000 preferred shares and that KIPL has a 39.41 percent ownership in KPPI; that the said shares was acquired by KIPL on September 24, 2009. 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 proceedings, or judicial appeal per the Sworn Statement issued by KPPI dated March 5, 2015. In reply, please be informed that Section 28 (B) (1) of the National Internal Revenue Code (Tax Code) of 1997, applies, in general, to dividends derived in the Philippines by a nonresident foreign corporation. It provides: "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 . xxx xxx xxx (B) Exclusions from Gross Income . The following items shall not be included in gross income and shall be exempt from taxation under this Title: xxx xxx xxx (5) Income Exempt under Treaty . Income of any kind, to the extent required by any treaty obligation binding upon the Government of the Philippines." In this particular case, you invoked Article 10 of the Philippines-Singapore tax treaty. It provides: "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 be taxed in the Contracting State of which the company paying the dividends is a resident, and according to the law of that State, but if the recipient is the beneficial owner of the dividends the tax so charged shall not exceed: a) 15 per cent of the gross amount of the dividends if the recipient is a company (including partnership) and during the part of the paying company's taxable year which precedes the date of payment of the dividend and during the whole of its prior taxable year (if any), at least 15 per cent of the outstanding shares of the voting stock of the paying company was owned by the recipient company; and b) in all other cases, 25 per cent of the gross amount of the dividends. The competent authorities of the Contracting States shall by mutual agreement settle the mode of application of this limitation. 3. The term 'dividends' as used in this Article means income from shares, 'jouissance' shares or 'jouissance' rights, mining shares, founder's shares or other rights, not being debt-claims, participating in profits, as well as income assimilated to income from shares by the taxation law of the State of which the company making the distribution is a resident. xxx xxx xxx 5. The provisions of paragraphs 1 and 2 shall not apply if the recipient of the dividends, being a resident of a Contracting State, carries on in the other Contracting State of which the company paying the dividends is a resident, trade or business through a permanent establishment situated therein, or performs in that other State professional services from a fixed base situated therein, and the holding by virtue of which the dividends are paid is effectively connected with such permanent establishment or fixed base. In such a case, the provisions of Article 7 or Article 14, as the case may be, shall apply. xxx xxx xxx" Based on the aforequoted provisions, the 15 percent preferential tax rate on dividends applies whenever the recipient of the dividends owns at least 15 percent of the outstanding voting shares of the paying company, which 15 percent shareholdings should have existed during the part of the paying company's taxable year immediately preceding the date of payment of the dividends and during the whole of its prior taxable year, if any. Considering that KIPL, a resident of Singapore with no fixed place of business in the Philippines, holds 39.41 percent ownership in KPPI during the part of the taxable year which precedes the payment of the dividends and the whole of its prior taxable year or since September 24, 2009, the dividend paid by KPPI to KIPL is subject to the preferential tax rate of 15 percent, pursuant to Article 10 (2) (a) of the Philippines-Singapore tax treaty. 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