The Double Taxation Relief (Taxes on Income) (Taiwan) Order 2002

Article 12 Royalties

(1) Royalties arising in a territory and paid to a resident of the other territory may be taxed in that other territory.

(2) However, those royalties may also be taxed in the territory in which they arise, and according to the law of that territory, but if the beneficial owner of the royalties is a resident of the other territory, the tax so charged shall not exceed 10 per cent. of the gross amount of the royalties. The competent authorities of the territories shall by mutual agreement settle the mode of application of this limitation.

(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, any copyright of literary, artistic or scientific work (including cinematograph films, and films or tapes for radio or television broadcasting), any patent, trade mark, design or model, plan, secret formula or process, or for information (know-how) concerning industrial, commercial or scientific experience.

(4) The provisions of paragraph (1) and (2) of this Article shall not apply if the beneficial owner of the royalties, being a resident of a territory, carries on business in the other territory in which the royalties arise, through a permanent establishment situated therein, or performs in that other territory independent personal services from a fixed base situated therein, and the right or property in respect of which the royalties are paid is effectively connected with such permanent establishment or fixed base. In such case, the provisions of Article 7 or Article 14 of this Agreement, as the case may be, shall apply.

(5) Royalties shall be deemed to arise in a territory when the payer is an authority of that territory or a subdivision or local authority of that territory or a person who is a resident of that territory for the purposes of its tax. Where, however, the person paying the royalties, whether the person is a resident of a territory or not, has in a territory a permanent establishment or a fixed base in connection with which the liability to pay the royalties was incurred, and such royalties are borne by such permanent establishment or fixed base, then such royalties shall be deemed to arise in the territory in which the permanent establishment or fixed base is situated.

(6) Where, by reason of a special relationship between the payer and the beneficial owner or between both of them and some other person, the amount of the royalties paid exceeds, for whatever reason, the amount which would have been agreed upon by the payer and the beneficial owner in the absence of such relationship, the provisions of this Article shall apply only to the last-mentioned amount. In such case, the excess part of the payments shall remain taxable according to the laws of each territory, due regard being had to the other provisions of this Agreement.

(7) The provisions of this Article shall not apply if it was the main purpose or one of the main purposes of any person concerned with the creation or assignment of the rights in respect of which the royalties are paid to take advantage of this Article by means of that creation or assignment.