Aligning purpose of entering into DTAA with Multilateral Instrument (MLI)
Section 90 of the Act empowers the Central Government to enter into agreement with foreign countries or specified territories (commonly known as DTAAs) for,-
(a) granting relief in respect of —
(i) income on which tax has been paid both, in India and that foreign country or territory, or
(ii) income-tax chargeable under the laws of both, India and that foreign country or territory, to promote mutual economic relations, trade and investment.
(b) avoidance of double taxation of income under the laws of both, India and that foreign country of territory,
(c) exchange of information for prevention of evasion or avoidance of income-tax chargeable under the laws of both India and that foreign country or territory, or investigation of cases of such evasion or avoidance, or
(d) recovery of income-tax under the laws of both India and that foreign country or territory.
Section 90A of the Act contains provision similar to section 90 of the Act so as to empower the Central Government to adopt and implement an agreement between a specified association in India and any specified association in specified territory outside India for granting relief, avoidance of double taxation, exchange of information and recovery of income-tax.
India has signed the Multilateral Convention to Implement Tax Treaty Related Measures to Prevent Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (commonly referred to as MLI) along with representatives of many countries, which has since been ratified. India has since deposited the Instrument of Ratification to OECD, Paris along with its Final Position in terms of Covered Tax Agreements (CTAs), Reservations, Options and Notifications under the MLI, as a result of which MLI has entered into force for India on 1st October, 2019 and its provisions will be applicable on India’s DTAAs from FY 2020-21 onwards.
The MLI is an outcome of the G20-OECD project to tackle Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (the BEPS Project), i.e. tax planning strategies that exploit gaps and mismatches in tax rules to artificially shift profits to low or no-tax locations where there is little or no economic activity, resulting in little or no overall corporate tax being paid. The MLI will modify India’s DTAAs to curb revenue loss through treaty abuse and base erosion and profit shifting strategies by ensuring that profits are taxed where substantive economic activities generating the profits are carried out. The MLI will be applied alongside existing DTAAs, modifying their application in order to implement the BEPS measures.
Article 6 of MLI provides for modification of the Covered Tax Agreement to include the following preamble text:
“Intending to eliminate double taxation with respect to the taxes covered by this agreement without creating opportunities for non-taxation or reduced taxation through tax evasion or avoidance (including through treaty-shopping arrangements aimed at obtaining reliefs provided in this agreement for the indirect benefit of residents of third jurisdictions),”
In order to achieve this, clause (b) of sub-section (1) of section 90 of the Act which provides for providing relief in respect of avoidance of double taxation of income under the laws of both country or territory (India and the other foreign country of territory) is required to contain the text provided for in MLI as mentioned at para 4 above. In case of section 90A of the Act also, similar amendment would be required to be carried out.
Therefore, it is proposed to amend clause (b) of sub-section (1) of section 90 of the Act so as to provide that the Central Government may enter into an agreement with the Government of any country outside India or specified territory outside India for, inter alia, the avoidance of double taxation of income under the Act and under the corresponding law in force in that country or specified territory, as the case may be, without creating opportunities for non-taxation or reduced taxation through tax evasion or avoidance (including through treaty-shopping arrangements aimed at obtaining reliefs provided in this agreement for the indirect benefit of residents of any other country or territory).
It is also proposed to make similar amendment in clause (b) of sub-section (1) of section 90A of the Act.
These amendments will take effect from 1st April, 2021 and will, accordingly, apply in relation to the assessment year 2021-22 and subsequent assessment years.
[Clauses 41 & 42]
Extract of Relevant Clauses of Finance Bill, 2020
Clauses 41
“Clause 41 of the Bill seeks to amend section 90 of the Income-tax Act relating to agreement with foreign countries or specified territories.
Clause (b) of sub-section (1) of the said section provides that the Central Government may enter into an agreement with the Government of any country outside India or specified territory outside India for the avoidance of double taxation of income under this Act and under the corresponding law in force in that country or specified territory, as the case may be.
It is proposed to amend said clause so as to provide that the Central Government shall enter into said agreement for the avoidance of double taxation without creating opportunities for non-taxation or reduced taxation through tax evasion or avoidance (including through treaty-shopping arrangements aimed at obtaining reliefs provided in the said agreement for the indirect benefit to residents of any other country or territory).
This amendment will take effect from 1st April, 2021 and will, accordingly, apply in relation to the assessment year 2021-2022 and subsequent assessment years.”
Clauses 42
“Clause 42 of the Bill seeks to amend section 90A of the Income-tax Act relating to adoption by Central Government of agreement between specified associations for double taxation relief.
Clause (b) of sub-section (1) of the said section provides that any specified association in India may enter into an agreement with any specified association in the specified territory outside India and the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, make such provisions as may be necessary for adopting and implementing such agreement for the avoidance of double taxation of income under this Act and under the corresponding law in force in that specified territory outside India.
It is proposed to amend said clause so as to provide that the avoidance of double taxation under said agreement shall be without creating opportunities for non-taxation or reduced taxation through tax evasion or avoidance (including through treaty-shopping arrangements aimed at obtaining reliefs provided in the said agreement for the indirect benefit to residents of any other country or territory).
This amendment will take effect from 1st day of April, 2021 and will, accordingly, apply in relation to the assessment year 2021-2022 and subsequent assessment years.”
Extract of Relevant Amendment Proposed by Finance Bill, 2020
41. Amendment of section 90.
In section 90 of the Income-tax Act, in sub-section (1), in clause (b), after the words “as the case may be,”, the words and brackets “without creating opportunities for non-taxation or reduced taxation through tax evasion or avoidance (including through treaty-shopping arrangements aimed at obtaining reliefs provided in the said agreement for the indirect benefit to residents of any other country or territory),” shall be inserted with effect from the 1st day of April, 2021.
42. Amendment of section 90A.
In section 90A of the Income-tax Act, in sub-section (1), in clause (b), after the words “specified territory outside India,”, the words and brackets “without creating opportunities for non-taxation or reduced taxation through tax evasion or avoidance (including through treaty-shopping arrangements aimed at obtaining reliefs provided in the said agreement for the indirect benefit to residents of any other country or territory),” shall be inserted with effect from the 1st day of April, 2021.
