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February 27, 2019
2019-0436

Brazil publishes decree approving the Amendment Protocol to the Brazil-Denmark Double Tax Treaty

The Amendment Protocol still allows Brazil and Denmark to grant a credit to taxpayers to eliminate double taxation but eliminates the deduction Denmark used to grant taxpayers for tax paid in Brazil. Additionally, dividends received by residents in Denmark from Brazilian companies will be treated the same as dividends paid and received by Danish companies.

On February 21, 2019, Brazil published Legislative Decree No. 08, under which the Amendment Protocol to the Brazil-Denmark Double Tax Treaty is approved. Even though the Amendment Protocol was signed on March 23, 2011, it was not sent to the Congress until 2015, and approved by the Brazilian Senate until December 12, 2018.

Under Article 23, Denmark previously granted Danish tax residents a deduction of 25% (i.e., "tax-sparing" credit) for the tax withheld on interest and royalties in Brazil. The Amendment Protocol replaces Article 23 (Methods for Elimination of Double Taxation) to allow both countries to apply the ordinary tax credit method to eliminate double taxation.

The new wording of Article 23 also sets forth that dividends received by residents of Denmark from Brazilian companies will not be treated less favorably than dividends paid and received between Danish resident companies under similar conditions.

Additionally, the Amendment Protocol removes items 5 and 6 from Article 23. Item 5 prevented a resident of a Contracting State from taxing undistributed profits of a controlled corporation held in the other Contracting State. Item 6 prevented a Contracting State from taxing the value of shares issued by a corporation resident in one Contracting State to a resident in the other Contracting State.

Certain items in the original Protocol, especially those related to the application of items 5 and 6 of Article 23, also were removed or amended.

Brazil and Denmark must notify each other once the constitutional requirements for ratifying the Amendment Protocol have been completed. The Amendment Protocol will enter into force upon the last notification (entry into force) and will be effective January 1 of the calendar year immediately following the entry into force for taxes withheld at source. For other taxes on income or capital, the Amendment Protocol will apply to taxes due for any tax year beginning on or after January 1 of the calendar year immediately following the entry into force.

To complete the constitutional requirements for ratification of the Protocol, the Brazilian President must publish a decree ratifying the Amendment Protocol.

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Contact Information
For additional information concerning this Alert, please contact:
 
Ernst & Young Serviços Tributários SP Ltda
   • Felipe Fortes (felipe.fortes@br.ey.com)
   • Rita Martins (rita.martins@br.ey.com)
   • Orlando Veloci (orlando.veloci@br.ey.com)
   • Mariano Manente (mariano.manente@br.ey.com)
Ernst & Young LLP, Latin American Business Center, New York
   • Gustavo Carmona Sanches (Gustavo.carmona1@ey.com)
   • Aline Nunes (Aline.Nunes1@ey.com)